These Pickled Red Onions have become a kitchen staple. Their sweet, sharp flavor brightens salads, stir fries, sandwiches, sautées, and the list goes on! 5 minutes of prep and a little patience and you have a simple way to spice up everyday recipes.
This recipe uses red onions, but you can definitely substitute yellow onions, sweet onions, or white onions in this recipe. The flavor will be slightly different, as each type of onion has a different taste, but the recipe works well for all types of onions.
Start with the Basic Recipe
This basic Pickled Red Onion Recipe below makes two cups, or two mason jars worth of pickled red onions. You can add additional ingredients to make different styles, such as my Dill Pickled Red Onions and my Asian-Style Pickled Red Onions. See the recipes below for details.
A note on pickling for those of you who are curious about food history, like me:) People have been pickling foods for thousands of years! Early evidence of pickled cucumbers dates back to Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent around 2400 BCE. The technique migrated to Northern Africa, then spread to Sicily, sidled up to Spain, and from there ambled to the Americas. I am grateful for the passing on of ancient wisdom because it makes my cooking that much more interesting and tasty!
And I’ll share this just for fun: in the 1950’s a team of scientists in England set out to perfect the pickled onion as an act of national pride. True fact. Check out the video from atlasobscura.
How to make pickled red onions
This quick pickled onion recipe only needs a few ingredients that you likely have on hand in your pantry:
- Vinegar: distilled white vinegar is my preference but you can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Red onion- yes, you can substitute white onion, sweet onion, or yellow onion.
- Kosher salt
- Peppercorns
- Aromatics- this is up to you. I give you recipes for two different styles, but feel free to improvise. Red pepper flakes, garlic cloves, bay leaf, fresh herbs, all are fair game.
Pickled Red Onions Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Description
These Pickled Red Onions have become a kitchen staple. Their sweet, sharp flavor brightens salads, stir fries, sandwiches, sautées, and the list goes on! 5 minutes of prep and a little patience and you have a simple way to spice up everyday recipes.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the basic quick pickle brine:
- 1 raw red onion
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoon peppercorns
- pinch of Kosher salt
Variations
1.For Dill Pickled Onions add:
- 1 peeled garlic clove
- 1 sprig of fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon of mustard seed
2. For Asian Style Pickled Onions add:
- 2 cloves fresh garlic;
- 1 inch peeled fresh ginger root;
- 1 scallion (green onion) trimmed to fit in jar
- 1 chili pepper of your choice (or ½ teaspoon dried red chili flakes)
Instructions
Directions for quick pickled red onions:
- Combine the water and vinegar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat.
- Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Remove from heat and cool.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the onions thinly and evenly. Use a mandoline if you have one and want to get them super thin and uniform.
- Place sliced onions in clean mason jar, leaving 1 inch at the top.
- Add peppercorns to the jars and pour the vinegar mixture into the jars.
- Add desired aromatics like ginger, garlic, dill, crushed red pepper flakes, etc.
- Place waxed paper or plastic wrap over top of jar and screw on the lid. The plastic wrap will keep the top from discoloring from the vinegar.
- Let the onions marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour or up to two weeks.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Note- When dipping in to serve the pickled red onions, use a clean spoon to retrieve onions from jar to avoid cross contamination.
Some recipes call for Apple Cider Vinegar, and while you can use this in a pinch, I think it imparts too much sweetness to the onions and the sweetness eclipses their bright flavor. Other recipes call for rice vinegar, which works well for some dishes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Marinating Time: 1 hour
What to serve with Pickled Red Onions?
Here are some of my favorite dishes that are enhanced by adding some of these delicious, briny bits:
- Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
- Salad with Watermelon- a Tajín twist!
- Easy Sheet Pan Fajitas | Oven Baked Fajitas
- Perfect Broiled Salmon
We hope you love this recipe. Let us know your favorite dishes that incorporate them!
