Quick Pickled Red Onions are a breeze to make and add so much flavor to many dishes. I love to add them to my brats, steak, burgers, sandwiches, bowls, and omelets. Enjoy them on all your favorite Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, quesadillas, huevos rancheros, and fajitas.
Spice up your meals with this simple and tasty pickled red onions recipe. With just a handful of ingredients, you can easily make these tangy, flavorful onions to add to sandwiches, salads, and more! In less than 10 minutes, you can have a whole batch of these tasty onions at your disposal, ready to add to all your favorite recipes. If you like this recipe, try pickled eggs, pickled jalapenos, creamy dill pickle soup, and dill pickle pasta salad.
Ingredient Notes with Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.
- Red Onions: This recipe also works with other onions, such as yellow and Vidalia.
- Vinegar: White vinegar, apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or champagne vinegar in the brine.
- Granulated Sugar: I like my pickled onions to taste a little sweet. If you watch your sugar, cut it back to 1-2 tablespoons.
- Garlic: Fresh, of course.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Optional but recommended; they add a little zest.
How to Pickle Red Onions
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Slice the onions.
- In a saucepan, add the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt, and heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the onions to a sealable jar, then add peppercorns, a clove of garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Cover the red onions in the hot pickling mixture. Let it cool before putting the lids on.
Cook’s Tips
- If using a quart jar, add 2 garlic cloves, about 1 teaspoon of peppercorns, and about ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- These quick pickled onions need to be refrigerated. They are not shelf-stable.
- Slice the onions thin but not too thin. I like mine with a little bit of substance for burgers, brats, and sandwiches, but you can slice them thinner if you like. A mandoline comes in very handy for slicing them super thin.
- For a more natural sweetener, use honey or maple syrup.
- Other spices and dried and fresh herbs to experiment with include mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, rosemary, and oregano.
How to Serve Them
- Sandwiches: Add a little sweet crunch to your favorite deli sandwich.
- Tacos: Delicious on fish tacos or shrimp tacos.
- Salads: Instead of adding plain onions, jazz it up with quick pickled onions.
- Burgers: Add so much flavor to beef, turkey, and vegan burgers.
- Brats and Hotdogs: These plus spicy mustard equals heaven.
- Eggs: Try them on scrambled eggs or omelets
- Tostadas: Beef and chicken
- Enchiladas: Adds flavor to beef, chicken, and cheese enchiladas
- Potato Salad: Takes it to the next level.
- Nachos: One of our favorites
- Quesadillas: Delicious nestled in with the cheese
- Cocktail Garnish: Pickle some pearl onions and use them in a Gibson, a cocktail made with gin and garnished with pickled onions.
More Onion Recipes
Pickled Red Onions
Ingredients
- 2 small red onions, cut in half and sliced thin
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 small cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Add the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and let it cool for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the sliced onions to clean resealable jars. Add a few peppercorns, a clove of garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes to each jar. Fill the jars with the hot liquid, making sure to cover all the red onions. Cool the jars to room temperature before putting the lids on and placing them in the fridge.
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
- Store the pickled onions in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. A mason jar works great for these onions.
Nutrition
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Mary
Delicious topping for sandwiches, salads and hors d’oeuvres!!!
Beth Pierce
I agree, Mary!
Rhea
These pickled red onions are a versatile and delicious addition to so many dishes! They add such a burst of flavor to brats, steak, burgers, sandwiches, and more. Thanks for the great recipe!
Jack
Thanks for the great pickled onion recipe. I did not realize how incredibly easy they are to make. They are so yummy on homemade fish tacos!
Melanie E
These look great and can be used with so many different foods. I have been wanting to make a new batch for ages. I’ll have to give your recipe a go.
Nikki
Such a great recipe! I never knew how many things pickled onions taste good on. Try them on any salad, they add so much flavor.
Kimberley Asante
I love this recipe. I love eating pickled red onions with my fried rice. Thanks for sharing.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure. Kimberley!
Lisa
These pickled red onions turn out great, I’ve never had onions this way so before! They are amazing on so many things, try them on omelets! You won’t regret it!
Ramil Hinolan
I love pickled red onions! They add such a great flavor to so many dishes. Thanks for the easy recipe!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Ramil!