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Whether you use Quick Pickled Red Onions as a condiment, a topping for sandwiches, burgers, or tacos, or toss them into a salad, they have many delicious uses. These onions can be made in under 30 minutes and are a crunchy and tangy side that adds tons of flavor to any dish.
Why This Recipe Works
If you want to take just about any dish to the next level adding pickled red onions is a delicious and tangy option. The process of quick pickling is simple and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, and can be used for many other vegetables as well.
There’s no canning required for this very basic recipe. These onions go straight to your refrigerator and will last for up to 3 weeks.
Only a few pantry staples, vinegar, sugar, and salt are needed for pickling red onions, but you can add many other spices and flavorings for a deeper flavor. This recipe gives you the option of adding garlic, peppercorns, allspice berries, and thyme to enhance the red onion taste.
This recipe makes 2 pint-sized jars worth of pickled red onions, but you can make as much or as little as you like. If you’d only like one jar you can cut the recipe in half or if planning a gathering make as much as you’d like by doubling or tripling the ingredients.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Salt: the best salt for pickling vegetables is pickling salt or sea salt, however, you can also use kosher salt, just make sure there are no additives and contains pure salt only.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar works well for this recipe, but you could also use a natural sweetener such as maple syrup or honey. If you’re cutting back on sugar you can leave it out, however, the onions will have a strong vinegary and pungent taste.
- Allspice Berries: this spice is optional for adding flavor to the onions and can be found on the spice isle of your grocery store.
- Thyme: adding fresh thyme is also optional, but it not only adds a nice flavor to the brine it also looks pretty in the jar.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Peel and slice the onions. Determine whether you want onions in the crescent shape or half-moon shape and peel and slice them accordingly (directions are below).
- Prepare the vinegar base. Add the sugar, salt, vinegar, and any flavorings you like to the jars you plan on using. Stir the contents to dissolve the sugar into the vinegar.
- Par-blanch the onions. Bring about 5 cups of water to a boil in a pot (you can also use a kettle). Add the sliced onions to a mesh sieve and set it over a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the onions. Let the onions drain.
- Arrange jars. Place the onions into the prepared jars and stir to mix them in with the vinegar and flavorings.
Onion Slicing Technique
The best shapes for quick pickled red onions are crescent shapes that result from a lengthwise root to stem cut or half-moon shapes you can achieve by cutting the onion crosswise. Rings will also work, but they don’t fit as well in a pint-sized jar. If you choose to cut your onions in rings then use a larger-sized jar.
Crescent Shape (Lengthwise)
Follow these simple steps to cut your onion lengthwise in a crescent shape. Best for use as a condiment to top tacos, mixing into a salad or side salad such as egg salad.
- Cut off the stem end. Cut off the stem end of the onions by 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
- Trim the root but keep it intact. Barely slice off the root end, which will help keep the onion together as you slice it.
- Cut the onion in half. Set the onion stem side down and cut the onion in half from root to stem.
- Slice at an angle. Slicing along the lines of the onion make angled cuts, spacing out the cuts for how wide you want them. To keep the onion intact don’t slice all the way through the root.
- Cut off the root end with a v-shaped cut. Cut a v-shape at the root end of the onion slices to remove the root
Half-Moon Shape (Crosswise)
Half-moon-shaped onions, which are cut crosswise, are best used for topping burgers, sandwiches, or meat and seafood.
- Cut off the stem. Cut the stem off by about 1/2 inch and the root in by about 1/8 inch leaving the stem intact.
- Cut the onion in half from root to stem. Place the onion stem cut side down and slice it in half from the root to the stem.
- Set the onion cut side down. Peel the skin back but do not remove and then place the onion halves cut side down.
- Slice across. Carefully slice into half-moon shapes across the onion so the knife is parallel to the root. Hold the onion firmly with one hand and keep your fingers curled in when slicing.
To avoid the fumes released by the cutting of the onion cells walls work as quickly as possible and clean your cutting board or work surface after. Wipe your cutting board down with a towel or sponge when finished. You can also use these onion cutting glasses.
Recipe Variations
- Stronger flavored onions. For a bolder vinegar flavor place the sliced onions, vinegar, and any seasoning you choose into a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Quickly remove from the heat and use a ladel and jar funnel to place the onions in the jars first. Then add the heated vinegar mixture.
- Thicker onions. You can slice the onions however you’d like and if you prefer a thick cut than you can slice it how you want.
- Make it spicy. To add a little spice to your pickled onions add 1 teaspoon (or more) of crushed red pepper.
- Different onions. This recipe will work for any type of onions or even shallots. You won’t get the pretty deep purple color, however, you will get a delicious flavor no matter what you choose.
When to Use Pickled Onions
The uses of pickled onions are practically endless, but a few ideas are below. My favorite option is to use it as a topping for tacos and mixing it into cold salads.
- Use them as a salad topping.
- Stuff them in a sandwich.
- Pile them on a burger or pulled pork.
- Any Mexican dish. Tacos.
- Breakfast.
- Meat and Seafood.
- Condiment for salads, pizza, and soup.
- Mayo-based side salads.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
Pickling is a great way to bring new flavor to all kinds of vegetables and it’s limited to just onions and pickles. I’ve created an entire guide for Quick Pickled Vegetables if you’d like to try some other variations.
- Soaking the onions in hot water and a little salt softens the flavor as well as the onions, making them more susceptible to soak up the vinegar and flavorings.
- Use wide mouth jars to make it easier to transfer the sliced onions as well as get them out easily when you need them.
- Make sure to store these onions in a glass or ceramic jar because the plastic can absorb the flavors and metal will react with the vinegar.
- You don’t have to use granulated sugar for this recipe and can swap it out for a natural sweetener such as maple syrup or honey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once you’ve prepared the onions let them cool to room temperature and place them in the fridge. They will last up to 3 weeks.
Any pale-colored vinegar will work as long as it’s not the industrial white vinegar in the large containers (that vinegar is too harsh). Some options are distilled white vinegar, champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or even apple cider vinegar. Balsamic or dark vinegar is too pungent for pickling.
No. For this recipe, you are going to par-blanch the onions so they will be steamed and hot when you place them in the jars with the vinegar brine.
Related Recipes
If you made these Quick Pickled Red Onions I want to hear all about it! Share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @AimeeMarsLiving and #AimeeMars so I can see your beautiful work. Enjoy!
Quick Pickled Red Onions
Equipment
- Pot or Kettled (for boiling water)
- Chefs Knife
- Cutting Board
- 2 Pint Jars with Lids
Ingredients
- 2 medium Red Onions peeled and sliced
- 2 teaspoons Sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon Salt divided
- 1½ cups Vinegar
Optional Flavorings
- 2 Garlic Cloves halved
- 10 Black Peppercorns divided
- 10 Allspice Berries divided
- 6 sprigs Fresh Thyme
Instructions
- Determine whether you want lengthwise or crosswise cut onions and slice and peel them along with the garlic cloves.
- Make the vinegar base by adding the sugar, salt, vinegar, and any flavorings you like to the jars you plan on using. Stir the contents to dissolve the sugar into the vinegar.
- Bring about 5 cups of water to a boil in a pot (you can also use a kettle). Add the sliced onions to a mesh sieve and set it over a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the onions. Let the onions drain as you lift the sieve from the water.
- Use some tongs to place the onions into the prepared jars. Carefully stir to mix them in with the vinegar and flavorings.
Notes
- Soaking the onions in hot water and a little salt softens the flavor as well as the onions, making them more susceptible to soak up the vinegar and flavorings.
- Use wide-mouth jars to make it easier to transfer the sliced onions as well as get them out easily when you need them.
- Make sure to store these onions in a glass or ceramic jar because the plastic can absorb the flavors and metal will react with the vinegar.
- You don’t have to use granulated sugar for this recipe and can swap it out for a natural sweetener such as maple syrup or honey.
