Pickled onions are super Fast and easy Just to make with 4 ingredients. They are such a beautiful color, they are tangy, sweet, and crunchy. This delicious spice will enhance any dish. Use them on sandwiches, avocado toast, salads, soups, nachos, burgers, tacos, grain bowls, or eat them straight from the jar. Yum!
As a vegan recipe writer with 2 bestselling cookbooks, I’m often asked what my favorite vegetable is. I always have the same answer: onions! Almost all of my savory recipes call for onions, whether they’re sauteed with garlic, thinly sliced raw, or in the form of onion powder.
Onions can also be the star of the show, like in my Vegan Caramelized Onion Dip, Vegan Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Grilled Cheese Sandwich, or Vegan Sour Cream and Onion Popcorn Seasoning. I have recipes for “Caramelized Onion Pizza to Die For” and “Love Letter French Onion Soup” in my cookbook Fuss-Free Vegan. You will find the recipe for “Cheater Caramelized Onion Pasta” in my cookbook Fast Easy Cheap Vegan. meet? I really like onions.
Onion pickles are another great way to enjoy this superstar veggie. You’ll find that many restaurants use pickled onions in their dishes because they add such a great pop of color and flavor to any dish that you add too!
The instructions for this pickled onion recipe are very simple, made with just red onion, rice vinegar, water and salt. Soak the onions for an hour and they are ready to eat. The acidity of the vinegar mixture helps soften the onion and infuse the flavor. You can add other seasonings and spices to the pickling liquid to enhance the taste. (I’ve included a list of optional spices in the recipe).
I like to use seasoned rice vinegar because I think it has the best flavor. If you don’t have seasoned rice vinegar, add equal parts unseasoned rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar and an additional 1-2 tablespoons of sweetener such as agave, maple syrup, or white sugar.
This pickled red onion recipe is a great way to use up any leftover red onions you have lying around. Instead of letting half the onion go to waste, slice it and pickle it. You can easily halve this recipe to make a mini batch or double it to make several jars worth.
How to make the best pickled onion recipe:
Thinly slice the red onion. You can use a mandolin for this if you want, but I usually use a sharp knife.
Pack the onion slices into a 16 oz/ 1-pint mason jar (or several smaller jars). Add any of the optional spices if desired.
In a microwave-safe dish, combine the vinegar, water, and salt. Heat in microwave until mixture is hot and steaming, 1 – 2 minutes. Or if preferred, bring the mixture to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the vinegar mixture over the onions until the onions are covered, squeezing the onions if necessary. If the vinegar doesn’t cover the top of the onion, add more water. If there is more room in the jar, feel free to add some more onion slices.
Allow the jars to cool then store in the refrigerator. Pickle the onion and it will be ready to eat within 1 hour. They will keep fresh for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
Suggestion: Once you have eaten all the pickled onions, you can save the leftover brine and either use it in sauces and dressings. Or you can use it to make another batch of pickled onions. Drain off any bits, reheat the liquid in a pot in the microwave or on the stove, and refill the jar with fresh onion slices.
This quick pickled red onion is…
- Super easy to make
- tangy, sweet, and crisp
- A beautiful garnish to use in many dishes
- A great housewarming gift idea
What to serve with pickled onions:
Garnish with homemade hummus
Make homemade bagels and spread with vegan cream cheese or avocado and top with pickled onions.
Top Loaded Vegan Nachos or Healthy Version Cauliflower Nachos
Layer them on a sandwich with homemade vegan deli slices
Add them to your veggie burger
Layer them on jackfruit tacos or tofu tacos
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it and don’t forget to tag @itdoesnttastelike chicken on Instagram.
Hungry!
Sam Turnbull.
Print recipe
Best Homemade Pickled Onions
Pickled Onions are super quick and easy to make with just 4 ingredients. They are such a beautiful color, they are tangy, sweet, and crunchy. This delicious spice will enhance any dish. Use them on sandwiches, avocado toast, salads, soups, nachos, burgers, tacos, grain bowls, or eat them straight from the jar. Yum!
Serving: 12
Calories: 7kcal
Materials
For Pickled Onions:
- 1 big red onion thinly sliced
- 1 the cup Seasoned rice vinegar (see note for options)
- 1 the cup the water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Optional Add-ins (choose 1 – 3 options if desired):
- ¼ teaspoon Whole black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Whole fennel seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed red chili flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 cloves garlic peeling
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instructions
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Pack the onion slices into a 16 oz/ 1-pint jar (or several smaller jars). Add any of the optional spices if desired.
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In a microwave-safe dish, combine the vinegar, water, and salt. Heat in microwave until mixture is hot and steaming, 1 – 2 minutes. Or if preferred, bring mixture to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the mixture over the onions until the onions are covered, pressing the onions down if necessary. If the vinegar doesn’t cover the top of the onion, add more water. If there is more room in the jar, feel free to add some more onion slices.
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Allow the jars to cool then store in the refrigerator. Pickle the onion and it will be ready to eat within 1 hour. They will keep fresh for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
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Suggestion: Once you have eaten all the pickled onions, you can save the leftover brine and either use it in sauces and dressings. Or you can use it to make another batch of pickled onions. Drain off any bits, reheat the liquid in a pot in the microwave or on the stove, and refill the jar with fresh onion slices.
Comment
Rice Vinegar Substitutes: If you don’t have seasoned rice vinegar, add an equal amount of unseasoned rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar and an additional 1 – 2 tablespoons of a sweetener such as agave, maple syrup, or white sugar.
nutrition
Worship: 1Servings (recipe makes 12 servings) | Calories: 7kcal | Sugars: 1g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.01g | Saturated Fat: 0.004g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.002g | Monounsaturated fats: 0.001g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 0.2IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.03mg