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About This Recipe
The easiest, quickest way to jazz up any dish is with pickled red onions. I swear! They are tangy, sweet, and one of the best ways to give almost any dish a bright pop of lively color and flavor!
I ALWAYS have pickled red onions in my fridge. They add an amazingly tart crunch to sandwiches, salads, crunchwraps, and so much more. Pretty much everything you can imagine! 😂
And it gets better. Pickled onions are the easiest to make. No cooking is required! All you do is create a simple brine solution with vinegar, slice your onions, combine, and refrigerate.
Even when I am feeling like my laziest self, I can bring myself to make these bad boys because they are just that easy, necessary, and delicious!
Try these delicious and tangy pickled onions on your next Carnitas Burrito Bowl, Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Sandwich or Mahi Mahi Tacos!
Why You’ll Love These Pickled Red Onions
- Sweet and tangy, these guys pack the most irresistible punch of flavor!
- No cooking required. Just mix the ingredients and let time do the work.
- Use to jazz up any meal!
- So versatile! Burgers? Delicious. Tacos? Perfect. Salads? Amazing! Eat straight up?
- Adds so much flavor without adding a ton of extra calories!
- Red onion – The star of the show! You’ll want to use a red onion for this for the best flavor.
- Vinegar – I like using a combination of apple cider vinegar and white distilled vinegar.
- Sea salt
- Sugar
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Slice onion thinly, about 1/8-inch (if possible). Mix vinegars, salt, sugar, and water. I usually mix in the glass container I’m going to store the onions in. Add onion to the liquid and submerge.
2. Give it a quick stir (or shake) and let sit for 1 hour. Then place in fridge until ready to enjoy.
For The Best Pickled Onions
- Slice onions as thinly as possible. The thinner they are, the quicker they will soak up and absorb the vinegar. And something about super thin onions just make them taste better on things. Don’t ask me why. 🤣 I recommend slicing them at roughly 1/8-inch if you can. Will these pickled onions still be great if they aren’t that thin? Of course! And I’ll admit, sometimes I’ll just cut and they’ll be a lot thicker, sometimes even resembling diced onions. They’re still great, but just BEST when they are sliced as thinly as possible.
- Give special consideration to the vinegars you use. Technically speaking, you can use strictly apple cider or white distilled vinegar. You can even use white wine vinegar if you wanted to. I’ve just found the BEST pickled onions come from a combination of apple cider and white distilled vinegar.
- Let sit at room temperature for an hour before putting in the fridge. This allows the onions to start absorbing the liquid more quickly, kicking off the pickling process.
- Wait at least 12 hours before eating. Not necessary, but the longer you wait, the more the onions will have pickled and the better they will be!
- Burgers: Add them to a delicious, juicy burger like my Air Fryer Greek Turkey Burger or Salmon Burgers!
- Salads: Top them on salad like my Healthy Taco Salad for great flavor and crunch.
- Crunch wrap + sandwiches: Stuff them in a crunch wrap or sandwich. You’ll be amazed how it elevates these simple dishes! They’d be amazing with my BBQ Chicken Wrap or Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich!
- Burrito bowl: Add my Carnitas Burrito Bowl or Salsa Verde Chicken Bowl. These pickled onions pair well with grains and Mexican flavors.
- Tacos: Pile them on some tacos like my Mahi Mahi Tacos for beautiful color and yummy taste!
What is the best vinegar for pickled onions?
This is all personal preference, but I have found my favorite to be a combination of apple cider vinegar and white distilled vinegar. Using the two vinegars gives it another depth of flavor than any one vinegar alone.
How long do I need to let the pickled onions sit before eating?
Let your pickled onions sit at room temperature for an hour to kickstart the pickling process. You can then store them in the fridge or use them for a meal. However, I recommend waiting at least 12 hours before eating them for more flavorful onions. The longer you wait, the stronger the pickling effect will be.
How long do pickled onions last?
When stored in an airtight container, the pickled onions will last two to three weeks. (If they make it that long!)
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Easy Pickled Red Onions
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar (60g)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (60g)
- 1 Tbsp granulated sweetener of choice sugar, Truvia, Splenda, Swerve, etc.
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
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Instructions
- Add white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and water to a container and whisk to combine.
- Add sliced onions to vinegar brine and toss around. It's okay if all the onions are not submerged in the brine, they will shrink as they start to absorb the brine.
- Store in fridge for at least 12 hours (best after 24+ hours) before using.
- Use pickled onions for your salad, sandwich, crunch wrap, anything your heart desires for a pop of sweet tang flavor!
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.