Favorite Quick + Simple Pickled Onions Recipe
Quick, easy, and packed full of zippy flavor, this quick and easy pickled onions recipe uses basic ingredients to create the perfect addition to tacos, burgers, and more! If you love anything with a yummy, tangy flavor, this recipe is for you.
It may seem random, but this is hands down one of my favorite condiments to make. There’s something so good about having pickled onions as a fresh topping to our favorite homemade tacos. I personally love whenever I go to a restaurant and see tacos with pickled red onions as a topping. It’s always a winner in my book! Pickled red onions add the perfect amount of acidity to foods without being too overwhelming. I often find myself making a fresh batch to enjoy on a variety of foods, especially throughout the hot summer months. Deeeeelicious.
This quick pickled onion recipe uses a few simple ingredients and takes just a few minutes of prep time.
Let’s get started!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Great flavor: This quick pickled onion recipe uses only a few ingredients, but is packed full of zippy flavor! It makes a great addition to tacos, burgers, and more.
- Quick and easy: From start to finish, this recipe can be made in under 30 minutes to store in the fridge.
- Easy to store: This recipe will store easily in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Onion: I prefer to use red onions, but white onions will also work in this recipe. Slice ’em thin!
- Vinegar: Distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar works just fine.
- Water: Filtered water is best.
- Sea salt: I love and use Redmond mineral salt.
- Sugar: This recipe calls for a couple tablespoons of sugar to help balance out the acidity of the vinegar.
Step by Step Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, begin slicing the red onion very thinly. A mandolin slicer also works well for this if you have one! Once the onion is sliced, set aside while you prepare the pickling mixture.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add 3/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 3/4 tsp salt, and 3 tbsp sugar. Heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar and salt dissolve.
- While the vinegar mixture is cooking, begin adding the sliced onions to two pint sized mason jars, packing them in to the top.
- Once the brine is ready, let it cool slightly before pouring the hot pickling mixture 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! For best results, I usually let them marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Although I find the longer they sit in the fridge, the better they get.
- Store them in the fridge to enjoy for up to 2 weeks.
Tips for Success
- Thin slices are essential for pickled onions- go as thin as you can get ’em!
- There are many different types of vinegar you could use in this recipe. I have used apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar and even rice vinegar in a pinch! You could also mix two vinegars to experiment with different flavors.
- I find the easiest and best way to make these pickled onions is by using a mason jar. It’s convenient and easy to store in the fridge.
- Experiment with adding in extra ingredients to add some flavor. Garlic cloves, mustard seeds, fresh herbs, or whole black peppercorns would be a yummy addition. Red pepper flakes would also be an easy way to add a little extra flavor and heat!
- If you like your pickled onions a little sweeter, you can always add an extra 1-2 tbsp of sugar.
- Add these pickled red onions to a variety of recipes for some next level flavor! Some of my favorite ways to enjoy them include as a topping on avocado toast, salads (potato salad anyone?), sandwiches, and burgers, and of course your favorite Mexican dishes. They would also be a fun addition to a charcuterie board!
More Yummy Recipes
Check out these reader favorites, straight from my log cabin kitchen.
- Homemade Hamburger Buns
- Simple Sandwich Bread
- Strawberry Basil Lemonade
- Rustic Hand Pies with Berry Filling
Pin it For Later!
You can find the easy printable recipe card down below.
Quick and Easy Pickled Red Onions
Quick, easy, and packed full of zippy flavor, this quick and easy pickled onions recipe uses basic ingredients to create the perfect addition to tacos, burgers, and more! If you love anything with a yummy, tangy flavor, this recipe is for you.
Ingredients
- 1 red onion, sliced very thin
- 3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, begin slicing the red onion very thinly. A mandolin slicer also works well for this if you have one! Once the onion is sliced, set aside while you prepare the pickling mixture.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add 3/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 3/4 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp sugar. Heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar and salt dissolve.
- While the vinegar mixture is cooking, begin adding the sliced onions to two pint sized mason jars, packing them in to the top.
- Once the brine is ready, let it cool slightly before pouring the hot pickling mixture 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! For best results, I usually let them marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Although I find the longer they sit in the fridge, the better they get.
- Store them in the fridge to enjoy for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
If you loved this easy recipe for quick pickled red onions, I’d love it if you came back and gave it 5 stars!
What’s your favorite way to eat pickled onions?
