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How to make Pickled Red Onions– a quick and easy recipe that can be made in 15 minutes flat! Give your favorite meals a huge burst of flavor; this recipe includes a Mexican version, Indian version and a Nordic version! Keeps up to 3 weeks in the fridge. Video.
Pickled Red Onions give all our favorite foods like tacos, bowls, burritos, and wraps, a massive burst of flavor! So simple and easy, but the difference they can make to an ordinary meal, can be mind-blowing!
This recipe takes only 15 minutes, and you probably already have everything you need on hand… so no excuses! Make a batch today of pickled red onions and store them in the fridge for up to a month – but trust me, I doubt this small batch of deliciousness will even make it that long…. you’ll find a hundred uses for them!
Pickled Red Onions | 35-sec video
Ingredients in Pickled Red Onions
- Red onion: One small red onion, 3-4 inches in diameter.
- White Vinegar: Using white vinegar will ensure the best bright clear color here, as well as a longer shelf life in the fridge. White vinegar is more concentrated than Apple Cider vinegar or Red wine vinegar– both of which will work but see the recipe notes.
- Sweetener: White cane sugar offers up a clear, clean-looking pickling liquid, but honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar or agave all work too, however, they can “muddy” the color.
- Salt & Spices: Whole Spices can add so much flavor here, depending on the direction you are going. Our favorites include: fennel seeds, peppercorns, coriander seeds cumin seeds, caraway seeds, star anise, juniper berries, allspice berries.
- Optional additions: Garlic, bay leaves, fresh herbs.
How to make Pickled Red Onions
- Slice red onions thinly using a sharp chef’s knife or a mandolin.
- Place in a small sauce pan and simmer with white vinegar, water, salt, sugar and any whole spices you like for 1 minute.
- Cool on the counter, then store in a sealed jar and refrigerate!
- Pickled red onions will keep up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
Variations of Pickled Red onions
Depending on what you are serving up for dinner, you can enhance the picked onions with different spices and flavors.
- Mexican Pickled Onions: add whole cumin seeds and coriander seeds plus Mexican oregano to the pickling liquid. Thinly sliced jalapenos are nice too.
- Scandinavian Style: add fresh dill, caraway and peppercorns.
- Indian pickled onions: fennel seeds, coriander black mustard seeds, and fenugreek.
- Island style: Allspice berries, cumin seeds, peppercorns
I am so excited for you to try these! Pickled Red Onions will give your favorite foods a burst of flavor! They pair well with many Mexican Recipes and I love them on Indian food – but they really go with almost everything.
A small batch recipe that is fast and easy and will elevate many dishes you already make.
WAYS to use Pickled onions
- Frankies (Bombay Burritoes)
- Grilled Steak Tacos with Chimichurri
- Spaghetti Squash Sliders
- Quick Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw
- Thayludas
- Oaxacan Bowls
Pickled Red Onions
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: condiments
- Method: pickled
- Cuisine: american
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A simple tasty recipe for Pickled Red Onions, that can be made in 15 minutes flat! Give your favorite foods like tacos, bowls, burritos, wraps, or grilled meats a huge burst of flavor in an instant. Store in the fridge for up to two months! This small-batch recipe is fast and easy and will elevate many dishes you already make.
Ingredients
- 1 cup red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup white vinegar, or use apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar -see notes
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons white sugar (or honey , agave, or other substitute)
- 1 teaspoon whole spices (optional- one or any combination of peppercorns, fennel seed, cumin, coriander, peppercorns, caraway, star anise, juniper, allspice.)
- optional additions:
- 1 garlic clove, cut in half
- 1 bay leave
- 1 teaspoon dried or fresh oregano ( if using on Mexican food)
Instructions
- Thinly slice red onion ( you’ll need one cup)
- Place the sliced onion along with the vinegar, water, salt, sugar and whole spices and any optional additions in a small pot on the stove and bring to a simmer. Simmer 1 minute, stirring.
- Remove from the stove and let cool. Add fresh herbs if you like.
- Place onions and liquid in a clean jar and store in the fridge.
- This will last up top 3 weeks in the fridge.
Notes
White vinegar is more concentrated than other vinegars. If subbing AC vinegar or red wine vinegar, and you plan on keeping this for 3 weeks in the fridge, I would lower the water by 2 tablespoons. White vinegar will also ensure the clearest-looking pickling liquid ( along with white sugar).
Variations:
- Mexican pickled red onions: add sliced jalapeno and whole cumin and coriander seeds plus Mexican oregano to the pickling liquid.
- Scandinavian pickled red onions: add fresh dill, caraway and peppercorns.
- Indian pickled red onions: add fennel seeds, coriander and either fenugreek or cilantro!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 8
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 116.7 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.8 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 0.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: pickled red onions, pickled onions, quick pickled onions, pickled onion, pickling onions, how to pickle onions, best pickled onion recipe,
At what point should any oregano, cilantro, or fenugreek be added? Do I just throw it in at the same time as the whole spices?
Also, I’ve been loving the chipotle portobello tacos. Your Frankies recipe is up next!
★★★★★
Awesome Alex! yes, just add at the same time!
Yum! I made this for the Bombay Burritos recipe. I’m happy to eat these onions on their own – delish! Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Michelle!
I love this recipe. So easy to make! I keep a big jar on hand all the time because it’s such a great add to so many meals!
★★★★★
Happy you like this one Sarah!
Does the type of vinegar make a difference in the resulting flavor? Or does it all end up tasting the same regardless of which type of vinegar?
It can make a slight difference- and also can affect the color of the onions. But I use different vinegars all the time here- it’s fun to mix it up and experiement.
Love this recipe. I can tailor the spices and it’s such a great addition to so many things. I usually use them in salads, sandwiches, or a wrap!
★★★★★
Yes, very customizable- glad you are likeing it Micky!
So good! New refrigerator staple. Thank you!
★★★★★
Yay! Glad you like them Lisa! So good on everything.
This literally took me 10 minutes to make and it is soooo good! I doubled the batch and it made one mason jar full (good thing since I have been eating it straight from the jar!). I went through our spices and anything that was whole I threw a pinch in and it turned out to make an awesome combination. I used half red wine vinegar and half apple cider vinegar and threw in a few whole fresh garlic. My very discerning husband said they were better than any restaurant pickled onions he has had. So versatile as well, I look forward to trying this on several dishes.
★★★★★
Awesome Amy!
The Pickled onions were delicious .
Can I try putting mint leaves next time?
★★★★★
sounds good to me!
Well, this is fabulous. I just purchased a 10 lb bag of Red onions because it was so economical. my husband just asked me what I was going to do with all those onions?
Can I preserve these onions as I do with my Chow Chow and pickles?
Do you mean can you pressure-can these? This recipe is not designed for canning. BAsically just refrigerator pickles- but I like your idea, A LOT!
Hi Sylvia Fountaine:
No, not pressure canning but, canning with a Canner boiling them as I do with my Bread and Butter Pickles so that they are shelf stable??
I don’t think the acid level here would be right for that. I think if you found the correct acid level-or vinegar amount (in a recipe designed for that) and then added the spices,it would work. This is probably too weak of a vinegar solution for canning. Just guessing here.
Great. Everyone enjoyed them.
★★★★★
I am definitely looking forward to trying this! One question… if adding sliced jalapeno for the Mexican version, is it added before the simmer or afterward? Thanks!
After simmering 🙂
So quick to make, and elevated our quinoa salad to another level. This hits the spot!
★★★★★
I’ve made this twice now and it’s really good. the onions come so soft and not at all acidic like raw pickled onions do. I use them on everything…fried eggs, sandwiches, salads. cheese plates etc.. so good.
For whole spices I’ve used lightly toasted fennel seeds, nigella seeds and coriander seeds which makes a nice subtle flavour that goes with everything I think.
★★★★★
These are amazing!!! I was shocked cause I had more onions so I just wing it with adjusting the ingredients but it did well!! I can’t wait for tacos tonight I’ll let you all know how it goes!!
★★★★★
Please do!
What if I dont have kosher salt? Can I sub pink or regular table salt?
Yes, regular salt is fine1
The Pickling or Kosher salt doesn’t have the iodine that table salt as this will cause the colour of your pickles to turn dark. Also there is an anti-caking element in some salt , that Pickling salt doesn’t have.
Hi! Could you pickle these in lemon juice? I’m alergic to vinegar. Thanks!
Give it a try!
Could you can these in a water bath, or would the recipe need to be changed for that to work? These look delish!Thanks!
It’s definitely not a canning recipe. Not sure about the acid levels here. Sorry…
You could use a little lemon juice in them to raise the acidity.
These are so simple, quick, and delicious. They have quickly become a staple in my house. My kids like to snack in them 😊
★★★★★
Another fabulous recipe from you Sylvia!
Simple to make and so very delicious.
A lovely addition to our evening salad.
Thankyou.
Ps… I still have not purchased bread since early May when I first commenced making your ‘no-knead sourdough’- it’s just so beautiful to eat!😍
★★★★★
Love it! Great to hear Marc!
Why can’t they be stored in the fridge for more than three weeks? Do they become unsafe??
Hi Robert, If you want to keep it longer, I would add a couple more tablespoons of vinegar. 🙂
Just as easy as it says…and delicious, crisp, onions.
★★★★★
Simple recipe but packs so much flavor as well as adding beautiful color to any dish! We used them on the birria tacos and they’re delish!
★★★★★
A great combo! Thanks Sarah!
I needed pickled onions for a tuna salad recipe from the New York Times and found your recipe at the right time. They are a wonderful
addition to my refrigerator. We love them as an addition to sandwiches. Thank you.
★★★★★
Awesome Robin, thanks!
👍
★★★★★
These are the best!! One question … where did you get your square swing top jars? I love them!
★★★★★
Thanks – at a vintage store.
does the onion lose the crunchiness by simmering in hot liquid ?
Not really! don’t simmer if you want extra crunchy.