The Health Benefits of Pickled Onions Plus Recipe

One of my favorite recipes year-round to make during meal prep are these Pickled Red Onions especially when noting the health benefits of this delicious allium. They're easy to make and are a quick, yet effective, way to boost healthy gut flora.

With a short list of pantry staples, pickled red onions are a great way to add flavor accents while supporting gut health. Let's dive into making a batch together! 

The Health Benefits of Pickled Onions

New Mexico State University's page for their Onion Breeding Program breaks down the valuable nutritional elements of onions as a whole. Within its key nutrients, onions are rich in:

1. Vitamins and Minerals:
   • Vitamin C: This antioxidant is vital for immune function and skin health.
   • Folate (Vitamin B9): Important for cell division and overall metabolic health.
   • Potassium: Essential for maintaining blood pressure and heart health.
   • Calcium and Magnesium: Both minerals are crucial for bone health and metabolic processes.
2. Antioxidants:
   • Red onions are particularly high in quercetin, a flavonoid that has anti-inflammatory properties and may help support the immune system.
3. Fiber:
   • Onions, including their pickled counterparts, are a good source of fiber, which aids in digestion and helps regulate blood sugar levels.

Improve Digestive Health Through Pickling

The pickling process involves submerging the onions in a solution of vinegar, salt, and sugar. This not only preserves them but also begins a fermentation process that can enhance their health benefits. Fermented foods, like pickled red onions, are rich in vitamin K 2 and can introduce beneficial bacteria into our gut to support probiotic production. These nutrient-dense foods help strengthen the digestive systems of your body by balancing gut flora and other digestive enzymes. 

Onions themselves are naturally high inulin, a type of soluble fiber that acts as a prebiotic. Prebiotics serve as food for beneficial gut bacteria, promoting their growth and activity. With the many health-boosting properties of fermented goods, I love keeping pickled onions in rotation with other provisions rich in high amounts of good probiotics like kimchi and salsa. 

Prepping Pickled Onions with Ease

Once our pickling liquid is prepped, these pickled red onions are ready in 15 minutes. They're 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 the half cup 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. You can also explore different flavors of herbs like oregano or thyme. I also make sure to discard the garlic and bay leaves before jarring up the onions in your airtight container. 

Making the Pickled Onions

• To prep your pickled onions, bring the apple cider vinegar and water to a simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan. Slice the raw onions thinly using a sharp knife or a mandoline. Place them in the jar where you intend to store the pickled onions. In a small prep bowl, combine the kosher salt, sugar, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, red pepper flakes, coriander seed, bay leaf, and garlic clove. Once the apple cider-water mixture begins to simmer, add in seasonings and stir to combine.
• As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, remove from the heat and pour half of the liquid over the onion, pressing down the slices with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the remaining liquid, continuing to press down the slices.
• Cover and give the jar a gentle shake to combine ingredients with the onions. Set aside to quick pickle for about 30 minutes. Serve right away, or cool to room temperature and place in the fridge in the pickling liquid, covered, for up to 2 weeks.

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.

My Favorite Ways to Use Pickled Red Onions

These pickled red onions are bright and briny with just a tiny bit of heat. They'll become your new favorite meal add-on. 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.

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 to breakfast 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. ❤️