Pickled Red Onions

These tangy, bright Pickled Red Onions come together in just 30 minutes with a few simple ingredients. They add flavor and dimension to countless dishes from tacos to sandwiches to nachos to pizzas.

One of my favorite homemade condiments is pickled red onions. They add a huge punch of flavor and are super simple to make.

This version for quick-pickled onions will allow you to enjoy tangy, slightly sweet, pickled onions in just 30 minutes using just a few pantry ingredients.

Notes On Ingredients

• Onions: While technically, you can make pickled onions using any variety of onions, however, for classic Pickled Onions, you want to use red onions, not white or yellow onions. Red onions have a mild, slightly sweet flavor that compliments the pickling process and turn a beautiful pink once pickled.
• Salt: Use kosher salt, not table salt for the best results.
• Vinegar: Any basic vinegar, like white distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or rice vinegar works well. I typically opt for plain white vinegar as it is cheap and always in my pantry.
• Sugar: A bit of sweetener will help to balance out the acidity of the vinegar and the sharpness of the onions. I use granulated sugar, but honey or maple syrup may be substituted for the granulated sugar. I really don't recommend using a substitute like Stevia or Splenda, as it can change the texture of the onions and has an aftertaste. I would recommend omitting or cutting the sugar in half rather than using a sugar substitute.
• Peppercorns: Whole peppercorns add flavor to the pickled onions, but feel free to omit them if you don't have them on hand.

How to Pickle Onions

• Thinly slice the onions. The easiest way to do this is to use a mandoline, but you certainly can just use a sharp knife if you don't have a mandoline.

• In a medium saucepan, heat water, vinegar, salt, and sugar together over medium heat until the sugar and salt dissolve. Turn off the heat and allow that mixture to cool slightly.

• Divide the sliced red onions between 2 pint-size jars. Add ½ teaspoon of peppercorns to each jar.
• Pour the vinegar mixture evenly over the onions.
• Place the lid on the jars and refrigerate.
• The onions will be ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes, but they will become softer, more flavorful, and brighter in pink the longer they sit.

How to Use Pickled Onions

There are countless uses for pickled onions--let your imagination and taste buds guide you. Here are some of my personal favorite ways to use them.

• Top Pulled Pork Sandwiches with them in place of coleslaw, or in addition to coleslaw.
• Cut heavy dishes like Beef Barbacoa or Carnitas with the addition of these onions.
• Top tacos with pickled red onions. They are an especially great compliment to Cauliflower Tacos and Lentil Tacos.
• Use them to top a Chickpea Salad or add to Spinach Bacon Salad or any side salad.
• Add to Egg Salad, Tuna Salad, or Chickpea Salad to cut the richness and add tang.
• Pickled red onions are delicious on BBQ Chicken Burgers, Classic Burgers, and Black Bean Burgers.

Flavor Options

This is a fairly basic recipe for pickled onions. Feel free to experiment with the seasonings and spices by adding things like garlic, dill, star anise, etc. 

• Add Garlic. Add in one or two thinly sliced cloves of garlic to the onions before pickling for a nice punch of garlic flavor.
• Add Heat. Add a sliced jalapeno to the onions to add heat and flavor to the final pickled onion. Or you can add in ½ to 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.

Recipe FAQs

More Easy Homemade Condiments

• Homemade Tartar Sauce
• Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce
• Homemade Ranch Dressing
• Easy Homemade Croutons

If you enjoyed these pickled onions, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.