Want to jazz up your next salad or bowl? Add pickled red onions! Tangy & sweet, they're the best way to give almost any dish a bright pop of flavor!
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Pickled red onions have been an indispensable ingredient in my kitchen for years. Not only are they a gorgeous, vibrant pink, but they’re tangy, sweet, and a little crunchy. I like to say that they give sandwiches, salads, bowls, and more a “bright pop of flavor,” and though Jack makes fun of me for how often I use that phrase, I can’t think of a better way to describe them.
Try making a batch of quick pickled red onions, and you’ll see what I mean. Top a few onto an otherwise good sandwich or salad, and it’ll become great. Their vinegary, zippy taste adds an irresistible extra dimension of flavor, brightening and sharpening the other elements of the dish. You only need a few minutes and 5 ingredients to make this pickled onion recipe, so give them a try – you’ll add them to everything!
How to Make Pickled Onions
To make pickled red onions, you’ll need 5 basic ingredients: red onions, white vinegar, water, cane sugar, and sea salt.
First, thinly slice the onions (I recommend using a mandoline for quick, uniform slicing!) and divide them between two jars. Then, heat the vinegar, water, cane sugar, and salt over medium heat, and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. This will only take a minute or so!
Let the brine cool slightly, and pour it over the sliced onions. Allow the jars to cool to room temperature before covering them and transferring them to the fridge. Your onions will be ready to eat when they are bright pink and tender. This could take anywhere from 1 hour to overnight, depending on the thickness of your onions. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Sometimes, I’ll add a few peppercorns or garlic cloves to the jar along with the onions to make their flavor a little more complex. I like to change up the vinegar too! I particularly like a mix of white wine and rice vinegar, and apple cider vinegar and white vinegar are a fun tangy combination. These variations are great, but they’re totally optional; your quick pickled onions will be delicious even if you stick to the basic recipe!
What are the best jars for pickling?
These 16-ounce Ball Mason jars are my absolute favorites for pickling onions. I love that they come in a pack of 12 (you can make a ton at once!) and that they’re BPA-free and dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.
Pickled onions keep well in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. I like that these jars don’t take up too much space when I have them in my fridge.
What to Do with Pickled Red Onions
As I said above, pickled onions are my favorite way to add a bright pop of flavor to almost any dish. Most simply, they’re excellent on avocado toast, but your options don’t end there. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use them:
- Add them to a salad! This roasted cauliflower salad and this grilled potato salad show them off well.
- Stuff them in a sandwich! Pair them with any bright sandwich filling like egg salad, chickpea shawarma, or onto avocado toast.
- Pile them on a burger! I like them with my favorite veggie burger, these falafel burgers, and my classic black bean burger.
- Top them onto any Mexican dish! They’d be delicious with these sweet potato tacos, these many-veggie tacos, or even breakfast tacos or a breakfast burrito!
- Add them to a bowl! Try them in this grain bowl or this buddha bowl, or top them onto a DIY-burrito bowl with cauliflower rice or cilantro lime rice, black beans, pico de gallo, mango or tomatillo salsa, guacamole, and your favorite veggies!
Do you have a favorite way to use pickled onions? Let me know in the comments!
If you love these quick pickled red onions…
Try my roasted red peppers, roasted tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, or pickled chard stems next!
Pickled Red Onions
Equipment
- Mandoline (makes it super easy to make thin slices!)
Ingredients
- 2 small red onions
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 2 cups water
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
optional
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon mixed peppercorns
Instructions
- Thinly slice the onions (it's helpful to use a mandoline), and divide the onions between 2 (16-ounce) jars or 3 (10-ounce) jars. Place the garlic and peppercorns in each jar, if using
- Heat the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 1 minute. Let cool and pour over the onions. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then store the onions in the fridge.
- Your pickled onions will be ready to eat once they're bright pink and tender - about 1 hour for very thinly sliced onions, or overnight for thicker sliced onions. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
you think pickled onions only last 2 weeks? lol
Great basic recipe. I added a little more garlic and some fresh dill I had in the fridge. If I had some jalapeños I would have tossed in some slices. I halved the recipe and used 1 1/2 large red onions. Can’t wait to try with other veggies.
Love love love them!
Thank you for recipes and all the ideas!
I’ve been making this recipe for years, and it is fantastic on everything.
This is a fabulous recipe! It is very adaptable. Taste the brine before pouring and add more sugar/vinegar/salt to taste. I also like that it’s easy to double or halve depending on how many vegetables you have. You don’t need POUNDS of vegetables. Plus, I use pasta sauce jars, salsa jars, you name it. Yes, canning jars are easiest, but don’t let it stop you from trying this recipe. I love using this with red onions, radishes, and kohlrabi. I eat them straight out of the jar!
I’m so glad you love the recipe! Love the idea of using the brine for kohlrabi too
I have made this for the first time, I did add a clove of garlic and peppercorns. It’s currently pickling. I had a taste of the juice and it was delicious, with elements of sweet and sour. I can’t wait to enjoy it in the next hour on sourdough bread with your BEST hummus and some sardines for lunch.
Sounds like an amazing lunch!
They’re great on lentils, too!
question about the 2 garlic cloves and 1 tsp of peppercorn. is it 2 garlic and 1 tsp per jar? or is it 1 clove and ½ tsp per jar?
Hi Jessica, I would use 1 clove and 1/2 tsp peppercorns per jar.
Any creative ideas about how to use the old pickle brine once used?
Hi David, you could probably make 1 more batch of pickled onions in it. You can also use it like a mild vinegar to season dressings, beans, etc.
How do I do the canning process for something like this to give it a more extended shelf life?
Hi Stephanie, we don’t have much experience canning. I’d recommend using a recipe specifically designed to be canned.
They last way longer than stated. Pickled and stored in the fridge they last for months.
I never comment on recipes, but this is my favorite pickling recipe. I have used it for carrots, peppers, onions, beets, and jalapeños—all from my garden. I love pickled veggies and always have some in the fridge.
I’m so glad you love the recipe, Willow!
I cant find the nutritonal facts for this recipe and was wondering how much sodium is in a serving??
I’m not a fan of onions, but I grow them for my husband, in a huge garden. What a perfect way to put his favorite veggie into a sandwich or bowl! Easy to use instead of getting out a knife, the onion and a cutting board to make a sandwich for his lunch too!
I wonder if you ever made these with coconut sugar? Since I have so many onions, I’ll give it a go and report back 🙂
Hi Tami, I’m so glad you love the recipe! I haven’t tried it, but I think coconut sugar would work here.
Want to know how the coconut sugar worked on the onions.
I’ve made this a few times now & it’s perfect every time. Quick & easy recipe
So glad you love it, Kim!
Had never had pickled onions before but decided to try them as I love pickled everything!
They are amazingly good! I used white wine vinegar as that’s all I had. I made about 6 small jars (6 onions and doubled pickle juice) and the last one is still crunchy after 4 weeks.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
I’m getting old so I’m probably missing something. But, 2 -16 oz jars = 32 oz. 3 -10 oz jars = 30 oz.
Recipe calls for 2 cups of vinegar and 2 cups of water, right? That’s 32 oz.
With 2 medium red onions already in a 32 oz jar, I ended up with 1 1/2 cup leftover brine.
What did I miss?
Besides maybe doing another small jar of onions.
I had the same issue so I used (4) 10 oz jars. Make it work – jars don’t have to be full, in this case. I left only one not full, to use first. These pickled onions are good on many sandwiches.
Can I skip the sugar or go with a sugar-free substitute?
The recipe doesn’t need the sugar for fermenting purposes. I’m gonna try it with erythritol+monkfruit sweetener. I’ll stir it in when the brine is warm, not hot. There may be a crystallizing effect with erythritol. (I’d try allulose, but my belly doesn’t like it. 🙁 )
Love the recipe. Use it monthly! The perfect easy pickled onions.
Hi Allie, I’m so glad you love the recipe!
Hi Phoebe!
This sounds like a great recipe…I’m wondering, though, if substituting maple syrup for sugar would be okay, and if so, how much?
Awful. Way too much salt.
You don’t eat them like a serving of vegetables. They’re basically a condiment.
Can I can this recipe