Quick Pickled Red Onions

A fork lifts bright pink pickled onions from a glass jar on a wooden board, with a blue and white striped cloth in the background.

Make your own pickled red onions at home in just minutes with simple pantry ingredients. This tangy, slightly sweet condiment is easy to prepare, and once you try it, you’ll want to keep a jar in your fridge to top tacos, sandwiches, salads, and more!

Course Condiment

Keyword Pickled Red Onion, Quick Pickled Red Onions

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Resting Time 1

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 33kcal

Author Ang Paris

Equipment

Cutting Board and Sharp Knife or Mandoline
Small Saucepan

Ingredients

1 large red onion
2 cups white vinegar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons sea salt
2 cups water

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Thinly slice the onions using a mandoline or a sharp knife. The thinner the slices, the faster they will pickle.
1 large red onion
Place the onions into a large bowl.
In a small saucepan, combined the pickling ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring so that the salt and sugar can dissolve.
2 cups white vinegar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons sea salt, 2 cups water
Remove from the heat and let set for 2 minutes, then carefully pour the brine over the onions.
Allow the onions to cool to room temperature, then transfer to jars and store in the fridge.
The onions will be ready to eat when they are tender and the color is vibrant pink.

Notes

Recipe Variations

There are lots of variations on the classic pickled onion. Try adding 1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns to the jar or tuck in 2 to 4 cloves of fresh garlic for a more savory, deeply flavored brine.

For spicy pickled onions, chop a jalapeño pepper and add it to the red onion slices before pouring the brine over them.

Ang's Recipe Tips

✔️ When the hot, acidic brine hits the onion, a bit of food-science magic happens, and those deep purple slices transform into the most gorgeous, vibrant pink. That's why it's important that you put the onions into the brine while it's still hot. If the liquid isn't warm enough when you pour it, your onions can come out looking dull or grayish instead of that gorgeous fuchsia pink you're going for.

✔️ Slice your red onion as thinly as you can. They will pickle faster and be more tender if they are very thin. A mandoline makes this a breeze, but if you don’t have one, a sharp knife and a steady hand work perfectly fine. (Always use the guard when you’re working with the mandoline!)

✔️ Always use a glass jar for storage. The acidity in the brine reacts with metal and can alter both the flavor and the color.

Storage

Once your pickled red onions have cooled to room temperature, transfer them to a jar, pop the lid on tight, and move them to the fridge. A standard mason jar, or something similar, works perfectly. Make sure the onions stay submerged in the brine at all times.

Stored in a sealed glass jar in the fridge, they'll keep for 2 to 3 weeks. They're best within the first week, when the color is brightest, and the texture is crunchiest. I do not recommend you freeze pickled onions.

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