Pickled Onions

This quick Pickled Red Onions recipe is an easy way to make delicious pickled onions to serve with sandwiches, wraps, tacos and more! Easy to make in minutes!

 

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

We love a good homemade condiment here at The Busy Baker and these Pickled Onions have found a permanent place in our fridge – for good reason! They’re super easy to throw together in minutes, they last for weeks in the fridge, and they’re the perfect healthy addition to wraps, sandwiches, burgers, tacos and even salads. We reach for these quick pickled red onions at least once a day and we can’t stop making them. We know you’ll love them too!

Pickled onions are a popular condiment these days, especially picked red onions. Their sharp flavour is a great contrast to creamy, heavy or spicy foods, and their bright purple colour adds a gorgeous appearance to all kinds of dishes.

Pickled onions are often made with a quick preserving method, making them safe for the fridge for several weeks but not shelf stable.

With the rising popularity of fermented and pickled foods, thanks to their health benefits, it seems everyone is looking for pickled or fermented dishes these days. These quick pickled red onions are a healthy option for several reasons:

First, they’re low in fat and calories and contain no refined sugar, making them a great way to add flavour to your meals without increasing your caloric intake or your intake of carbohydrates.

Second, the vinegar-based brine acts as a natural preservative and it can also provide digestive and gut-health benefits.

We love enjoying this pickled onion recipe with so many different meals! Here’s a list of dishes we frequently enjoy with our favourite pickled onions!

• Veggie Burgers
• Power Bowl
• Easy Korean Beef Rice Bowls
• Greek-Style Turkey Burgers
• Easy Homemade Ramen Bowls
• Easy Juicy Homemade Burgers
• Vegetarian Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
• Air Fryer Burgers
• Low Carb Chicken Shawarma Bowls
• Greek-Style Quinoa Burgers
• Grilled Turkey Burgers with Spinach and Sriracha Mayo
• Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowls

Here’s a list of our favourite tips and tricks for making the BEST pickled onions at home!

Use a sharp knife or even a mandolin slicer to get thin, even slices. Thin slices pickle more quickly and evenly, and they’re easier to serve than thickly sliced ones.

If your pickling liquid isn’t acidic enough, your onions are going to be soggy and mushy. Well pickled onions still have a little crunch to them.

Enhance the pickling liquid with flavourings like garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves, for lots of added flavour. Depending on your preference, you can adjust the amounts of maple syrup and salt. Some like their pickled onions tangier, while others prefer a sweeter touch.

Even though you can technically eat them after a few hours, letting the onions marinate in the fridge for at least a day deepens the flavours.

Keep the pickled onions in a jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator. They usually last for 2-3 weeks.

Here’s some common issues you might encounter when making this pickled onion recipe and how to fix & prevent them!

If this is the case, it’s likely your pickling liquid wasn’t acidic enough. Be sure to use pickling vinegar, not wine vinegar for this recipe.

If the vinegar taste is too strong, try reducing the vinegar and adding water or a milder vinegar to the pickling solution. You can also increase the maple syrup amount slightly.

This could happen if the pickling liquid wasn’t properly heated before adding the onions or if mineral-rich tap water was used. To avoid this, make sure to dissolve the maple syrup and salt completely and consider using filtered water.

Ensure the onion slices are uniformly thin and fully submerged in the pickling liquid for even pickling.

Here’s a list of the basic kitchen equipment to have on hand when making homemade pickled onions (paid links):

• Cutting Board
• large knife
• Mason Jar
• Reusable Mason Jar Lid (we also love these colourful ones!)
• small pot

Here’s a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this quick pickled red onion recipe (paid links):

• 1 large red onion or 2 small ones
• 2/3 cup boiling water
• 2/3 cup pickling vinegar
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf optional
• 1 clove garlic thinly sliced

The type of vinegar used when making pickled onions makes a big difference in the taste of the pickled red onions once they’re ready to enjoy. While white vinegar is called for in some recipes, we recommend using a combination of pickling vinegar and apple cider vinegar for the perfect flavour balance.

White vinegar is typically made from grain alcohol and has a clear, sharp flavour with approximately a 5-7% acidity. It’s a versatile choice for cooking and pickling due to its neutral taste.

Pickling vinegar usually has a higher acidity content than white vinegar, around 6-7% or even higher (up to 10%). It’s specifically designed for preserving foods to ensure safety and longevity, making it ideal for pickling, of course!

We hope you love this quick pickled red onion recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, how would you enjoy pickled onions? We’d love to know!

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