Pickled red onions! They add color, texture, and so much flavor to just about anything! I love making a big batch of these and keeping them around in the refrigerator when I want to spice up homemade burgers, salads, and tacos! I prefer pickled onions to raw ones, especially if you’re serving these with guests around. Pickling onions takes away the raw, harsh bite and leaves you with a crunchy, slightly salty-sweet-vinegary flavor, one that’s perfectly acceptable to eat in the company of others! Pickled red onions have always been a favorite of mine, but I can distinctly remember having them in my late 20s on a plate of za’atar fried eggs with everything bagel seasoned fried bread and labneh. I can’t tell you the explosion of flavors that was but I can tell you that from that day forth, I’ve been a ginormous fan.
What are quick-pickled onions?
Pickled onions are used as a condiment on many different foods. They’re typically made with three ingredients: salt, sugar, and vinegar but can also include many different add-ins. Quick pickled onions are onions that only require a brief 30-60 minutes in the pickling brine before they’re ready to eat.
What do you need to make homemade quick-pickled onions?
Onions: I like to use red onions for homemade pickled onions. But that doesn’t mean the recipe won’t work with white or yellow onions as well. For me, the bright fuchsia color is part of the appeal, so I prefer red onions. However, the recipe will work with all three. You can go as thin as ⅛-inch thick or as thick as ½-inch slices. Keep in mind that the thicker the slices, the more time they’ll require to pickle, and also, the more crunchy texture they’ll have. The thinner the slices, the quicker they’ll pickle and the less crunch.Vinegars: I use a combination of apple cider vinegar and distilled white vinegar for this recipe. You could also omit the sugar entirely and use seasoned rice vinegar in place of both kinds of vinegar and sugar.Kosher Salt: I use enough salt to balance the amount of sugar in the recipe. However, you can use less or more to preference. Sugar: I like my pickled onions to have a hint of sweetness, so I listed the basic amount I always use. Sometimes I’ll increase the amount to two tablespoons if I’m serving these with something that’s on the saltier side to balance it better! The point is, you can play around with the amount of sugar you use.Peppercorns: I suggest using a good quality black peppercorn for this recipe. I keep Tellicherry peppercorns on hand and use them for this recipe. I purchase them online or at a specialty grocery store. They are the finest peppercorns globally, and since this pickled onion recipe doesn’t have many ingredients, it’s important to use good quality ingredients. You could also use a tricolored blend if you’d like.
How to make quick-pickled onions:
What can you put pickled onions on?
Vietnamese Chicken SandwichesSteak Fajita Bowls Shrimp TacosBBQ Chicken NachosCrunchwrap SupremeBaked Chicken QuesadillasBeef Shawarma BowlsChicken Banh Mi BowlsBlackened Salmon TacosInstant Pot Korean Beef Bowls
They’re also good on burgers, sandwiches, alongside homemade bbq, with potato salad, or even a macaroni salad!
Check the post for a full list of variations and other add-ins, like garlic cloves, fresh herbs, and spices!Update 4/22: After making these at least a dozen more times since I published the recipe, I’ve started adding a small peeled nub of raw red beet to the sliced onions before pouring the warm vinegar over the top. It gives the onions a more vibrant color!
