It's no secret there are a lot of pickled red onion recipes to find and choose from. Consider this recipe for Easy Pickled Red Onions my offering to the wealth of pickled red onion recipes out there.
These pickled red onions are bright and briny with just a tiny bit of heat, which I personally love. When we get red onions in our CSA box, I immediately make these with an onion or two. Batch prep these for the week ahead and have a delightful topping for your breakfast tacos, burritos, rice bowls, and so much more. Read more below on how we make these.
Prepping Pickled Onions with Ease
These pickled red onions are ready in 15 minutes or less making these easy enough to make during the weekday or batch prep a bunch on the weekend. Here's what you'll need to make these flavorful pickled onions:
- Apple Cider Vinegar: We love this for a hint of sweetness to bring out the sweet flavor of the onions. It's also important to use vinegar as it both is the flavoring and preserving agent for our pickled onions. You can also use white distilled vinegar if you don't have apple cider vinegar.
- Filtered, Distilled Water: We want to use the same ratios of water and vinegar to prepare our pickling brine. Using distilled water also helps us in avoiding a cloudy brine.
- Assorted Dried Seasonings: I love the combo of red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and crushed garlic here. They pump up the volume of flavor for the brine. I also make sure to discard the garlic and bay leaves after jarring up the onions.
To prep your pickled onions, bring apple cider vinegar and water to a simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan. Slice onions thinly using a sharp knife or a mandoline. In a small prep bowl, combine dried seasonings. Once the apple cider-water mixture begins to simmer, add in seasonings and stir to combine. Add in onions and allow them to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes just until the onions soften.
Remove from stove and allow to cool to room temperature before storing in a glass jar. These onions can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks or more—though they honestly won’t last that long. They’re so good. 😉
Important Pickling Tips
It's important to keep in mind food safety when pickling. Deviating from the vinegar and water ratios, for instance, will not only yield inconsistent results but can comprise the brine, diluting the vinegar, which can lead to increased risk for illnesses like botulism. It's important to use vinegars that have 5% acetic acid, such as distilled or apple cider vinegar. Any vinegar with less than 5% acetic acid is considered a salad vinegar and is not suitable for pickling.
The University of Minnesota Extension offers a comprehensive guide on pickling and food preservation. The National Center for Home Food Preservation also offers helpful information on food preservation and canning for a variety of vegetable types.
How to Use Pickled Red Onions
What can we use our fresh batch of pickled red onions on? Pretty much anything! I personally love them on a good breakfast taco with soft scrambled eggs, crumbled cotija cheese, torn cilantro leaves, and a bit of salsa. It's my go-to breakfast most weekdays.
I love them on any taco really. From Pollo al Pastor to Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos and even Vegan Black Bean Sopes. These pickled red onions offer a bright and tangy accent to any dish.
Let me know if you make this recipe by tagging me on Instagram. I can’t wait to see what you make!
In the meantime, cheers to the next nourishing meal. ❤️
Easy Quick Pickled Red Onions
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon coriander seed
- 1 whole dried bay leaf
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan, bring apple cider vinegar and water to a simmer over medium heat. In a small prep bowl, combine all remaining seasonings.
- Slice onions thinly. Once the apple cider-water mixture begins to simmer, add in seasonings and stir to combine. Add the onions and bring them to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes just until the onions soften.
- Remove from heat and allow onions to cool to room temperature before storing in a glass jar.
- Store pickled red onions in the fridge for up to one month—though they honestly won’t last that long. They’re so good.
