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    Easy pickled red onions

    Published: Nov 23, 2021 · Modified: Mar 29, 2022 by Cadry Nelson
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Text overlay: Easy pickled red onions. Jars of pickled red onions on table.

    Easy pickled red onions add a wonderful tangy crunch to sandwiches, tacos, salads, and bowls. Plus, you’ve got to love that vibrant pink color!

    They’re made with just five ingredients and take only 15 minutes of active cooking. The rest is just waiting for them to soak up brine in the refrigerator.

    Glass jar of red pickled onions in front of sandwich.

    I love making healthy eating easy on myself. I’m so much more apt to grab veggies when they’re prepped and ready to go.

    So if you’ve ever been in a situation where you’ve wanted onion for a sandwich but felt too lazy to cut & peel one, do I have a solution for you… A vinegar solution!

    Quick pickling thinly sliced onions means you can prep them when you have the time, energy, and inclination. Then keep them on hand in the refrigerator for weeks. Ideal for when you’re in a rush!

    Just pull a few slices from a jar with a fork. Add them to your dish. And you’re on your way.

    Sandwich with pink colored pickled onions, lettuce, and Tofurky.

    These bright and briny pickled red onions go well anywhere you’d put raw onions. But they’re even more delicious because they don’t have the nose-clearing bite of the standard raw variety.

    Add them to tempeh tacos and burritos.

    Sprinkle them on bowls.

    Use them as a garnish for chili.

    Spread them generously over salads.

    Enjoy them with spreadable non-dairy cheese and crackers.

    How to make them

    Pot on stove with vinegar, water, salt, and sugar.

    Put water, salt, and sugar into a pot. Bring to a medium heat. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolves.

    Turn off the heat and add white vinegar. Stir to combine.

    Then set the vinegar solution aside to cool while you slice the onions.

    Red onion sliced in half by pile of sliced onions.

    Cut the ends off of a red onion, and remove the peel. Cut the onion in half – from top to bottom. Then slice it into very thin half moons. If you like, gently pull the onion slices apart with your fingers.

    Add the sliced onions to a clean jar. Pour the cooled vinegar solution over them. Press the onions down, so that they’re completely submerged.

    Cover with a lid & move to the refrigerator.

    Glass jar of pickled onions in front of whole red onions.

    They will be ready to eat in about an hour, but they taste best after at least four.

    The longer the onions marinate in the brine, the pinker they will become overall.

    Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat them.

    Glass jar with sliced onions in vinegar brine.

    Make them your own

    You can make these easy pickled red onions your own by adding flavorful ingredients, changing up the vinegar, or adding more sugar.

    Here are some ways to personalize this recipe:

    • Use a different type of onion
    • Cut the onions a little chunkier
    • Replace some or all of the white vinegar with apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or rice vinegar
    • For less vinegar tang, increase the sugar
    • Include flavorful add-ins to the jar like sliced garlic, peppercorns, or fresh herbs like dill

    How to use them

    Bowl of ramen with pickled onions, jalapenos, cabbage and seitan.

    There are so many ways to use quick pickled onions – from filling a sandwich to topping a bowl of ramen. They’re also a great addition to a vegan cheeseboard!

    Pickled red onions are terrific on tacos

    Use them as a topping on black bean tacos, double decker tacos, chickpea tacos, refried bean quesadillas, loaded nachos, and taco pizza.

    Use them as a sandwich or wrap filling

    Add thinly sliced pickled onions to a hummus bagel sandwich, Rachel sandwich, vegetable sandwich, BBQ sandwich, falafel sandwich, or vegan chili dog.

    Enjoy them at breakfast

    They add an eye-catching pop of color and tang as a garnish on avocado toast, tofu scramble, and breakfast tacos.

    Great in salads

    These briny onions are terrific in salads like a chef salad, taco salad, or kale salad.

    Delicious in bowls or wraps

    Pickled onions make a crisp & crunchy addition to a falafel bowl, brown rice bowl with hummus, burrito bowl, or veggie wrap with vegan chick’n.

    Multitasking tip

    When I’m pickling red onions, I like to make quick pickled jalapeños at the same time. Since the brines are similar, it makes sense to do both tasks simultaneously.

    The biggest difference is that the jalapeño brine doesn’t include sugar. So I add the sugar after I’ve poured brine onto the peppers.

    Combine the amounts of water and salt for both recipes. Dissolve in a pot over medium heat. Then remove from heat. Stir in the combined amounts of white vinegar.

    Pour that brine over sliced jalapeños & garlic in jars.

    Then when you’re ready to move on to the pickled red onions, add sugar to the remaining vinegar solution in the pot & dissolve. Pour the sweetened brine over sliced onions in a jar.

    How to store them

    Store pickled onions in their vinegar solution in a jar. They will keep for several weeks.

    When I make double or triple batches, I usually eat them within 3 or 4 weeks. Although, after a few weeks the vinegar flavor will start to be less pronounced.

    Glass jars of red pickled onions and jalapenos.

    Glass jar with sliced onions in brine.

    Pickled red onions

    You'll want to add these pickled red onions to everything! Pop them on a salad. Add them bowls. Use them as a topping on tacos or chili. They add a delicious, vinegary crunch to everything they touch.
    Makes about 2 cups of pickled red onions.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Keyword: DIY, pickling recipe
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Resting time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings: 10 people
    Calories: 11kcal
    Author: Cadry Nelson

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup water
    • 1 Tablespoon sea salt
    • 1 to 2 Tablespoons sugar
    • ½ cup white vinegar
    • 1 medium red onion

    Instructions

    • Fill a small to medium sized pot with water, salt, and sugar. If you like very tangy onions, use just 1 Tablespoon of sugar. If you like them a little sweeter, use 2 Tablespoons.
    • Bring to a medium heat and stir until the salt and sugar dissolves. Once they have fully dissolved, turn off the heat. (This generally takes 2 or 3 minutes.)
    • Add white vinegar to the pot, and stir to combine.
    • Cut the ends off of a red onion & remove the peel. Cut the onion in half from top to bottom. Then slice the halves into very thin half moons. If you like, use your fingers to pull strands of onion apart into individual slices.
    • Add the sliced onion to a clean jar. Use your fingers to really press all of the onion inside. Then carefully pour the cooled vinegar solution over the sliced onions in the jar. Make sure the onions are totally submerged. Cover with a lid & move to the refrigerator.
    • The pickled onions will be ready to eat in about an hour, but they taste best after at least four hours or so. Store in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat them. They will keep for several weeks.

    Notes

    If properly covered with brine, pickled onions will last 3 or 4 weeks in the refrigerator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 11kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 699mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Comments

    1. David

      November 24, 2021 at 8:40 am

      5 stars
      I love these – the onions are so crisp and delicious, and it is so easy to just pull a few out and add them to a salad or sandwich.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Cadry!

    I’m a longtime vegan. (14 years!) But I grew up eating a Standard American Diet. I know that all of us crave foods that are familiar, comforting, and delicious.

    That’s why it’s my passion to share mouthwatering plant-based recipes that taste like home.

    More about me →

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    Easy weeknight meals

    • Air fryer baked potato in about 35 minutes
    • Buffalo chickpea sandwich with vegan blue cheese
    • Three bean chili: Warm up with a bowl
    • Vegan taco pizza with black beans: A taste of nostalgia
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