Pickled Red Onions (30 Minutes!)

Pickled Red Onions Are A Must-Try!

Let me tell you why I always have a jar of these in my fridge and have them almost every day, with every meal (I’m not even ashamed!):

• Easy: This is a simple pickled red onions recipe that require no special skills. It’s perfect for beginners and it’ll transform your meals!
• Quick: Similar to my sumac onion, you only need 5 minutes active time, and then about 20 minutes for the brine to be ready.
• Goes with everything: You can add these to almost any dish, from wraps and sandwiches to rice bowls and salads, these pickled onions always elevate the dish!

Ingredients

• Red onions: Make sure the red onions are crisp and not soft on the outside. You need to peel them and remove the outer layer.
• Vinegar: The best thing about these pickled onions is that you can use different types of vinegar. I have tried this recipe with apple cider vinegar as well as white vinegar and both work for this recipe.
• Salt: Kosher salt works best for this recipe.
• Sweetener: I used granulated sugar for this recipe, but cane sugar, honey or maple syrup work as well.
• Water: The brine is made with a combination of water and vinegar. If the onions have a big kick, soak them in ice water for 10 minutes.

How To Make Pickled Red Onions

1. Thinly slice the onion using a sharp knife or a mandoline and place them in one or two jars.
2. Place the vinegar, salt, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring it to a simmer and let it cook for 5 minutes.
3. Turn the heat off and let the brine sit for 10 minutes.
4. Pour the brine over the onions. Make sure that the onions are completely submerged. If they’re almost submerged, then just add a bit of water. If not, make more brine.
5. Let them sit on the counter for about an hours so the mixture is completely cooled down. You can either serve them at this point or refrigerate them until you’re ready o serve.

Jazz Up These Pickled Onions!

• Use different types of vinegar including rice vinegar, white vinegar and red wine vinegar.
• Use whole spices such as peppercorn, coriander and cumin seeds.
• Add a couple of bay leaves or a few cloves of garlic for more flavor.
• You can use more or less sweetener to play with the flavors.

What Are Pickled Red Onions Good For?

You can add these to many dishes, here are a few of our favorites:

• Use in salads: You can add these pickled red onions to salads such as chicken shawarma salad, kisir or Mediterranean tuna salad.
• Serve with grilled dishes: Serve with our famous spatchcock chicken, chenjeh kabob, grilled salmon or grilled branzino.
• Sandwiches and wraps: Add pickled red onions to sandwiches and wraps such as avocado caprese sandwich, steak sandwich, grilled chicken sandwich, arayes or roast beef sliders.
• And many more dishes: Pickled red onions go well with rice dishes such as Middle Eastern chicken and rice, salmon rice bowls and hashweh.

Storage

Keep the pickled red onions in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. I don’t recommend freezing these pickles since they will lose their flavor and texture.

Commonly Asked Questions