Quick-Pickled Onions
Add a splash of color and a tangy taste to your meals with quick-pickled onions! These vibrant, crisp onions are pickled in a flavorful brine of white vinegar, cane sugar, garlic, and a blend of spices. They make a perfect accompaniment to tacos, salads, sandwiches, or any dish that could use a tangy, crunchy lift!
💜 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick & easy: With just 5 base ingredients and less than 30 minutes, you’ll be able to whip up these quick-pickled red onions in no time!
- Versatile: From salads and sandwiches to tacos and burritos, pickled onions make the perfect accompaniment!
- Customizable: You can add a variety of additional seasonings to suit your taste, like Mexican oregano, whole cloves, jalapeño slices, and more!
- Healthy: Pickling is a great way to preserve and consume vegetables, keeping their nutritional values intact.
If you love quick-pickled onions, you should really check out our pickled jalapeños, chamoy, and mango chamoy.
🧅 What are quick-pickled onions?
Quick-pickled onions are a type of pickle made using a fast and easy method of pickling that cuts the preparation time down to just 10 minutes!
The onions, either white or red, are thinly sliced and covered in a hot vinegar mixture that’s been seasoned with salt, sugar, and a variety of spices. They’re then transferred to mason jars to pickle in the fridge.
The result is a vibrant, tangy, and slightly sweet condiment that makes a great addition to meals like tacos, burritos, tortas, tostadas, enchiladas, pizzas, chilis, soups, and more. Their tender-crisp crunch and sharp-yet-sweet taste will elevate any dish!
🫙 Quick-pickling techniques
There are two primary methods to make quick-pickled onions — using a saucepan or jars. We like to mix the onions directly into the saucepan with the pickling solution, but it all boils down to personal preference! Here’s a brief overview of both techniques:
- Saucepan: Start by bringing the pickling brine to a low boil, then incorporate the onion slices. Switch off the heat and give it a thorough mix. Cover the saucepan and allow the onions to steep for around 10 minutes before transferring them to glass jars.
- Jars: As your brine heats up, tightly pack the onion slices inside a jar (or multiple jars). Once the brine is ready, pour it over the onions ensuring they’re completely submerged, then secure the jar lids.
Both methods produce great-tasting pickled white onions or red onions, so you can decide which one you prefer! Just note that the peppers shrink slightly once mixed with the brine, so you may end up with more dead space in the jars using the pour-over method.
🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
- Onion: We love to use red onion in this recipe for a pop of purple-pink color. You can substitute red onions with white or yellow onions for a different flavor profile.
- Vinegar: We usually just use regular ol’ white vinegar for our quick-pickling recipes. You can replace it with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar for a slightly sweeter taste.
- Sugar: Balances the tanginess of the vinegar. We suggest unrefined cane sugar, but vegan-friendly granulated sugar will also work. If you use other sweeteners, like maple syrup or agave, the flavor may be slightly altered.
- Salt: Use kosher salt or pickling salt.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves add a savory, zesty depth of flavor to the pickling liquid. Make sure to gently crush them for the best results. If you’re not a fan, you can just omit the garlic cloves.
- Peppercorns: Whole peppercorns provide a spicy kick to the pickled onions. Again, feel free to omit them if you don’t like heat.
- Additional seasonings: These are optional, but we recommend adding your favorite herbs and spices for extra flavor. You can use Mexican oregano, bay leaves, whole cloves, jalapeño slices, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds.
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
📝 How to make quick-pickled red onions
Step 1: Prep the veggies
Start by peeling and thinly slicing the onion, then gently crushing the garlic cloves to help release flavor. Remember, thin onion slices make for faster pickling!
Step 2: Heat the pickling liquid
In a saucepan, combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar, and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Simmer it until the sugar and salt are dissolved before adding the rest.
Step 3: Combine & rest
Add your onion slices, garlic, and peppercorns to the simmering pickling liquid. Don’t be alarmed by the initial strong vinegar smell — it quickly dissipates as the onions pickle.
Once everything is mixed, turn off the heat, cover your saucepan, and let it sit for about 10 minutes. The heat helps the onions absorb the flavors more quickly.
Step 4: Transfer it to jars
Transfer the onions into a mason jar and pour the pickling liquid over them. Remember to tap the jar lightly on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles!
Let the jar sit for another 20 minutes to cool down. You can then serve your pickled onions immediately, or cover the jar and store it in the fridge for future use. Happy eating!
If you have questions about this quick-pickled red onion recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!
🥪 How to use quick-pickled onions
Once your quick-pickled onions are good to go, pair them with dishes like these for a pop of color and flavor:
- Tacos: Enjoy them with jackfruit carnitas tacos, vegan tacos al pastor, vegan birria tacos, vegan fajitas, and more.
- Salads: To add a unique taste and texture, mix your quick-pickled onions into a vegan pasta salad or vegan chickpea salad.
- Sandwiches: For a tangy, crispy addition, add a layer to a vegan tuna sandwich.
- Sides: Don’t forget to serve them with other Mexican sides and condiments like refried beans, vegan queso fresco, corn tortillas, and salsa roja.
🌡️ Storage & reheating
Quick-pickled onions are great to keep on hand for all your meals. Here’s how to keep them fresh:
- Fridge: You can store the pickled onions in a sealed glass container (like a mason jar) in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer: We don’t recommend freezing pickled onions as it will affect their texture. The brine is what keeps them fresh in the fridge!
- Prep ahead: For the best flavor, you can easily make quick-pickled onions a few days before you plan to use them. They taste even better after they’ve had a chance to marinate in the pickling liquid!
♻️ Variations
- Spicy: Add sliced jalapeños or red pepper flakes to the pickling liquid for a kick.
- Herb: Add fresh dill or rosemary sprigs to the jar for an herbaceous finish.
- Sweet & sour: Increase the sugar for a sweeter pickled onion flavor.
- Asian-inspired: Use rice vinegar instead of white vinegar, add a dash of soy sauce, and replace regular peppercorns with Sichuan peppercorns.
- Indian-inspired: Add green chiles, cumin, and coriander seeds for an Indian twist.
🧑🍳 Top tips
- Thinly slice the onions: Making thin slices will result in quicker pickling and a better final texture.
- Don’t rush the process: Allow the pickled onions enough time to soak up the flavors for the best infusion of flavors.
- Keep them submerged: Ensure all the onions are fully covered in the pickling liquid so they properly pickle.
- Jar size: Use a jar that’s just the right size to pack the onions in. If it’s too large, they may not stay submerged.
- Adjust to taste: Feel free to adjust the sugar and salt based on your liking. Some people prefer no sugar, so experiment with it to see what you like best.
- Use clean jars: Always use clean, sterilized jars to prevent any bacterial growth. Wash them in boiling hot soapy water or the dishwasher beforehand.
- Tap to remove bubbles: Tapping the jar on the counter ensures all the onions are submerged and there are no air pockets left.
💬 FAQ
Absolutely! This quick-pickling method works great for all kinds of vegetables, including cucumbers, carrots, radishes, asparagus, potatoes, and more.
No, we don’t recommend using the pickling liquid more than once. It’s best to make fresh pickling liquid each time for the best results.
If your onions are not completely submerged in the pickling liquid, you can add more vinegar or use a smaller jar to ensure that all onions are covered.
Yes, you can eat your pickled onions as soon as they cool down. However, they will develop a deeper flavor if left to marinate in the fridge for at least a few hours or overnight.
🍴 More pickling recipes
If you enjoyed this quick-pickled onions recipe, take a peek at some more pickling recipes like these:
- Quick Pickled Jalapeños: A sweet, tangy, and spicy condiment.
- Pickled Radish: Korean pickled radish that goes with many Korean dishes.
- Pickled Mustard Seeds: The perfect garnish for salads, roasted veggies, and more.
- Pickled Radish: Sweet and crunchy pickled red radishes.
Quick-Pickled Onions (In 10 Minutes)
Equipment
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Medium saucepan
- Mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
Additional seasonings optional
- 1-2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-2 whole cloves
- A few Jalapeño slices
- A pinch of whole cumin seeds
- A pinch of whole coriander seeds
Instructions
- Peel the onion, then cut it in half, and thinly slice it. Peel and crush the garlic (this will help release the flavor). Set both aside.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar to a gentle boil. Mix in the onion slices, garlic cloves, and whole peppercorns.
- Turn off the heat and let the saucepan sit covered for 10 minutes. Then, add the onions to a mason jar and pour the pickling liquid over top. Lightly tap the jar down on your counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Let the jar sit for another 20 minutes, then serve your quick-pickled onions immediately or transfer them to your fridge for storage. Happy eating!
Video
Notes
- Thinly slice the onions: Making thin slices will result in quicker pickling and a better final texture.
- Don’t rush the process: Allow the pickled onions enough time to soak up the flavors for the best infusion of flavors.
- Keep them submerged: Ensure all the onions are fully covered in the pickling liquid so they properly pickle.
- Jar size: Use a jar that’s just the right size to pack the onions in. If it’s too large, they may not stay submerged.
- Adjust to taste: Feel free to adjust the sugar and salt based on your liking. Some people prefer no sugar, so experiment with it to see what you like best.
- Use clean jars: Always use clean, sterilized jars to prevent any bacterial growth. Wash them in boiling hot soapy water or the dishwasher beforehand.
- Tap to remove bubbles: Tapping the jar on the counter ensures all the onions are submerged and there are no air pockets left.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.
Nutrition
Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.
Justine Drosdovech is a food writer, photographer, and one of the founders of Broke Bank Vegan. She is a self-taught plant-based chef but uses her healthcare background to craft dishes that are both delicious and nourishing.