Quick Pickled Red Onions! So delicious and so very easy to pickle! This recipe works for any vegetable you want to pickle. These are amazing in tacos, over nachos, in sandwiches or wraps, on eggs and really, with anything! Hope you enjoy!
I absolutely love condiments. I love adding things on top of my food to enhance, give more flavor, texture, crunch, you name it. These pickled red onions are the bomb. So good!
Enjoy these on top of tacos, over nachos, in a sandwich or wrap, with eggs, on a cheese and charcuterie board, or really right out of the jar.
Quick Pickled Red Onions
The great thing about pickling: you can add whatever you like and you can flavor them how you like! Add some heat, add some garlic, add some fresh herbs, add peppercorns, it’s up to you!
For the most part, you can pickle just about any vegetable and you simply need equal parts water and vinegar. Any basic vinegar will work: white vinegar, apple cider, white wine, and rice vinegar all work well.
For more flavor, I love adding: Fresh herbs: dill, thyme, oregano, and rosemary hold up well. Dried herbs: thyme, dill, rosemary, oregano, or majoram. Garlic cloves: smashed for mild garlic flavor, or sliced for stronger garlic flavor. Fresh ginger: peeled and thinly sliced. Whole spices: mustard seed, coriander, peppercorns, juniper berries, or red pepper flakes. Ground spices: turmeric or smoked paprika are great for both color and flavor. Resource: The Kitchn
Quick Pickled Red Onions
Equipment
- large mason jar with well fitting lid or an old pickle jar with lid
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 small red onions peeled and sliced thin crosswise*
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary or thyme
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries or black peppercorns** depending on your desired flavor combination
- 1 heaping teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup white vinegar***
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar*****
Instructions
- Place prepped and cut onions, fresh herbs, whole spices (I used juniper berries) and your cinnamon stick directly into your mason jar. In a pot, bring the vinegar, water, salt and sugar to a light boil, whisking until all of the sugar is dissolved. Ladle or pour the hot liquid over the onions into the mason jars.
- Let sit until the brine liquid has cooled, for about 25 to 30 minutes and then seal the jar with the lid and place into the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 1 hour. I think they are best if left in the fridge overnight. The pickled red onions are best up to 2 weeks**** in the refrigerator in the covered and sealed mason jar. Enjoy!
I made these and added the red pepper flakes for heat! They are delicious! Cannot wait to add them on some of your deviled eggs, too!
Hooray!!! Makes me so happy!
What an excellent recipe idea! Thank you for sharing it.
Of course, thank you!
Love this. How long does this stay good for if kept refrigerated?
Hi! I’d say these are best if eaten within 2-3 weeks!
These are by far the best pickled onions I’ve ever tasted!!! Thank you for sharing your recipe! Can you continue to add onions to the brine, or is it necessary to make a new brine for each batch? Thank you again!!
Hello! I don’t recommend re-using the brine. To be safe, toss the brine and make a fresh batch every time!
I have never commented on a recipe that I have tried before, but these pickled onions are ridiculously good. I put an absurd serving on your viral tuna salad , I went back to the jar 4 times! I can’t wait to put these on everything. The kick of heat from the red pepper flakes is just right. I used both juniper berries and black peppercorns. I will be making these regularly from now on!
Hi Jill! This comment makes me sooooo happy!!! Hooray and thank you! Have a great day!
Do you have to put sugar in this recipe,as I am sugar free
You can omit the sugar. They just won’t be sweet. If you want some sweetness, you can add whatever sugar substitute you use, otherwise omit the sugar. Let me know how you like them!
These are my favorite! I always have a jar in my fridge! I use it on almost everything and sometimes just eat them by themselves! Quick question, can I use the brine ratio to make quick pickled refrigerator cucumbers? Thank you so much for all your amazing recipes!
Hello Marian! Yes, you can use the brine recipe for cucumbers to make pickles. I don’t recommend ever re-using the brine. Not that you were going to do this. . a lot of people have been asking me if they can re-use the brine. Always make new brine every time, enjoy!!
For those of us whom live across the pond, how many ounces/ml is a large mason jar or other jar? Knowing the size of the container would be helpful for me getting the right proportion of liquid to spice. Thank you!!
Hello! the large Wide Mouth Mason Jars I use are 32 oz. When I make 3 large jars, I will triple or quadruple the brine recipe. Hope this helps!