RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
Pantry Staples

Quick-Pickled Red Onions

Thin slices of red onion covered in a hot brine of red wine vinegar, water, and salt, ready in half an hour and bright pink by the next day.

Why you'll love Quick-Pickled Red Onions

Quick-pickled onions are the topping that makes a bowl, a salad, or a lettuce-wrapped taco taste finished. A red onion sliced thin and covered in hot vinegar brine turns crisp, tangy, and bright pink, and its raw bite softens into something milder that goes with almost everything.

The brine is vinegar, water, and salt, and the onion's own natural sweetness balances the sharpness. Pouring the brine in hot helps the salt dissolve and lets the vinegar soak in faster, so the onions are ready in 30 minutes and get better over the next day as their color moves into the brine.

Keep a jar in the refrigerator for grilled lamb, lamb kofta, bowls with avocado and greens, eggs, and anything rich that wants something sharp beside it.

Quick overview: This Quick-Pickled Red Onions takes 10 min of hands-on time and about 45 min in all and makes 12 servings, each 2 tablespoons. You'll need a saucepan.

Jump to recipe

Bright pink quick-pickled red onions in a glass jar
Prep 10 minCook 5 minChill 30 minTotal 45 minServes 12Serving 2 tablespoonsYou'll need Saucepan

Ingredients

  • 1 large red onion
  • 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns (optional)

Instructions

  1. Slice the onion: Halve the onion through the root, peel it, and slice it into thin half-moons about 1/8 inch thick. Even slices pickle at the same pace.
  2. Pack the jar: Pack the onion into a clean 1-pint jar with the peppercorns, if using.
  3. Heat the brine: Heat the vinegar, water, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until the salt dissolves and the brine just reaches a simmer, about 3 minutes.
  4. Pour and press: Pour the hot brine over the onion and press the slices down with a spoon so they are completely covered. They soften slightly in the heat and settle into the jar.
  5. Cool and chill: Let the jar cool, uncovered, for 30 minutes, then cover it and refrigerate it. The onions are ready to eat once cool and turn fully pink and tangy after a few hours.

Storage and leftovers

Keep the onions covered and submerged in their brine in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Use a clean fork to take them out. They soften a little more each day.

Variations

  • Lime and oregano: Use 3/4 cup fresh lime juice in place of the vinegar and add 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, for the onions served with tacos in Mexico. Keep them up to 1 week.
  • Spiced: Add a bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds to the jar with the onion.
  • With jalapeño: Add 1 thinly sliced jalapeño to the jar for heat.
  • A rounder brine: If you like a little sweetness, stir 1 to 2 teaspoons allulose into the brine with the salt.

Notes and tips

  • Use apple cider vinegar for a milder pickle: Apple cider vinegar works in place of red wine vinegar and gives a softer, fruitier tang.
  • Slice thin: A mandoline or a sharp knife and a steady hand gives slices thin enough to pickle quickly and stay crisp.
  • Make fresh brine each time: Use the leftover brine in a vinaigrette within the 2 weeks, and start each new batch of onions with fresh brine, since the first batch dilutes the vinegar.
  • Use a glass jar: Glass holds up to hot brine and vinegar, and you can watch the color turn.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Red onions get their color from anthocyanins, the same pigments in red cabbage and berries, and the vinegar turns them from purple to bright pink.
  • Onions bring fiber and a sharp flavor that mellows in the brine, so a spoonful lifts a rich dish without any added sugar.
  • Vinegar's tang cuts through fat, which is why a few pickled onions make lamb, eggs, and avocado taste lighter.
  • As you eat, notice how the sharp, cold onion changes a rich bite of lamb or a creamy spoonful of avocado, and pay attention to how that contrast keeps each bite tasting fresh to the end of the meal.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Quick-Pickled Red Onions? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Do they need sugar?

The onion has natural sweetness of its own, and the vinegar's sharpness mellows as they sit. For a rounder taste, add a little allulose to the brine.

How soon can I eat them?

In 30 minutes, once they have cooled. They are pinker and more tangy after a few hours in the refrigerator.

Can I use white or yellow onions?

Yes. They pickle the same way and taste similar, but they stay pale instead of turning pink.

What do I put them on?

Cumin-spiced lamb kofta, bowls of greens and avocado, salads, eggs, grilled meat, and fish or carnitas-style pork wrapped in lettuce.

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Tags: Pantry Staples, American, Dairy-Free