Want to jazz up your next salad or bowl? Add pickled red onions! Tangy & sweet, they're the best way to give almost any dish a bright pop of flavor!
Pickled red onions have been an indispensable ingredient in my kitchen for years. Not only are they a gorgeous, vibrant pink, but they’re tangy, sweet, and a little crunchy. I like to say that they give sandwiches, salads, bowls, and more a “bright pop of flavor,” and though Jack makes fun of me for how often I use that phrase, I can’t think of a better way to describe them.
Try making a batch of quick pickled red onions, and you’ll see what I mean. Top a few onto an otherwise good sandwich or salad, and it’ll become great. Their vinegary, zippy taste adds an irresistible extra dimension of flavor, brightening and sharpening the other elements of the dish. You only need a few minutes and 5 ingredients to make this pickled onion recipe, so give them a try – you’ll add them to everything!
How to Make Pickled Onions
To make pickled red onions, you’ll need 5 basic ingredients: red onions, white vinegar, water, cane sugar, and sea salt.
First, thinly slice the onions (I recommend using a mandoline for quick, uniform slicing!) and divide them between two jars. Then, heat the vinegar, water, cane sugar, and salt over medium heat, and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. This will only take a minute or so!
Let the brine cool slightly, and pour it over the sliced onions. Allow the jars to cool to room temperature before covering them and transferring them to the fridge. Your onions will be ready to eat when they are bright pink and tender. This could take anywhere from 1 hour to overnight, depending on the thickness of your onions. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Sometimes, I’ll add a few peppercorns or garlic cloves to the jar along with the onions to make their flavor a little more complex. I like to change up the vinegar too! I particularly like a mix of white wine and rice vinegar, and apple cider vinegar and white vinegar are a fun tangy combination. These variations are great, but they’re totally optional; your quick pickled onions will be delicious even if you stick to the basic recipe!
What are the best jars for pickling?
These 16-ounce Ball Mason jars are my absolute favorites for pickling onions. I love that they come in a pack of 12 (you can make a ton at once!) and that they’re BPA-free and dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.
Pickled onions keep well in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. I like that these jars don’t take up too much space when I have them in my fridge.
What to Do with Pickled Red Onions
As I said above, pickled onions are my favorite way to add a bright pop of flavor to almost any dish. Most simply, they’re excellent on avocado toast, but your options don’t end there. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use them:
- Add them to a salad! This roasted cauliflower salad and this grilled potato salad show them off well.
- Stuff them in a sandwich! Pair them with any bright sandwich filling like egg salad, chickpea shawarma, or onto avocado toast.
- Pile them on a burger! I like them with my favorite veggie burger, these falafel burgers, and my classic black bean burger.
- Top them onto any Mexican dish! They’d be delicious with these sweet potato tacos, these many-veggie tacos, or even breakfast tacos or a breakfast burrito!
- Add them to a bowl! Try them in this grain bowl or this buddha bowl, or top them onto a DIY-burrito bowl with cauliflower rice or cilantro lime rice, black beans, pico de gallo, mango or tomatillo salsa, guacamole, and your favorite veggies!
Do you have a favorite way to use pickled onions? Let me know in the comments!
If you love these quick pickled red onions…
Try my roasted red peppers, roasted tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, or pickled chard stems next!
Pickled Red Onions
Equipment
- Mandoline (makes it super easy to make thin slices!)
Ingredients
- 2 small red onions
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 2 cups water
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
optional
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon mixed peppercorns
Instructions
- Thinly slice the onions (it's helpful to use a mandoline), and divide the onions between 2 (16-ounce) jars or 3 (10-ounce) jars. Place the garlic and peppercorns in each jar, if using
- Heat the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 1 minute. Let cool and pour over the onions. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then store the onions in the fridge.
- Your pickled onions will be ready to eat once they're bright pink and tender - about 1 hour for very thinly sliced onions, or overnight for thicker sliced onions. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Delicious!!
Really good recipe! So delicious and simple.
I’m wondering. Can I reuse the juice to put more onions in or should I remake it every time?
Should always remake each time just for food safety. Even though very few things can survive in such an acidic environment with salt and sugar, it’s good to avoid cross contaminating your fresh onions with anything that might have started to establish itself!
For your variation is it actually white wine you use or is it white wine vinegar if there is such a thing?
white wine vinegar
Always have a jar in my fridge, love this recipe.
Most of my book marks are from your site.
Thanks!
Hi there. Can these be canned?
I made these today. Half a jam jars worth was demolished over dinner. I’ve just topped it up again with more red onions. Will see if it still works. I can’t see what I’ve made lasting 2 weeks as everyone loved it so much!
Ha ha, I’m glad they were such a hit.
Best I have ever had. Can’t say enough about your recipe. I am hooked and will be trying a lot of your recipes. Thank you , Thank you
I’m so glad you loved them!
Do you think it changes much using apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar?
Hi Anita, both work! The ACV gives them a slightly sweeter flavor.
Easy to make and enjoy. Made 3 jars and they disappeared! We eat them with all kinds of things. Great on bbq burgers!!!
Making them a regular garnish in the fridge
So glad you love them, Linda!
I really love this recipe. I eat them everyday, usually for breakfast with my eggs and greens. I ran out of cane sugar so using coconut sugar. I’m disappointed because three brine looks dirty. Do you think it will be ok?
Hi Carey, yes, I think it’s totally fine to eat, coconut sugar just has a darker color.
I make these on repeat. My whole family loves them. My latest obsession is avocado toast topped with these onions and hot honey
That combo sounds amazing! I’m obsessed with hot honey anything. 🙂 So glad you love the pickled onions.
Can I use regular white granulated sugar instead of turbinado sugar?
Hi Carrie, yep! Regular white sugar works great.
It’s very good recipe ,especially to mixed w/ green salad..👍🥰
I agree! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed them.
I come back to this recipe every single time I need to make pickled onions. So easy and so straightforward – come out perfect every time.
I’m so glad it’s become a go-to!
I had a few pounds of red onions that I pickled using this recipe and everyone seems to love it!! I made both using the garlic and peppercorns. Both turned out delicious. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad you love the pickled onions!
This is my go-to recipe for pickled red onions. I have a small jar of these going in the fridge most of the time. Nothing perks up a salad or a sandwich quite like this. And I don’t need to get out an onion everytime I want a little onion for a condiment. I am making a small batch right now to take over to a neighbors small party, to go with a little smoked salmon, some cream cheese, some capers and some crackers. Instant fancy hors d’oevres tray! I like to add a sprig of time sometimes.
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Great recipe! I’m getting ready to make them the second time. I use organic rice vinegar and xylitol 1 to 1. Super for making sardines more fun to eat and also in warm sushi bowls. ❤️
I’m glad that ratio worked out well!
There seems to be loads of liquid compared to onions. The onions are floating in the top third-half of each jar?
Hi Joanne, if you have more onions, you can pack more in!
I’ve made these a few times & they turn out great. Yes, you can add more onion. (note: I find they will last forever in the fridge, much like pickles, as long as there is sufficient vinegar & salt in the batch). Love this website – everything I’ve made has turned out excellent!
Hi Barb, I’m so happy to hear that you’ve been enjoying the recipes!
Same here. Covered with brine, lasts easily 2 months in the fridge.