Pickled Red Onions – Easy, Quick, 5 minutes hands on!
Posted: 06/12/2017
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Learning how to make pickled red onions is SO easy – it only takes five minutes and you probably have all the ingredients! You’ll love having a jar of these in your fridge for tacos, avocado toast, and more!
If you follow me on Instagram, you probably already know from my stories that I’m obsessed with these. OBSESSED. As in three meals a day obsessed.
PS: If you don’t follow me on Instagram, consider hopping over and checking it out! You’ll see some behind-the-scenes stuff on my stories!
The first time I made pickled red onions was for my daughter’s birthday party right after we moved into our new house (seriously, two weeks after). We did a taco bar with all the fixings because I seriously have no boundaries. I made corn casserole, homemade refried beans, cilantro lime rice, from-scratch margaritas, and more.
One of the things I decided to make on a whim were these onions. Pickled onions are fabulous with Mexican food! I was so surprised to see them disappear SO quickly! Faster than the cheese, you guys! I can’t say I blame people, I love these pickled red onions on almost any Mexican dish and tacos are no exception.
Now, when you open my fridge, you’ll often see a jar of these. Once you learn how to make pickled red onions, you won’t stop making them either. They’re on my agenda to make today, actually — they’re so easy!
One of my favorite ways to eat pickled red onions is on top of avocado toast. It really livens up the avocado toast and the tangy pickled red onions are the perfect contrast to the rich, creamy avocado.
I also love them on tacos, of course, as well as on grilled chicken, or just about anything else I can think of. Perfect on sandwiches and wraps, too. Oh, and pizza!
How to Make Pickled Red Onions
It’s so easy, folks!
- Slice the red onions as thin as you can! I use a mandoline for this (this is the mandoline I have). Not only does it get them super thin, it also gets the job done insanely quickly. Fast is my friend.
- Stuff all the red onions in the jar of your choice. A bowl will work too but I like a jar for storing them in the fridge.
- In a measuring cup, stir apple cider vinegar, salt, sugar, and warm water to dissolve the sugar and salt and dilute things a bit. Pour the pickling mixture over your sliced onions and let them set for an hour.
- After an hour, I cover them and stick them in the fridge. They’ll keep in the fridge for a couple weeks!
Notes about vinegar:
- My preference is always apple cider vinegar. I typically have it on hand and I like the subtle sweetness it adds.
- You could also use a white wine vinegar or another light tasting vinegar. I wouldn’t recommend balsamic for these.
- If you’re in a pinch, plain distilled vinegar will work.
FAQ: Can you make pickled red onions without a mandoline?
Absolutely! Slice them as thin as you can to get them to pickle quickly but if you don’t have a mandoline or want a slightly thicker slice, a good sharp knife and a steady hand will work just fine!
FAQ: Can you pickle other vegetables using the same method?
For sure! Try these pickled radishes, pickled asparagus, pickled green beans, or refrigerator dill pickles. These pickled vegetables with cauliflower, onion, jalapeño, radishes, and carrots are so good, too!
PS: I got my jar out of Target’s dollar bin (I think) but these would work too.
Try pickled red onions on:
Here’s just a few ideas for you!
- Fish tacos (you’ll love these!)
- Vegan tacos with roasted carrots, mushrooms, and quinoa
- Crispy sweet potato tacos (the sweet potatoes are marinated in beer!)
- Grilled pizza with arugula pesto
- California breakfast wrap
- BBQ chicken sweet potato nachos
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Learning how to make pickled red onions is SO easy - it only takes five minutes and you probably have all the ingredients! You'll love having a jar of these in your fridge for tacos, avocado toast, and more!
Ingredients
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced (use a mandoline if you have one)
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup hot or warm water
Instructions
- Slice the red onions as thin as you can. I use a mandoline.
- Stuff all the red onions in the jar of your choice. A bowl will work too.
- In a measuring cup, combine apple cider vinegar, salt, sugar, and warm water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour this pickling mixture over your sliced onions, making sure they are immersed in the liquid, and let them set for an hour. After an hour, cover and store in the fridge for up to three weeks.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1/8 of recipe, Calories: 14kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Sodium: 399mg, Sugar: 2g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Michelle Reilly says
How long can you keep the pickled red onions in the fridge? And can you just add more onions and vinegar as you empty the jar?
Rachel Gurk says
I usually keep mine for a couple of weeks, but I don’t add more onions. The pickling solution tends to get a little cloudy towards the end, so I prefer to make fresh.
Sara says
I’ve been making these for about a year, so easy and delicious on pretty much everything. Now my 9 year olds are both obsessed, eating them right out of the jar – now I double the recipe and use a quart size mason jar instead of a pint! I usually use 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 apple cider.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you like them so much! I make them all the time too, they’re so great to have on hand.
John m Shaw says
Hi how much would you say is half a cup as mine are pretty large? Thanks.
Rachel Gurk says
This is a super flexible recipe, so you can really use whatever fits in your jar and just increase/decrease the vinegar mixture as needed.
Adrienne says
Hi! Yum! Would you store these in the liquid or drain before refrigerating??
Rachel Gurk says
Store in the liquid!
Andee Wasson says
I am in love! Great on burgers, hotdogs, tacos, sandwiches, omelets and on crackers with cream cheese. Also wonderful in salads (both lettuce based and pasta based). Magical!
I would post a pic but they disappear too fast.
Rachel Gurk says
Oooh crackers with cream cheese! That sounds so good, can’t wait to try it. I’m so glad you liked these, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
George Friggio says
These gave me gas like I haven’t had in decades!! It sure was fun to give the wife a proper Dutch oven. Only thing is next time I have to make sure she doesn’t trip over her oxygen hose to get to her walker. That was almost another broken hip
Rachel Gurk says
Oh boy! I don’t have that problem. Be careful!
Querino de Freitas says
I HAVE MADE PICKLED ONIONS, BUT I WOULD’NT USE A MANDOLIN THEY LOOK DANGEROUS ..I WILL MAKE YOURS TOO.THANKS…QUERINO
Rachel Gurk says
Haha, yeah they aren’t the most safe!
Paul Tickner says
Used a big red onion sliced on a mandolin and stuffed into a mason jar but had to double the mixture to cover the onions is this ok?
Rachel Gurk says
That’s perfectly fine! More onions to enjoy!
Elaine Curtis says
I had this on a steak…OMG! fell in love! I’m hoping this cold process stands up to a little heat when I put some on a steak, or a burger, or a piece of chicken straight off the grill…thank you ever so much for posting this!
Elaine
Rachel Gurk says
You are so welcome! Craving these on a steak, now!