Perfectly pretty, delightfully punchy quick pickled red onions are a simple kitchen staple. Sweet, tangy and ready in just 25 minutes. So simple. If you can boil water, it’s that easy! No canning involved. The trick is in the cut and I’m going to give you all my secrets.
Bright, Tangy & Ready in Minutes — The Easiest Pickled Red Onions You’ll Ever Make
A little sweet, a little sharp, and endlessly useful — these quick pickled red onions are the secret to making any dish taste restaurant-level good. No canning, no fuss — just a few pantry staples, a heat-resistant bowl, and a mason jar. All you need is a simple pickling solution: equal parts water and vinegar, with equal parts salt and sugar and whatever heat suits your tolerance level.
In fifteen minutes, you’ll have a jar full of colour and flavour that perks up everything it touches.
Larder checklist:
- 1 large red onion
- apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
- sugar
- salt
- peppercorns
Optional: garlic clove, or chili flakes for kick
The Secret to Bright, Crunchy Pickled Red Onions — No Canning Required
Every chef I’ve ever worked with wants a bight, clean bite on these Quick Pickled Red Onions. They’re often used as a garnish on platters and canapes. In the catering kitchen, we want to be sure our clients don’t wind up with a big glob of goo on their good shirt. Nobody wants that.
The trick – is the cut.
Instead of cutting a horizontal slice, against the ring of the onion, creating half circle crescents – we’re going to slice through the core and portion the onion on the bias, at a 45 degree angle to create pretty, pink tapered petals.
Why does this matter? Have you ever bitten into an onion ring and had the entire onion slid out onto your chin? That’s because you have to bite through the membrane between the layers of the onion. That layer is tough and helps to contain moisture.
When we cut and portion THROUGH that membrane, we get a juicy, fleshy bite of pickled onion that is EASY to bite through and looks super sexy on your salad… or TACO. Like this taco… Blackened Salmon Taco with BlackBerry Salsa.
Quick Pickled Red Onions, Perfect With:
Love having a jar in the fridge for the holiday season, they make your charcuterie platters pop and sandwiches sing. Personally, huge fan of quick pickled red onions on tacos (did I mention tacos? lol), quesadillas, burgers, sandwiches, salads, grilled meats — even cold pizza. Add them anywhere you want a bright blast of flavour and crunch.
Keep a jar in the fridge, and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them.
Peace Love & Butter!
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Quick Pickled Red Onions
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 jar 1x
Description
A Simple Kitchen Staple: sweet, tangy Quick Pickled Red Onions in just 15 minutes. Perfect with grilled meats and vegetables, on sandwiches, in tacos, and on charcuterie boards.
Ingredients
- 2 large red onions
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 8 - 12 whole peppercorns
- 1/4 teaspoon dried red chilies (spicy variation)
- 1 crushed garlic clove (optional)
Instructions
- Slice thin. Peel and slice the red onion in half, through the core lengthwise. Then cut the half onion into fifths or sixths, on a 45-degree angle, to make tapered petals — with a sharp knife. (See recipe notes.)
- Heat the brine. In a small pot, warm the equal parts of vinegar and sugar, with 1 tablespoon of salt and sugar per cup of vinegar, to a boil, dissolving salt and sugar.
- Pour & pickle. Place onions in a clean heat-proof bowl and pour the hot brine over top to cover onions. Cover with cling wrap.
- Let it rest. Cool at room temperature. Transfer to a clean mason jar along with all pickling brine and refrigerate.
Notes
Can you stuff your onions into a jar and pickle? Of course you can. I transfer once pickled because they’re flexible and easier to fit into the jar. They’re good to eat in 30 minutes, but best after a few hours. Will last in your fridge for a couple of months.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 Mins
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Pickeling
- Cuisine: North American
