Pickled Onions
intro
Crisp, tangy quick pickled red onions add a bright zesty pop to tacos, burgers, and BBQ plates. No canning required, ready to eat after just 1 hour of chill time.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep and slice onion
Trim the root and stem ends from the 300g red onion, peel off the dry outer papery layers. Slice the onion into uniform 3mm (1/8-inch) thick half-moons using a sharp knife or mandoline. Separate the slices into individual strands and place them in a fine-mesh sieve.
Blanch onion slices
Bring 500ml (2 cups) of blanching water to a rolling boil over high heat. Position the sieve with onion slices over the kitchen sink, then slowly pour the boiling water evenly over the onions to slightly soften them and mellow their harsh raw bite. Let the onions drain fully for 2 minutes.
Pack onions into jar
Transfer the drained, slightly warm onion slices to a clean, sterilized 500ml (2-cup) glass mason jar. Tuck the smashed garlic clove, black peppercorns, dried oregano, and bay leaf into the jar among the onion slices, distributing the aromatics evenly through the layers.
Heat pickling brine
Combine the 120ml white vinegar, 120ml brine water, 25g granulated sugar, and 15g kosher salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes until the sugar and salt fully dissolve, and the brine reaches a gentle simmer (82°C / 180°F, do not bring to a rolling boil). Remove the pan from heat immediately.
Pour brine to cover
Slowly pour the hot brine over the onion slices in the mason jar, ensuring all onion slices are fully submerged, and leave a 5mm (1/4-inch) headspace at the top of the jar. Gently tap the base of the jar on the counter 2-3 times to release any trapped air bubbles between the onion slices.
Cool and refrigerate
Leave the jar unsealed to cool to room temperature (about 20 minutes) on the kitchen counter. Seal the jar tightly with a two-part mason jar lid, then place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour before serving, as the onions will turn a bright vivid magenta pink as they pickle.
Tips
2.Customize the flavor to your taste: add 1 sliced jalapeño for spicy pickles, swap 60ml of white vinegar for fresh lime juice for bright citrus notes, or add 1 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds for warm, earthy depth.
3.Make sure all onion slices stay fully submerged under the brine during storage to prevent spoilage; use a small glass fermentation weight or a crumpled piece of food-safe parchment paper to hold down any floating slices.
OMG these pickled red onions are a total game changer! I whipped them up last night for our family taco bar and everyone was raving. The tang is perfect, not too sharp, and that bright pink color makes every plate look so fancy. 10/10 will be making a batch every week for meal prep!
Super easy recipe! I was a little nervous I’d mess up pickling since I’ve never done it before, but this came together in literally 25 minutes? Wait mine only needed like 45 minutes in the fridge to get that perfect crunch and tang. I added a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes for a little kick, chef’s kiss.
Made these for a potluck this weekend and people kept asking me for the recipe! They’re so quick to throw together, I didn’t even have to plan ahead. The only thing I did different was use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar because that’s what I had in the pantry, and it turned out amazing.
Wait why did I wait so long to make homemade pickled onions?! These are SO good, way better than the store bought ones that are loaded with weird preservatives. I put them on literally everything — avocado toast, salads, pulled pork sandwiches, you name it.
Hi! Super new to cooking, quick question — do these need to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge? And how long do they usually last? I want to make a jar for my dorm fridge!
Threw these on top of my smoked brisket sliders at my cookout last weekend and they were the star of the show. The tang cuts through the rich brisket so perfectly, I can’t believe how much of a difference a little topping makes.
These were good flavor wise, but I left them in the fridge for the full hour and they were a little softer than I like. Next time I’ll probably cut the onion slices a little thicker so they hold more crunch, but the tang was spot on!
My kids loved these?! I was so sure they’d turn their noses up at pickled onions, but my 8 year old asked for extra on her turkey burger tonight. This recipe is so fast, I didn’t even have to rearrange my whole dinner routine to make it. Total win for busy weeknights!
Added these to my summer grain bowl yesterday and it took the whole thing from boring to restaurant level good. The recipe says 30 minutes cook time but mine was done in 20? Maybe I’m just a fast chopper lol. Either way, zero complaints.
Has anyone tried making these without the sugar? I’m cutting added sugar out of my diet and wondering if they’ll still taste good without that little bit the recipe calls for!
Dude. Put these on a turkey avocado sandwich with a little spicy mayo and I swear I’ll never make a sandwich without them again. So much flavor for barely any effort. Difficulty level is definitely easy, I’m the worst cook I know and I nailed it first try.
Made these for brunch yesterday to top our bagels with lox and cream cheese. *Chef’s kiss* The tang cuts through the rich cream cheese so perfectly, all my friends were obsessed. Will be a staple at every brunch I host from now on!
Doubled the recipe last Sunday to have for the whole week and I’m already out by Thursday lmao. That’s how good these are, I’ve been putting them on every single meal. Worth every second of chopping, for real.
Accidentally used red wine vinegar instead of white vinegar when I made these last night, and honestly? It slapped. Still tangy, just a little deeper flavor. Don’t be afraid to mess around with what you have in the pantry, people!
Really great base recipe! I added a couple whole cloves and a bay leaf to the brine to make it a little more aromatic, and it turned out fantastic. Perfect quick pickle for when you don’t have time for the long fermented stuff.
Topped my loaded chili dogs with these at our backyard movie night and everyone went back for seconds. The bright pink color looked so fun against the chili and cheese, and the tang was the perfect balance to the salty hot dog. 10/10
I’ve always hated raw red onions because they’re so sharp and make my breath smell for days, but these? Life changing. The pickling process takes that harsh bite right out, I can eat a whole pile of them without cringing. Who even am I now?
SO good. Made them in 28 minutes total, chilled for an hour, and they were perfect on my fish tacos last night. No notes, will be making again and again.