This easy, step-by-step tutorial teaches you how to make the best Quick Pickled Red Onions! It only takes 7 basic ingredients to turn red onion slices into pickled onions that are perfect for adding to your favorite salad recipes, a chicken sandwich, or sloppy joe bowl. Easy and delicious!
The Best Quick Pickled Red Onions Recipe
Pickled onions are a great addition to so many of your favorite recipes. They are so easy and quick to make at home (we love them on tacos, sloppy joe bowls and gyro bowls). We love to meal prep a jar of these pickled onions so that we have them on hand for adding to a salad, sandwich, burrito, nachos, enchiladas, quesadillas, or anything else! The options are endless and we can’t wait to hear your favorite way to enjoy this pickled onion recipe.
Love pickling – try these Refrigerator Dill Pickles!
What You Will Need
- raw red onion – option to use another type of onion, but red onions have a slightly sweeter profile and their color is amazing. Use either a sharp knife or mandolin to cut them nice and thin.
- red wine vinegar, distilled white vinegar, and apple cider vinegar – there are a few different types of vinegar and we like to use three of them to add a great depth of different flavors.
- kosher salt – a bit of seasoning and flavored needed for quick picking onions.
- garlic clove – added for their great added flavor, use 1 or 2 depending on how strong you want that flavor.
- black peppercorns – a perfect addition to add a touch of peppery spice.
- bay leaf – we love the earthy flavor this brings to recipes!
- sweetener add-ins – while the recipe card doesn’t call for it explicitly, you can add in a natural sweetener of choice, if you want – a teaspoon or so of honey or maple syrup will work.
- spice – you could also skip the sweetness and add in a touch of red pepper flakes for a kick of heat!
How To Make Quick Pickled Red Onions
The first steps to making this great recipe are to place all ingredients (except the thinly sliced onions) in a medium saucepan and bring to a low simmer over medium heat on the stovetop.
Now grab a cutting board and sharp kitchen knife or mandoline slicer. Cut the onion into uniform thin slices.
Place the onion slices in a glass mason jar or small bowl.
Pour the pickling solution in the jar with onions while it’s still hot – watch that beautiful color come to life!
Cover and let the jar or bowl of onions rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Use these delicious quick pickled onions right away or store in the refrigerator to use throughout the week.
Best Way To Serve Quick Pickled Red Onions
These are a great addition to any of your favorite dishes – salads, sandwiches, burgers, avocado toast, etc! We love to toss them on a Gyro Bowl, Grilled Chicken Salad, & Grilled Salmon Salad – they can also be a great garnish for potato salad, steak tacos, pulled pork tacos and so many other Mexican-inspired dishes. We also love these on top of our Sloppy Joe Bowls, Hummus Bowls, Hot Dogs, Turkey Avocado Burgers and Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwiches!
Recipe FAQ
No, jars do not need to be sterilized for this quick pickling process – it would be different if we were canning them and storing in the pantry.
Definitely let them sit for about 30 minutes before eating so they have a chance to pickle for a bit but the best pickled onions are usually eaten within the first 3 days they are in the jar.
This quick pickled onions recipe will keep for about 2-3 weeks in the fridge. It is not recommended to freeze pickling onions. You can freeze sliced red onion for about 1 year and then pickle them when you are ready.
Made this delicious recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Quick Pickled Red Onions
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 1 jar 1x
- Category: How-To
- Method: Counter/Refrigerator
- Cuisine: American
Description
An easy, step-by-step tutorial that teaches you how to make the best quick-pickled onions! Easy and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1–2 garlic cloves
- 5–7 whole black peppercorns
- 1 small bay leaf (optional)
Instructions
- Place thinly sliced onions into a mason jar or small bowl, if using right away.
- Add water, red wine vinegar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic, black peppercorn and bay leaf to a small saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and then pour pickling liquid into the same jar as onions while still hot (make sure the peppercorns, garlic and bay leaf make it into the jar as well).
- Let sit 30 minutes (careful it will be hot).
- Use immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator for later use.
Notes
- Sweetness: if you want to add a touch of sweetness you can easily add in about 1-2 tablespoons of coconut sugar (don’t add if Whole30) or honey.
- Serving Suggestions: these are great on gyro bowls, chicken salad, or salmon salad!
- Storage: store in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
- Different Vinegars: why so many different vinegars – after testing, we really like the increased depth of flavor that resulted from using a combination of vinegar!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 7
- Sugar: 0.3 g
- Sodium: 32 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.2 g
- Protein: 0.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Ally says
We’ve used these in a few recipes over the past week & they’re such a great addition to have on hand! Will certainly be making these again soon
Erin says
Thanks, Ally!
Carly says
Thank you so much! This recipe is delicious. Question though, on the ingredients there is salt, is that suppose to go in the sauce pan with the rest? And two, do I leave it uncovered to sit or should I cover it?
Thank you!
Erin says
Thanks, Carly! Just updated the recipe card for you! The salt goes in the saucepan along with everything else (except onions) – you can leave it uncovered while it sits and then cover it when you store it!
Virginia says
I love these pickled onions! I have always wanted to learn how to make them and now with this easy recipe I make them all the time!
Erin says
Yay!! Aren’t just good on pretty much everything!? So glad you are enjoying them!