Pickled Red Onions Recipe
Published August 10, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This simple-to-prepare pickled red onions recipe is a great way to enhance the flavor of your favorite sandwich, salad, or tacos.
Pickled red onions consist of onions that are submerged in a sweet and salty brine solution to help preserve their shelf life and add flavor. Utilizing this pickling technique is one of the easiest things you can do to take your food to the next level. The combination of flavors in them provides a perfect balance, especially when being served alongside or on top of your favorite foods. My recipe also does not require any heating or canning procedures.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Onions – Red onions are the best option; However, you can use white, sweet, or yellow onions.
- Vinegar – I believe red wine vinegar provides the best flavor when making these pickled red onions.
- Water – This will help to cut the intense flavor of the vinegar as well as provide more liquid volume to fill up the jars.
- Sugar – Any granulated sugar will work for this.
- Salt – I always use sea salt in my recipes.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Start by slicing the onions in whichever manner you’d like. I prefer thin rings but occasionally will thinly julienne them as well.
Add the prepared onions to a clean and sterilized 16-ounce glass mason jar.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar, until everything is mixed and dissolved.
Pour the brine solution over the onions in the jar, submerging them.
Screw on the clean and sterilized seal and lid and place them in the refrigerator for 1 hour before they are ready to serve.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead – You can make this recipe up to 1 day ahead of time.
How to Store – Seal the lid on the jar of the pickled red onions and keep them in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks. These will not freeze.
Chef Notes + Tips
- For best flavor results, wait at least 24 hours before eating the pickled onions. The longer you wait, the more intense in flavor they will get.
- Make sure your jars are completely clean and sterilized before using them.
- Depending on the size of your onions, you may need more or less to fill the jars.
More Vegetable Recipes
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Video
Pickled Red Onions Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large peeled and thinly sliced red onion
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
Instructions
- Start by slicing the onions in whichever manner that you’d like. I prefer thin rings, but occasionally will thinly julienne them as well.
- Add the prepared onions to two clean and sterilized 16-ounce glass mason jars.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar, until everything is mixed and dissolved.
- Pour the brine solution over the onions in the jar making sure they are submerged.
- Screw on the clean and sterilized seal and lid and place them in the refrigerator for 1 hour before they are ready to serve.
Thank You for sharing. These turned out delicious.
Since Chef Billy Parisi made fresh tuna salad, I don’t eat canned tuna very often. If I do, I use these pickled onions to elevate the flavor. Total game changer! I will also include these on a charcuterie board. They are always a hit.
Can you skip the sugar?
wouldn’t taste very good.
I add lime zest as well
Loved this recipe. MAke it often these days as it goes with so many dishes! Thanks so much for posting!
Yes – and they are perfect!
So easy and delicious. I even flash pickle for just an hour or so when I fail to plan ahead, though they are best after a couple days. I can’t t tell you what happens after 3 or 4 days because they are so gone by then. I use the same recipe for hot peppers.
i made some yesterday, wish i’d seen this before. the recipe has used apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. i tasted them today (24 hours) and they are way too strong with the vinegar. i’m going to try remaking the brine now and see if that helps.
I did add a clove of sliced garlic to each jar, too, and soaked the onions before jarring them.
I think you can make one hour ahead, not one day. Ideally, one day+ is best, but one hour does the trick, too.
These are really, really good! Simple recipe, delicious outcome!
Can I skip the salt?
you can
Can you use sugar substitute like Stevia?
Not sure
Can you heat the liquid mixture to seal the jar and keep them longer?
possibly?
This is an easy and delicious recipe – a great addition to fish tacos and so much more!
Great simple start or finish…I love to throw in some random spices at times, whatever on hand or from the herb garden. Cheers Chef!
thanks for giving it a shot!!
Fast, easy, delicious!
excellent!
Made these for our burgers on Memorial Day and they were a hit!
thanks for giving it a shot!!
This was soooo easy and delish! I put them on everything; especially tacos!!
thanks for giving it a shot!!
I added black peppercorns my second time – great on burgers!!
Nice!