Pickled Red Onions – Easy, Quick, 5 minutes hands on!

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!

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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!

Recipe

Get the Recipe: How to Pickle Red Onions

4.43 from 797 votes

Prep Time: 5 mins

Additional Time: 55 mins

Total Time: 1 hr

8 servings

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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!

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 water (not boiling)

Instructions

• Slice the red onions as thin as you can. I use a mandoline but a sharp knife works well, too.
• Stuff all the red onions in the jar of your choice. A bowl works too but a jar is easier to store in the fridge.
• In a measuring cup, combine apple cider vinegar, salt, sugar, and warm water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour the pickling mixture over the 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.

Notes

• Other types of onions can be used instead of red onions.
• Substitute maple syrup or honey for the granulated sugar if desired. For sweeter pickled onions, use more sweetener, for tangy pickled onions, use less.
• If you prefer, substitute plain white distilled vinegar, rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar for the apple cider vinegar. A combination is fine, too.
• Recipe is easily doubled. Make sure you have enough clean jars with lids. Sliced onions should be completely immersed in vinegar solution.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 14kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 437mg, Potassium: 31mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 1mg

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.

© Author: Rachel Gurk

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