Quick Pickled Red Onions

Quick pickled red onions are a simple and delicious way to liven up many foods. They’re sweet and sour and have a mildly spicy red onion bite. They add an acidic component to rich foods.

Serve them at any BBQ or Cookout. Pickled onions are fantastic with grilled meats, including hot dogs and burgers.  

You can even put out a jar at Thanksgiving or Christmas. They’re a great way to liven up that turkey dinner and add the acidic component that is often lacking.  Plus, the red color looks festive on a Christmas table!

Ingredients

A raw red onion.

A quick pickling solution made with apple cider vinegar, salt, sugar, and water to brine the onions.

Instructions

Peel and thinly slice the red onion. Then, pack the slices into a pint sized jar.

Bring the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a simmer in a small pot.

Pour the brine over the onions.

Use the back of a spoon to submerge the onions in the brine. Close the jar lid and allow the onions to brine at room temperature for least 30 minutes. Then, refrigerate until ready to serve.

Give the jar a shake before serving.

No Cook Pickled Onions

You can skip the boiling step if you don’t want to cook the onions. If you’re using raw apple cider vinegar, it will preserve the raw quality of the vinegar. Stir the brine ingredients together until the salt and sugar dissolve. Then, follow the instructions.

The onions take longer to absorb the cold brine. No-cook pickled onions in cold brine are best after sitting in the fridge overnight. Their texture and taste are also slightly different. Both methods produce excellent pickled onions!

Storage

These quick pickled onions will keep in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.

Serving Tips

• Serve them at a cookout or barbeque. They go with any grilled meat. Enjoy them with grilled chicken, steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs, or Dutch oven pulled pork.
• Eat them with hearty meat-based dishes like stew or pot roast. They add an acidic pop that brightens up the dish.
• Serve pickled red onions at Thanksgiving or Christmas. They add a fresh, crunchy, acidic element that traditional holiday dinners often lack.
• Add them to sandwiches. They’re delicious on deli sandwiches, chicken, or roast beef sliders.
• Chop pickled red onions to add to deli-style salads. Liven up salads that you would add pickles to. Try it with potato salad, tuna salad, and chicken salad.
• Serve pickled red onions with savory brunch meals, or add them to avocado toast.
• Serve them with your favorite Mexican foods. Add them to tacos, nachos, burritos, or carnitas.
• Add them to a charcuterie board with meats, cheeses, and crackers.
• Serve them as part of a Southern-style vegetable plate. Or with pinto beans and cornbread.
• Once the onions are gone, whisk extra virgin olive oil into the remaining brine for a quick and delicious vinaigrette. You can also use the onions as a salad topping.
• Bring a jar to a potluck or give it as a hostess gift. They make a great take-along dish that’s super versatile. They keep for a long time, so they can even be a hostess gift. If you’re unsure what to bring, these are a great option! Make sure the recipient knows to refrigerate them. You can make a homemade tag out of cardstock and tie it around the jar with a ribbon or rubber band. Include the ingredients and storage instructions.

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