Quick Pickled Red Onions

Pickled red onions are a bright condiment that’s easy to make, add a pop of color and flavor, and go great with just about anything! Perfect for tacos, burritos, eggs, or a classic steak, they are made with a few simple ingredients and only 15 minutes.

This pickled onion recipe is a super easy recipe to make, only takes a few minutes to put together, and is great for so many dishes.

The tangy and crisp onions bring a bright flavor and texture to anything you add them to. I’m thinking these pork carnitas could use a few!

I love them on burgers and tacos but they are great on scrambled eggs for breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, add a few to your toasted bagel and cream cheese. Just like you would with this pickled red cabbage recipe, these refrigerator pickles, and these spicy beer pickles.

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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.

Ingredient Notes

• Onions – Red onions are the best for this recipe but of course you can use any onion that you like! The key is to slice them very thin. Use a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer for best results.
• Vinegar – White distilled vinegar is the best so you have the cleanest flavor. Using something like apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar will change the flavor profile. White wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar can also be used, but tend to be more vinegary than oniony.
• Peppercorns – You can use black or even a mixture of your favorite peppercorns. Again, keep them whole so they add pepper essence but don’t overpower.

Variations

• Use a blend of onions, as they all have their unique flavors. White onions and yellow onions are fun.
• Add fresh herbs to the mix, a star anise pod or even a dash of kosher salt.
• For super spicy, add a few jalapeno slices or a punch of red pepper flakes.

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How To Make Pickled Red Onions

1. Thinly slice the red onions. Layer in a jar with the garlic and peppercorns. Heat the vinegar over medium heat just to boiling in a pot, or in the microwave for 1 min. Add the sugar and salt. Stir while the sugar and salt dissolve.

2. Carefully add the hot pickling mixture to the jar, lightly cover, and leave to cool to room temperature. Once cool, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Ways to Enjoy Pickled Onions

• Quesadillas – toss a few in before you heat it
• Hot Dogs – so much better than plain white onions
• Hamburgers – add some color and flavor to the usual burger
• Grilled Cheese Sandwiches – don’t knock it till you try it
• Salads – these add color and texture to salads
• Burrito Bowls – I love tacos and burrito bowls with tons of onions
• Omelets – also great on scrambled eggs
• Cheese Boards – perfect for topping that brie and jam
• Deviled Eggs – add some tanginess to the cream
• Potato Salad – same with the deviled eggs, they add color, flavor, and texture
• Canapés – pretty and delicious
• Avocado Toast – my new favorite mid morning snack
• Pickle Wraps Recipe – because you can never have too much pickle flavor

Storage

The best part of this recipe is that they last up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Mine usually don’t last this long because we eat them on everything. If you want to keep them longer I would suggest a traditional canning technique.

I keep mine in the refrigerator, tightly covered, in a glass jar. I also make sure that I press the onions still in the jar pushed down into the liquid. If the onions are sticking out of the liquid they might dry out.

Tools Used

• Mandoline Slicer
• Garlic Peeler
• Peppercorns
• Glass Jars or other Glass Containers

Tapas Tips & Tricks

• The key to perfect pickled red onions is to slice the raw red onions thin. Unless you have chef-like knife sills, I suggest a Mandolin slicer or using the slicer blade on your food processor. This also ensures that the onions are all sliced to the same thickness for even pickling. If you don’t want long strands of onion, cut the onions in half before slicing.
• Great for all types of onions, they are a great way to use up onions before they go bad.
• For a different flavor profile, feel free to use rice vinegar or mirin instead of white vinegar. Try some mustard seeds or a bay leaf if you prefer. You can even add in some fresh herbs like dill or cilantro. They will slightly discolor in the vinegar but still taste fine.
• Pure maple syrup is a great substitute for white sugar.
• For some heat, toss in some red pepper flakes.
• This is a technique for quick pickles. Making them this way means they are not shelf stable. These must remain in the refrigerator while being stored.
• I recommend letting them sit for at least 24 hours before eating them to allow the pickling flavors to penetrate the onion layers. But they are ready to eat in 30 minutes if you can’t wait that long.

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This quick pickled red onion recipe is easy to make and makes a great topping for a variety of dishes. Perfect for your burgers and tacos.

Pickled Red Onions

Try making jars of pickled red onions for gifts and keep a jar in your fridge to use in salads, with tacos, on sandwiches and hot dogs….etc.

4.70 from 10 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute minute

Additional Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 16 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Author: Jennifer Stewart

Equipment

• Ball Mason Jar-16 oz. – Set of 4
• Weck – 0.25 Liter Mold Jars with Lids

Ingredients

Onions

• 1 large red onion sliced thin
• 4 cloves of garlic peeled
• 2 teaspoons peppercorns to taste

Pickling Liquid

• 2 cups distilled white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt

Instructions

• Heat the vinegar just to boiling, or in the microwave for 1 min.
• Add salt and sugar, stir to dissolve.
• Place red onions and other spices in the jar.
• Add hot mixture to the jar, cover and leave to cool to room temperature.
• Once cool, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Video

Notes

• Slice the raw red onions thin on a Mandolin slicer or the slicer blade on your food processor to keep them all the same thickness.
• Try with rice vinegar or Mirin. instead of white vinegar.
• For some heat, toss in some red pepper flakes or sliced jalapeño peppers.
• Let them sit for at least 24 hours before eating them to allow the pickling flavors to penetrate the onion layers.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 27kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1397mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.2mg

{Originally Posted 8/20/2016 – Pictures and notes updated 9/28/2021}

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