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pickled red onions in a jar.
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Pickled Red Onions (Better Than Store-bought)

Quick pickled red onions made with two vinegars, garlic, and peppercorns. Ready in an hour and good for up to three weeks in the fridge. Great on tacos, burgers, sandwiches, eggs, and grain bowls.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Cooling Time5 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: condiment
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Skill Level: Beginner
Servings: 8
Author: Rena Awada

Ingredients

  • 1 large red onion or 2 small red, peels and either sliced or cut into rounds.
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1½ cups white vinegar or 1 cup apple cider vinegar * See notes
  • 2 tablespoons sugar or cane sugar
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon mixed peppercorns divided
  • 2 bay leaves

Optional:

  • 2 garlic cloves

Instructions

  • In a Medium saucepan over medium heat, add the 1½ cups white vinegar, 1½ cups water, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt.  Mix and let it boil for a couple of minutes or until the sugar has completely dissolved.
    mixing the water vinegar and sugar in a pot and heating it up.
  • Set the pot aside for a couple of minutes to cool off while you slice the 1 large red onion.
  • Using a sharp chef’s knife or a mandolin slicer, thinly slice the onions either long ways or into rounds.
    sliced red onion in rounds on a cutting board.
  • Divide the onions into two 16-oz mason jars. Add the 2 bay leaves and 1 teaspoon mixed peppercorns. If you are going to use the 2 garlic cloves, add one to each jar.
    adding peppercorns in the jar with the sliced red onions.
  • Pour the liquid over the onions into the mason jars equally until the onions are covered.
    adding the brine into the jar with onions.
  • Set the mason jars aside uncovered to cool completely close the lid and then transfer them to the fridge for at least an hour or overnight. Good for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
    a jar with red onions and brine to be placed in the fridge.

Notes

    • For the vinegar: You can do a mix. Use 0.5 cups white vinegar and 0.5 cups apple cider vinegar
    • Slice the onions thin. The thinner the onion, the faster it pickles and the better the texture. A mandoline on the thinnest setting is ideal.
    • You can swap in red wine vinegar for the white vinegar if you want a deeper, slightly more robust flavor.
    • Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dried chili to the jar if you want a little heat.
    • These go well on tacos, burgers, grain bowls, eggs, sandwiches, and salads. Once you have a jar in the fridge you will start putting them on everything.
      .

Nutrition

Calories: 28kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.05g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 876mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.1mg