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    Home » Recipes » Sides

    Feb 9, 2021 · Modified: Jan 27, 2023 by Carita · This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments

    The Best Tangy Pickled Red Onions

    Looking for the ultimate tasty topping to your avocado toast or tacos? The Best Tangy Pickled Red Onions recipe is here and comes together in minutes with minimal work. With just a handful ingredients, you'll have tangy, tart aromatic pickled red onions in minutes!

    Love pickled red onion like I do? Try my Carne Asada Mushroom Tacos with Pickled Red Onion, Cajun Catfish with Cheesy Grits and Pickled Red Onion or BBQ Smoked Chicken Mac & Cheese with Pickled Red Onion!

    Pickled Red Onion

    Pickled Red Onions are my new favorite topping! As a matter of fact, if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you're just about tired of seeing me use them, that's how much I enjoy pickled red onions!

    I have the Best Tangy Pickled Red Onions recipe and I'm so excited to share it with you today. It's an easy, no fuss recipe including a how-to video if you're a visual learner like me! If you're a skeptic or never tried pickled red onions, it's important to realize, you'll want to stick around to read through this post!

    WHAT DO PICKLED RED ONIONS TASTE LIKE?

    Pickled Red Onions have a distinct flavor and texture. For one thing, they hold true to the crunchiness and slight bite that raw or cooked onions provide. Once pickled, they become sweet, tangy and slightly aromatic providing a tasty addition to an array of dishes. If you like dill pickles or pickled food items, I'm certain you'll love pickled red onions!

    They are usually served with breakfast toast such as avocado toast or eggs on toast and are mostly known for being a unique topping for tacos! As a matter of fact, I haven't met a taco that pickled red onions wouldn't be a great addition for, they are just that good!

    WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS RECIPE?

    The amazing part about this recipe is it's only household pantry and fridge items required. There's several ways to build this recipe, of course start with the base of the recipe, here's what you'll need.

    • Red Onion
    • Hot Water
    • Garlic Clove
    • Apple Cider Vinegar
    • Sugar
    • Salt
    • Black Peppercorn (optional)
    Pickled Red Onions Ingredients

    ANY OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS TO ADD TO THE RECIPE?

    What's exciting about this recipe and pickling red onions is that the additions and flavors are endless! Again, you can't go wrong with adding your favorite herbs and spices. It truly depends on the flavor profile you're seeking, the longer the onions pickle, the more in depth the flavor becomes.

    Pickled Red Onion Pinterest Pin

    Here are a few ways you can add additional ingredients to enhance the flavor.

    • The garlic in my recipe is optional. Omit it and you'll have a more traditional flavor profile of pickled red onions. By the same token leaving it in, provides a slight aromatic garlic flavor that's delicious.
    • Black peppercorns is an optional ingredient too. This just provides a slight peppery note to the onions that pair well if you're looking for a hint of spice. As a matter of fact, crushed red pepper could work great!
    • Dried Herbs such as rosemary, dill seed, basil, cilantro, bay leaf, mustard seed and practically mosts dried herbs will work with this recipe. It really provides the strong pickled flavor your taste buds are accustomed to.
    • Add fresh lemon or lime juice! While I haven't tried this variation yet, I've had several friends rave about adding particularly lime juice. This addition is more traditional for mexican inspired pickled red onions but I'm certain it tastes amazing!
    • Different types of vinegar! Get festive and try different variations of vinegar. While this recipe calls for apple cider vinegar, try rice wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar. I'm certain they all provide an excellent flavor profile!
    Pickled Red Onions Ingredients

    HOW TO STORE PICKLED RED ONIONS

    Pickled red onions are best stored in an airtight container. Such as the suggested items below.

    • Mason jar with attached lid.
    • Mason jar with pickling lid and screw cap.
    • Old glass jars with lids that seal tightly.
    • Tupperware that is glass or ceramic with a tight lid.
    Pickled Red Onions Storage

    HOW TO MAKE THE BEST TANGY PICKLED RED ONION

    First, start with a red onion. For this recipe I used a small red onion based off the size of my mason jar. At the same time, thinly slice the onion into small ringlets or cut in half depending on the size of your jar. Next, place sliced onions to the side and begin prepping your hot water.

    Close Up Pickled Red Onion

    At this instant, determine if you'll heat the water by boiling it on the stove or microwaving it. In either case, the water needs to be piping (almost boiling) hot. After the water is to temperature, add the sugar and salt and stir until dissolved.

    As soon as the vinegar solution is dissolved, place the red onions in the desired container of your choice. To point out, I used a small glass mason jar with an attached lid. Next, pour the vinegar solution over the raw red onions pouring until the onions are completely emerged in the solution.

    Then top with fresh garlic slices and black peppercorns closing the lid tightly. At this moment, gently shake the mason jar to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the jar.

    Finally, allow the red onions to pickle (and come to room temperature) for at least 20-30 minutes and for best results, let pickle overnight. It's important to note, these pickled red onions get better with time.

    Pickled Red Onion with Fork

    HOW LONG CAN PICKLED RED ONIONS BE STORED?

    It's important to note that you should allow the pickled red onions to come to room temperature before storing them in the fridge. Once they are cool and ready to be refrigerated, keep these important notes in mind!

    • Pickled red onions have a shelf life (stored in the fridge) for 2-3 weeks.
    • Best served the first week when they are fresh. I promise they'll only last about a week anyway!
    • If the onions begin to have a "bad" smell or become bubbly, discard them and make a new batch.

    If you enjoy this recipe, please leave me a rating and comment below! I love connecting with you, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

    Pickled Red Onion Recipe Video
    Pickled Red Onions in a small mason jar with latched lid. Jar is sitting on top of a brown small butting board with a sliced onion in half for aesthetic purposes. Hand is present holding a fork, lifting some of the pickled red onions out of the jar to show the finished product.

    The Best Tangy Pickled Red Onions

    Carita
    Looking for the ultimate tasty topping to your avocado toast or tacos? The Best Tangy Pickled Red Onions recipe is here and comes together in minutes with minimal work. With just a handful ingredients, you'll have tangy, tart aromatic pickled red onions in minutes!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 people

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 small Red Onion thinly sliced
    • 1 cup Hot Water
    • ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
    • 1 clove Fresh Garlic thinly sliced
    • 1 tablespoon Sugar
    • 1.5 teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Black Peppercorn

    Instructions
     

    • First, start with a red onion. Thinly slice the onion into small ringlets or cut in half depending on the size of your jar.
    • At this instant, determine if you'll heat the water by boiling it on the stove or microwaving it. In either case bring water to a slow boil.
    • After the water is to temperature, add the vinegar, sugar and salt and stir until dissolved.
    • As soon as the vinegar solution is dissolved, place the red onions in the desired container of your choice.
    • Next, pour the vinegar solution over the raw red onions pouring until the onions are completely emerged in the solution.
    • Then top with fresh garlic slices and black peppercorns closing the lid tightly.
    • Gently shake the mason jar to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the jar.
    • Finally, allow the red onions to pickle (and come to room temperature) for at least 20-30 minutes and for best results, let pickle overnight.
    • Enjoy!
    Keyword pickled red onion

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Connie Mathis says

      February 10, 2021 at 5:41 pm

      5 stars
      Love your pickled onion recipe. It's great with so many things. However, I can just eat it.

      Reply
      • Carita says

        February 15, 2021 at 11:37 am

        They are so good and such a fun and healthy topping to most foods!

        Reply
    2. Brittany N. says

      March 21, 2021 at 5:28 pm

      Your pickled onion recipe has become apart of my Sunday afternoon prep for the week routine! I LOVE to pair it with sliced salmon, jalapeño cream cheese spread on a bagel with a few capers for breakfast. It’s a must have for my husband and I!

      Reply
      • Carita says

        May 12, 2021 at 11:27 am

        Wow!This sounds absolutely delish! I'm so glad you enjoy the pickled onions as much as I do!

        Reply
    3. Brittany N says

      March 21, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      5 stars
      Five stars for sure!

      Reply
      • Carita says

        May 12, 2021 at 11:26 am

        Thank you Brittany! xoxo

        Reply
    4. jasa desain katalog says

      March 14, 2022 at 4:31 am

      order that I could subscribe.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Carita a true southern girl at heart. My love for cooking started as a child watching my grandmothers cook with such ease in the kitchen. Creating delicious meals doesn't always require hours in the kitchen. I have taken all that I've learned and work to develop simplified versions of staple recipes for you to share with family and friends!

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