I’m not exaggerating when I say that these quick-pickled red onions are the best! They’re sweet, vinegary, slightly salty, and pack a lot more flavor than your average pickled veggie.
Plus, these sweet pickled onions go well with everything, case in point, this avocado toast.
But What Even is Quick-Pickling?
Before we dive into the recipe, I did want to give you a quick debrief on quick pickling.
So quick-pickling refers to jarred veggies in a liquid brine solution that uses some sort of acid (vinegar, lemon juice, etc.), water, sugar, and salt. Usually, the veggies are ready to enjoy within 1 hour, but as with most things, pickled veggies taste best the next day and even better as they age.
Quick note, you can use the technique for these pickled onions for almost any type of veggie; like cucumbers, carrots, radishes, beets, etc.
What You’ll Need for These Quick Pickled Onions
Here’s everything you’ll need for these quick-pickled red onions.
- Red onions or sweet white onions: The best onions for pickling are red onions, but sweet white onions also taste great.
- White vinegar (distilled): Feel free to use any acid, such as apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, rice vinegar, or red wine vinegar.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Honey or maple syrup
- Fresh garlic
- Spices: Including dried oregano and black pepper.
- Kosher salt
Quick Tips
- Thinly slice the onions. Not only do thinly sliced onions taste better, but they also speed up the time in which the onions pickle. And yes, they’re just as crunchy as thicker onion slices.
- Throw in extra flavor agents into the pickled onions. If you like a nice spicy kick, add some thinly sliced jalapeno pepper or red pepper flakes. I love throwing in some dill and parsley for some freshness!
- Store the pickled onions in a glass jar. For presentation, and so you can see the onions better, I took photos of the pickled onions in a bowl. But please store the onions in a glass jar. It’s the perfect-sized container to ensure the onions are submerged in the brine solution. Plus, I don’t recommend pouring hot liquid into a plastic container.
Serving & Storing Suggestions
I love adding a handful of pickled onions onto my avocado toast; they make it more filling and substantial, kind of like an open-faced sandwich. Speaking of avocado toast, my go-to combo is sourdough bread, with a generous layer of pesto, mashed avocado, pickled onions, and microgreens, finished with flaky salt and black pepper. It’s an elite combo!
Beyond serving these quick-pickled red onions on toast, they also taste great in salads, wraps, grain bowls, etc. Onions really do go well with pretty much everything!
Regarding storage, these pickled onions will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month, but they taste best within 1 week, after that, they start to lose their crispness.
FAQ’s
- How long do these quick-pickled onions need to marinate? The onions are ready to eat as soon as the brine solution has cooled (about 1 hour), but the flavor will continue to improve the longer the onions sit. I recommend letting the onions sit overnight for best results! If you’re in a rush, thinly slice the onion (I’m talking translucent thinness) and the onions will pickle in about an hour as opposed to overnight for a thicker-cut onion.
- Do I have to use red onions for this recipe? While I love using red onions for this recipe, you can use any type of onion you have on hand. But red onions will always be the top choice because of their beautiful pink color.
- Do I need to store the onions in the brine? Store the pickled red onions directly in the brine solution as it’ll preserve the onions and help build flavor as they sit.
Happy pickling!
Print
Quick Pickled Red Onions
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinate Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Description
I’m not exaggerating when I say that these quick-pickled red onions are the best! They’re sweet, vinegary, slightly salty, and pack a lot more flavor than your average pickled veggie.
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tbsp olive oil (optional)
- 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp oregano, dried (optional)
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Thinly slice the red onion and garlic, and add to a large glass mason jar. You can also use a mandoline to help get even-sized onion slices.
- In a simmer pot, pour in the vinegar, water, olive oil, honey, kosher salt, oregano, and black pepper. Place on the stove, and heat on medium-high heat until the mixture starts to froth and foam. Pour the pickled solution over the jar of onions and garlic and stir around as much as you can to distribute the brine solution. Screw the jar lid on tight.
- Let the onions sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until the brine solution has cooled completely before enjoying, but they taste best overnight. They’ll keep well in the fridge in an airtight glass jar for up to 1 month, but taste best within 1 week as they start to lose their crispness.
Why the oil?
Helps enhance the flavor of the brine, but you could leave it out if you prefer.