Easy Pickled Red Onions

Pickled red onions are one of the easiest and fastest quick pickles to create at home. They require no special equipment, only a little time and patience. In addition, I love them on tacos, sandwiches, salads, or burgers!

Pickled red onions are a great addition to your condiment shelf! They are tangly and are a great project for beginners looking to get in to

Jump to:

• What is pickled onion good for?
• Ingredients
• Variations
• How to make quick-pickled onions
• Tasty Tips for Using Pickled Onions
• Tools Needed
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Pickling refers to preserving foods in an acidic solution at a high temperature.

What is pickled onion good for?

Pickled onions are a popular condiment used as a garnish on many dishes. Pickling is a process that preserves food by using vinegar to leech moisture and salt to keep the food. Pickled onions are a food preparation in which the onion is preserved by submerging it in the pickling liquid. The vinegar brine may flavor the food or act as a preservative.

Pickling refers to preserving foods in an acidic solution at a high temperature.

I learned this pickled onion recipe from my dad. His recipe is straightforward. He uses white distilled vinegar, water, and salt to make his pickles, but I will also use apple cider vinegar instead of distilled white vinegar because I prefer its flavor. You can also use whey for fermenting, which we do in our house since it is a by-product of homemade yogurt.

Ingredients

• Red Onions: You can use pearl or full-size onions that have been sliced for quick-
• White Vinegar: White distilled vinegar is the best pickling because it's clear, so you can see the color of your onions changing as they pickle.
• Salt: Salt only lets the good stuff in. By stuff, I mean good bacteria and helps keep your veggies firm. 
• Sugar: Sugar is here to balance things out! In a quick pickle vinegar brine, tempers down the tart flavors of the vinegar and salt. 

Variations

This pickled red onion recipe is general enough to customize the taste with the herbs and spices you normally use. You can add garlic cloves if you're into a pickled vegetable mix. You can also add a sweetener such as honey, agave, or maple syrup. Here are some suggestions you can add to your next batch of pickles.

• red pepper flakes
• cumin
• mustard seeds
• star anise
• coriander seeds
• cinnamon
• cloves
• bay leaf

How to make quick-pickled onions

Slice red onions thinly to achieve the perfect texture in your salad. Using a mandolin is the best way to make thin, even slices. If you don't have a mandolin, you can use a sharp knife, but it will take quite a bit longer. You'll also need some patience and steady hands!

Combine the vinegar, water, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring the brine to a boil, constantly stirring until the salt dissolves, about one minute. Remove your brine from heat and allow the brine to cool before use.

Pour the cooled vinegar brine over the onion slices, covering them completely. Leave the onions out for at least an hour before serving. These onions are the perfect fridge-clearing project and keep for up to 6 months in an airtight container in the refrigerator. That is, if you wait to eat them.

Tasty Tips for Using Pickled Onions

Pickled red onions make a great addition to sandwiches or burgers.

They also go great with eggs and cheese. If you're making an omelet or frittata, consider adding some pickled onions instead of ketchup. You won't be disappointed!

You can also use these pickled onions in place of relish on a hot dog or hamburger.

If you're making meatloaf, add some pickled red onion right into the middle before cooking it, so the tangy flavor goes throughout the whole loaf

Tools Needed

• Mandoline slicer
• Food processor or sharp knife
• Measuring spoon
• Cutting board (if using a knife)
• Bowl to put onions in until ready to put in jars

Pickling refers to preserving foods in an acidic solution at a high temperature.