Pickled red onion recipe

If you have five minutes and a mason jar, you can make quick pickled red onions that turn almost any meal into something special. I'm not exaggerating. Five minutes of actual work, thirty minutes of waiting, and you end up with a jar of bright pink, tangy onions that make everything taste better.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Like This Recipe
• Ingredients For Quick Pickled Red Onions
• Quick Pickled Red Onions
• How To Make Quick Pickled Red Onions
• Storage And Make Ahead Tips
• Fun Ways To Use Quick Pickled Red Onions
• Quick Pickled Red Onions FAQ
• Recipes You May Like
• Final Thoughts On This Easy Recipe

I started making these a couple of years ago after Donald came home raving about the pickled onions on his lunch bowl from a spot near his office. He kept saying, honestly, the onions were the best part. So I figured I'd try making them at home. My first batch was gone in two days.

Now I keep a jar in the fridge almost all the time. Alex piles them on tacos, Sarah sneaks them onto her sandwiches, and I put them on pretty much everything from eggs to salads. They're tangy, a little sweet, and they add this pop of color that makes even a simple weeknight dinner look like you tried.

The best part? You don't need any canning equipment or special skills. If it's in a jar, you're basically done. And if you love easy sides that pull a meal together, my creamy cucumber salad with a sweet twist is another one we make on repeat all summer long.

Why You Will Like This Recipe

• Just 5 minutes of prep. Slice, whisk, pour. That's the whole job.
• No special equipment. A mason jar and a whisk are all you need.
• Tangy and slightly sweet. The little bit of sugar softens the vinegar so the taste is just right.
• Keeps for weeks. One batch stays good in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
• Goes with everything. Tacos, burgers, salads, grain bowls, eggs, sandwiches. I keep finding new uses.
• Kid approved. Alex was skeptical at first. Now he asks if we have a jar ready before taco night.

Ingredients For Quick Pickled Red Onions

Here's everything you need. I always have these on hand, and I bet you do too.

• 1 medium red onion, sliced very thin
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• ½ cup hot water
• ¾ cup white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

A few quick notes from my kitchen. Slice the onion as thin as you can. Thin slices soak up the brine faster and stay tender instead of crunchy in a raw way. I use a sharp knife, but a mandoline works great if you have one.

The garlic is my little addition that makes these taste extra good. It gives the brine a gentle savory note without taking over.

You can swap in a white onion if that's what you have. Just know the taste will be a bit sharper, since white onions are less sweet than red ones. And the sugar matters more than you'd think. It softens the bite of the vinegar, so I wouldn't skip it.

Print

How To Make Quick Pickled Red Onions

This comes together so fast that I usually make a jar while dinner is already cooking. Here's exactly how I do it.

Pack The Jar

1. Slice your red onion very thin and slice the garlic cloves.
2. Pack the onion slices into a mason jar, tucking the garlic slices in as you go. Press them down gently so they fit snugly. (Don't worry if the jar looks stuffed. The onions soften and shrink once the brine hits them.)

Whisk The Brine

3. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the hot water, white vinegar, sugar, and salt.
4. Keep whisking until the sugar and salt fully dissolve. The hot water helps this happen in seconds, so don't skip that part.

Pour, Cover, And Wait

5. Pour the brine over the onions until they're completely covered. If a few slices poke out, press them down with a spoon.
6. Cover the jar and let it rest on the counter for 30 minutes. That's it! After 30 minutes they're ready to eat, though I think they taste even better the next day.

I learned the hard way that thick onion slices need way longer to soften. My second batch ever was cut too chunky, and Sarah made a face at dinner. Thin slices fixed everything.

Storage And Make Ahead Tips

Once your onions have rested for 30 minutes, pop the sealed jar into the refrigerator. They keep beautifully for up to 4 weeks, though ours never last that long.

A regular mason jar with a tight lid is my go to container. Any glass jar with a good seal works fine. I'd skip plastic containers since the vinegar smell can linger.

Here's something I love about these. The taste actually gets better over the first few days. The onions turn a deeper pink, the garlic mellows into the brine, and everything gets more tangy and mellow at the same time.

No reheating needed here, obviously. These are meant to be eaten cold or at room temperature, straight from the jar. I just fish them out with a fork whenever a meal needs a little something.

Fun Ways To Use Quick Pickled Red Onions

After making these more times than I can count, I've picked up a few tricks and a whole list of ways to use them.

• Taco night hero. These are made for tacos. We pile them on with a scoop of my pico de gallo and it's honestly the best part of the plate.
• Salad upgrade. Toss a few into green salads or grain bowls. They're amazing on my easy quinoa salad when I want lunch to feel less boring.
• Burger and sandwich topper. Donald adds them to burgers every single time now. The tang cuts through anything rich or cheesy.
• BBQ side sidekick. They're so good next to picnic classics like my creamy potato salad with Miracle Whip. The tang balances out all that creaminess.
• Try a different vinegar. Apple cider vinegar gives a softer, fruitier taste. I make it that way when I'm serving these with pork.
• Add extras to the jar. A few peppercorns, a pinch of red pepper flakes, or a sprig of fresh dill all work. Alex likes the spicy version.

Have you ever noticed how one small topping can completely change a meal? That's exactly what these do. One pitfall to avoid, though. Don't use a dull knife for slicing. Uneven, thick slices pickle unevenly, and you'll end up with some soft pieces and some sharp raw ones.

Quick Pickled Red Onions FAQ

How Long Do Quick Pickled Red Onions Need To Sit Before They Are Ready To Eat?

Just 30 minutes! That's the magic of this recipe. After half an hour in the brine, the onions are soft, tangy, and ready to go. That said, I think they hit their peak after a day in the fridge. The color deepens and the taste gets rounder. If you're making them for a party, I'd make them the night before.

How Long Do Quick Pickled Red Onions Last In The Refrigerator?

Up to 4 weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge. Always use a clean fork to grab them, never your fingers, so the brine stays fresh. In our house a jar rarely survives two weeks. Between taco nights and Donald's burger habit, they disappear fast.

Can I Use White Onions Instead Of Red Onions?

Yes, you can! White onions work fine with the exact same method. Just know the taste will be sharper and less sweet, since red onions have a natural sweetness that white ones don't. You'll also miss out on that gorgeous pink color, which is honestly half the fun. I tried a white onion batch once when it was all I had, and it was good, just not quite the same.

Do I Need To Use Sugar When Making Quick Pickled Red Onions?

I really recommend it. The sugar isn't there to make the onions sweet. It's there to balance the acidity of the vinegar so the brine doesn't taste harsh. You can cut it back a little if you want, but I wouldn't leave it out completely. I tested a sugar free batch once and the whole family agreed it tasted too sharp.

Recipes You May Like

If you loved how easy these onions are, here are a few more simple recipes from my kitchen that go hand in hand with them:

• Cowboy caviar is a colorful, scoopable dip that shows up at every one of our summer get togethers. Pickled onions on top? Yes please.
• Crunchy bacon broccoli salad is a family staple at BBQs, and the tangy onions are wonderful alongside it.
• Corn salad is sweet, fresh, and one of Sarah's most requested sides. A few pickled onions stirred in make it even better.

Final Thoughts On This Easy Recipe

So there you have it. Quick pickled red onions in five minutes of hands on work: pack the jar, whisk the brine, pour, and wait 30 minutes. That's the whole thing.

I love this recipe because it proves that homemade doesn't have to mean complicated. One little jar in the fridge makes weeknight dinners feel more fun, and my whole family reaches for it constantly.

Give them a try this week and let me know how they turn out for you! And don't forget to save this one to Pinterest so it's there next time taco night rolls around.