Pickled red onions are the condiment of your dreams! Easy to make and the perfect flavor addition to any bbq, salad, sandwich or even a lox and bagel brunch platter.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases. Your price is never affected.
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe!
- Versatile: use these pickled red onions to brighten up any bowl, sandwich, salad, taco, sausage, quiche, frittata, and so much more.
- Quick: while these continue to improve over the first 24 hours, they're ready to go in just an hour or two. And it takes just minutes to start a jar.
- Alternative to raw onions: I'm not a huge raw onion fan, even in a traditional bagels and lox spread where you almost always see raw red onion. So I've added pickled red onions to a spread and people love them!
- Hard to find in stores: occasionally I see a jar (who knows how old) on a grocery store shelf but more often than not, you don't see pickled red onion in the condiment aisle. So make them at home - they are a game-changing addition to your flavor shelves in the refrigerator!
- Pizzaz: like I said about my everything bagel seasoning recipe - these onions add excitement to your food at a very low cost and with very little effort to prep.
Ingredients and substitutions
Very simple ingredients - if you have a red onion, salt, sugar and vinegar - you can make this pickled red onion recipe!
- Rice vinegar: I like to use rice vinegar but red wine vinegar (extra color!) and white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar would all be great choices!
- Kosher salt: I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for consistency. If you use a "saltier" salt like Morton's Kosher or even table salt (no!!!) - use less because you don't want these to taste salty.
- Thyme: this is optional - if you don't have any, make this anyhow. It's a nice extra subtle flavor but you'll love the onions without thyme too. Or throw in a little dried thyme. Just remember that dried herbs have concentrated flavor so use less.
- Black peppercorns: optional also - but as mentioned above for thyme, it's a nice addition if you have them. They'll impart flavor over time.
Let's make pickled red onions step-by-step!
(Printable recipe card is at the end of the post with ingredients, measurements and step-by-step instructions. This section includes more and larger pictures and high level explanations of the process.)
Jump to RecipeFour mandatory ingredients, two optional ones, and no more than 10 minutes of prep time and you're onions will be pickling!
- First use a sharp knife (the one pictured is a Japanese one that I husband bought for me that has OMG! Oishi (yummy) engraved on it 😍). Yes he spoils me on occasion.
- Separate out the moons of onion into individual pieces.
- Stuff them into a very clean glass jar (run it through the dishwasher or under very hot water). Put in more than you think you can fit - they will reduce down in size after you add the liquid.
- Make your pickling liquid by placing the vinegar, sugar, salt, optional thyme and peppercorns in a bowl or measuring cup. Microwave it for about 60 seconds to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour it over the onions in the jar. With a clean utensil or clean hands squish down the onions and shove those thyme sprigs and peppercorns in there if using.
- Let the jar sit at room temperature for an hour or two - I pick it up and shake it every now and then. You'll see the transformation happen quickly from raw to pickled!
Email this recipe to me!
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Refrigerate after an hour or two. Should keep for at least 2-3 weeks in the fridge but they won't last that long!
Beth's expert tips and recipe FAQs
- Make these often - the people you feed will thank you!
- Want to use them almost immediately? Even 15 minutes will start these well on their way to pickling perfection. And they'll just continue getting better.
- Play with the flavors you add - rosemary instead of thyme, for example. Or just stick with the basics - red onion, vinegar, sugar, salt.
The acidity of the vinegar is important to the pickling process so be careful with a sweeter vinegar like balsamic that might be low in acid. White wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, and apple cider vinegar are good options.
The sugar is not crucial to the pickling process for safety but does provide a nice contrast to the acid and salt. It mellows the overall flavor in a gentle way. But if sugar is a problem, absolutely try this pickled red onions recipe without it. It will still work.
So many options! Oregano, spicy red pepper, citrus of some sort, perhaps some cumin or coriander. Think about what you might be serving them with and play around with flavors that will compliment those dishes.
Great ways to use pickled red onions:
I guess it would be too easy to say "on anything savory" so here are a few specific ideas from my blog and others!
Try my pickled red onions on Jenni's epic onion burger!
Or on Cheryl's hatch chili burger.
I also suggest trying these onions on Shockingly Delicious' Orange Citrus salad — she lost her home in the fires in early 2025 and visiting her blog is a way to support her and her family! And yes citrus and red onion is shockingly delicious!
Make a jar today and you're ready to add pizazz to everything you cook!
Buy my cookbook now!
P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or a review in the comment section below. I so appreciate your feedback! AND find more inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Signup for my email list, too!
Pickled Red Onions
Beth LeeIngredients
- 1 medium red onion about ½ pound
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 10 peppercorns optional
- 3 thyme sprigs optional
Instructions
- Slice one medium red onion thinly. Separate the onion slices into individual pieces. Place onion in a jar or glass container. It’s ok if the sliced onion fills the container, they will reduce in size by half once they begin pickling.
- Heat vinegar with salt and sugar and thyme and peppercorns for 60 seconds in microwave to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour over the onions, mix well and let sit at room temp. Initially, the liquid won’t cover the onions but the onions flatten down and the liquid amount is perfect.
- Refrigerate after letting them sit out for a half hour to an hour. Shake several times as well.
- Will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
Notes
- Make these often - the people you feed will thank you!
- Want to use them almost immediately? Even 15 minutes will start these well on their way to pickling perfection. And they'll just continue getting better.
- Play with the flavors you add - rosemary instead of thyme, for example. Or just stick with the basics - red onion, vinegar, sugar, salt.
Nutrition
Enjoyed this post?
Sign up for my email list.
Hi! I'm Beth
Cookbook author, cooking teacher, preserved lemon lover. My family is a mix of Jewish, Hawaiian and Korean heritage. My virtual multicultural kitchen is always open.
Leave a Reply