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Pickled Onions are easy to make and ready in minutes! Easily add a tangy and sweet pop of flavor to burgers, salads, and much more with my simple pickled red onion recipe. You’ll only need 4 basic ingredients, plus water!
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Pickled Onion Recipe
I am obsessed with pickled onions! They’re the best way to add a bright pop of vibrant pink color and amazing tangy flavor to any dish. Not only that, but it’s easy to make quick pickled onions to store and have whenever you feel like adding a little something extra to your meal.
Pickled Onions for Tacos
If you have yet to make your own homemade pickled onions, you have to try this recipe! Pickled red onions add an irresistible extra dimension of flavor to burgers, salads, sandwiches, and even tacos (trust me, you need to try them with tacos! Here are my favorite:
The best part? My pickled onions recipe can be ready as quickly as 30 minutes. You don’t have to wait overnight! Start your meal prep with these onions, and by the time dinner is ready, so are your quick pickled red onions!
Pickled Onions Recipe Ingredients
- Red onion
- Sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt
- Water
How to Pickle Onions
- Thinly slice red onions, then add them to a jar or container with a lid.
- Pour water inside the same jar, along with apple cider vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- Secure the lid, and mix well by shaking.
- Store in the refrigerator until bright pink and tender. This could take anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight, depending on the thickness of your onion slices.
Pickled Red Onion Recipe Tips
- I like to slice my onions a little thicker for a crunch, but the thinner your onions are sliced, the quicker the pickling process goes.
- Try a different vinegar! Play around with different vinegar options to find your favorite flavor.
- If you want to naturally sweeten your pickled onions, I recommend using maple syrup or honey.
- Make your pickled onions spicy by adding a few freshly sliced jalapeño peppers inside your pickling jar.
- Add in a clove or two of garlic for a more garlicky pickled onion!
Fun Fact: To get rid of onion breath, eat some fresh parsley!
How long do pickled onions last?
Pickled onions will last up to 2-4 weeks in vinegar when stored in the refrigerator in a jar with a lid.
Pickled White Onions
You can pickle white onions instead of red onions. Simply slice the white onions to your preferred thickness and add to a jar with vinegar, water, salt, and sugar, along with any other flavor-adding ingredients you may want to add, such as garlic or jalapeños.
This also works for pickled yellow onions or any variety of onion you prefer.
Pickled Onions Recipes FAQs
Distilled white vinegar is a common choice when pickling, but any variety of vinegar will work for pickling onions. Try different varieties to see what flavors you like best, such as apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or others. My own family prefers apple cider vinegar.
Sugar is not necessary for pickling, but adds a sweetness to balance out the tart flavor of the vinegar and, in the case of pickled onions, the onions. You can try using more or less sugar when pickling onions depending on your taste preferences, or cut it out entirely to make keto pickled onions.
Uses for Pickled Red Onions
- Pile high on a burger! I like to pair it with my favorite poached egg burger, these loaded burgers, or a classic bison burger!
- Top on a salad! My delicious, cold quinoa salad and grilled chicken salad show off these pickled onions best.
- Stuff them inside a sandwich! Pickled red onions taste great in just about any sandwich, but my favorite is a pulled pork sandwich.
- Perfect inside a bowl! Try them in my teriyaki bowls or top them inside your own bowls with cilantro lime rice or white rice!
- Any dish that needs an extra crispy, tangy, sweet finish!
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📋 Recipe
Pickled Red Onions
Equipment
- Jar or container with lid
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion peeled and sliced thinly
- ⅓ cup sugar adjust to preference
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Thinly slice red onions, then place them in a jar or a container with a lid.1 large red onion
- Pour water inside the same jar, along with apple cider vinegar, sugar, and salt.⅓ cup sugar, 2 cups apple cider vinegar, 1 Tablespoon salt, 2 cups water
- Secure the lid, and mix well by shaking.
- Store in the refrigerator until bright pink and tender. This could take anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight, depending on the thickness of your onion slices.
Video
Notes
- I like to slice my onions a little thicker for a crunch, but the thinner your onions are sliced the quicker the pickling process goes.
- Try a different vinegar! Play around with different vinegar options to find your favorite flavor.
- If you want to naturally sweeten your pickled onions, I recommend using maple syrup or honey.
- Make your pickled onions spicy, by adding a few freshly sliced jalapeño peppers inside your pickling jar.
- Add in a clove or two of garlic for a more garlicky pickled onion!
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!