This post contains affiliate links.
Learn how to make quick pickled red onions at home in 5 minutes with this easy step-by-step recipe. The pickling brine is made using 4 ingredients and requires just 5 minutes of hands-on work. Serve these over crispy avocado tacos for an epic dinner!
save this recipe!If you enjoy restaurant tacos and wonder how they taste so much better than at home, this post is for you. All of the most delicious street tacos are topped with quick pickled red onions.
The good news is that they are incredibly easy to make at home! This post will cover everything you need to know about making quick pickled red onions. Since this recipe takes just 5 minutes to complete, we’ve included step-by-step photos and some flavor variations.
Reader rating
“I tried the pickled red onions and my family loves them!! Thank you so much!” —R.chaus
Here’s what you’ll need
Quick pickled red onion slices live up to their title. They’re wonderfully fast to whip up, thanks in part to their short and sweet list of ingredients! These onions require only a handful of ingredients (which are probably already in your kitchen).
- Hot Water: Hot water helps to dissolve the sugar quickly and balance out the acidity of the vinegar.
- Sugar: Though the overall flavor of these pickled onions is tart and savory, sugar helps to balance the flavors. Alternatively, you can use honey. Maple syrup is too strong of a flavor for quick-pickled onions.
- Salt: We will need a dash of salt in our pickling mixture.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: We’re using apple cider vinegar here, though white vinegar or white wine vinegar also works well.
- Red Onion: Finally, you can’t have pickled onions without the onion! We will use one heaping cup of thinly sliced red onion (1 medium onion = 1 cup).
What is pickling?
Pickling is the act of preserving a food item’s lifespan through one of two pickling processes. The first is through anaerobic fermentation in brine. The second method is by immersing the onions in a type of vinegar. It’s a much simpler route, and how I pickle all of my ingredients, from cucumbers to cabbage!
Making them is very quick
Quick pickled red onions require just 3 steps. This recipe is incredibly easy and will provide onions that are perfect for adding to pretty much any meal!
- Heat the water: Heat water in either a kettle, the microwave, or on the stove until steaming hot. Stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved, and then stir in the vinegar.
- Prepare the onion: Thinly slice the red onion, either with a mandolin slicer (for ultra-thin slices) or by hand (for slightly thicker, crunchier pickled onions).
- Combine the ingredients: Add the onions to a lidded, non-reactive container. Pour the liquid over the onions so that they’re covered (you may not need all of the liquid). Let cool to room temperature, and then seal shut and transfer to the refrigerator. Let them pickle for at least 30 minutes before digging in!
What is a non-reactive container?
Non-reactive containers are ones that won’t react with acids (like the vinegar in the brining liquid). Examples of this are glass jars, stainless steel, ceramic, enamel, and tin.
Can I store these at room temperature?
This is not a recipe for canned red onions, and therefore, they have not been tested for long-term canning storage. If you are canning for long-term storage, be sure to follow the best USDA canning practices.
Variations
Are you in the mood to mix things up? Try a variation!
- Spicy: You can easily achieve spicy pickled onions by adding a pinch of crushed red pepper to your recipe. For best results, add the peppers to the hot water. Red pepper flakes produce the most spiciness when heated!
- Garlic: Garlic pickled onions? Yes, please! I like to add a clove of crushed garlic to this recipe for an extra kick. This is my go-to for when I want pickled onions for avocado toast or a grain bowl.
- Vinegar: You can switch up the vinegar used to pickle the onions. Feel free to use white vinegar or rice vinegar for equally delicious results!
- No Sugar: Though pickled onions are best with a dash of sweetener, you can omit the sugar if needed.
- Mexican Inspired: Make a Mexican-inspired batch of pickled red onions by adding a pinch of cumin, a bay leaf, and a few black peppercorns. These are great for adding to burritos.
More quick pickle recipes
Easy Pickled Red Cabbage
2 hours 5 minutes
Easy Pickled Jalapeños
40 minutes
Quick Pickled Radishes
35 minutes
5-Minute Pickled Red Onions
Ingredients
- ½ cup hot water, 120 mL
- 1 Tbsp sugar or honey
- 1 tsp non-iodized salt
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 120 mL
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced, 1 heaping cup
Instructions
- Liquid: Heat water in either a kettle, the microwave, or on the stove until steaming hot. Stir in sugar and salt until dissolved. Stir in vinegar.
- Onion: Thinly slice the red onion, either with a mandoline slicer (for ultra-thin slices) or by hand (for slightly thicker, crunchier pickled onions).
- Combine: Add onions to a lidded non-reactive container (like a glass jar or ceramic vessel – I used a 16-oz mason jar). Pour liquid over onions so that they are covered (you may not need all of the liquid). Let cool to room temperature, then seal shut and transfer to the refrigerator. (Let pickle for at least 30 minutes before digging in.)
Notes
-Make it spicy by adding a pinch of crushed red pepper.
-Make it garlicky by adding a clove of crushed garlic.
-Use another vinegar, like white or white wine vinegar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Can this recipe be used for pickled green beans?
Yes! 😀
Great stuff, ty Sarah
Just found this page and I’m going to follow the recipes for pickled red cabbage and pickled onions, I have the mason jars at the ready I just need to buy all the ingredients!
I’m sure they will be delicious 😊
I tried the pickled red onions and my family loves them!!
Thank you so much!
I will be trying more of your recipies soon!
For tacos try lime juice in place of vinegar. Particularly good on carnitas or pork fajitas.
Thanks for the recipes. I was looking for a quick easy pickleing for onions and carrots. One of my favorite bites at German restaurants.
Can I reuse the quick pickle juice? I have successfully reused shop bought pickle juice to make quick pickles, but I’m unsure about the quick, homemade version.
Yes! 😀
One of the best pickled onion recipes I’ve tried
I’m so happy you loved it, Emily! 😀
Do you have to use salt also do you have to use noniodiozed salt thank you
The salt is important for flavor and using non-iodized will prevent any weird color changing issues. Sometimes if you use iodized salt for pickling it can cause discoloration!