Pickled Red Onions are tangy, sweet and crunchy and make the best and and most beautiful topping to your favorite dishes. They are super easy and fast to make, and keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
The perfect thing to add to a salad, tacos, burgers and what ever more you you like onions on. The color is just beautiful and all natural!
These are some great recipes where I have used this pickled onion recipe:
Chickpea Avocado Salad Sandwich
Ingredients
All you need to make these delicious homemade pickled red onions are just a few, basic ingredients. For the full ingredient measurements, scroll down to view the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Red onion, peeled and thinly sliced or use a mandolin for the thinnest of slices.
- Apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar can also e used.
- Water, for the pickle brine.
- Sugar, white sugar gives the classic pickle taste and the perfect balance between the tangy and sweet.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This red onion pickle recipe comes together really fast and easy. Follow along with the with the step-by-step photos below. For the full written instructions see the recipe card at the bottom.
Start by peeling the onion and slice it thinly. Use a mandolin if you like.
In a medium sauce pan, add the apple cider vinegar, water and sugar. Stir well and bring to a boil while stirring and simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
Take off the heat and add the onions to the hot liquid.
Let the onions cool down for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a jar or airtight container. Let the onions pickle for at least 1 hour if you are in a rush, but they taste even better the next day.
Hint: For thin and even slices of red onion, use a mandolin.
Substitutions
- Onion – instead of red onion, you can use white vinegar, rice vinegar or even red wine vinegar. The flavor will be a little different, but still delicious. Taste and add more sugar if needed.
- Sugar – These quick pickled red onions uses white sugar, but brown sugar also works. For a refine sugar free recipe, use maple syrup, agave or coconut sugar. You might have to add a little more to get the same balance of tangy and sweet. Tase and adjust to your liking.
Variations
These are some suggestions for flavor additions to customise this pickled onion recipe to your liking.
- Garlic, peal a clove or two and add them whole to the jar of onion pickles.
- Bay leaf, add a whole leaf and let the flavours infuse with the red onions while they pickle.
- Black pepper corns, ads a little peppery spice that goes so well with the onion flavor.
- Spicy, add some sliced jalapeños, a little hot chilli flakes or a whole chill for some spice.
- Salt, a pinch of salt helps bring out all the flavours.
- Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon of whole fennel seeds ads another flavor dimension to these onion pickles. So if you are a fan of fennel, give it a try.
Storage
Store these pickled red onions in a jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. This recipe makes a small jar and is easy and fast to make. It can easily be doubled for meal-prep.
I don’t recommend freezing these onion pickles.
Salads
These easy apple cider pickled red onions tastes great in a salad.
Paring
These are my favorite dishes to serve with these pickled red onions:
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Pickled Red Onions are tangy, sweet and crunchy and make the best and and most beautiful topping to your favorite dishes. They are super easy and fast to make, and keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
- 1 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ Cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Cup water
- 2 tablespoon sugar
-
Start by peeling the onion and slice it thinly. Use a mandolin if you like.
-
In a medium sauce pan, add the apple cider vinegar, water and sugar. Stir well and bring to a boil while stirring and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Take off the heat and add the sliced onions to the hot liquid.
-
Let the onions cool down for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a jar or airtight container. Let the onions pickle for at least 1 hour if you are in a rush, but they taste even better the next day.
Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Al
It’s super super good!