Quick Pickled Red Onions: A Simple Way to Use Up Your Onion Harvest

If your garden (or root cellar) is stocked with red onions right now, pickling them is one of the easiest ways to turn a humble bulb into something that makes every meal better. These quick pickled red onions come together in under 20 minutes, keep for weeks in the fridge, and add a bright, tangy crunch to eggs, sandwiches, tacos, salads, and just about anything else that could use a little acidity.

Unlike a lot of store-bought pickled onions, which lean heavily on refined sugar, this version uses a light touch of sweetness balanced with warm pickling spices: so you get that classic sweet-tangy flavor without loading up on sugar. It’s a great homestead staple to always have a jar of in the fridge.

I love making pickled foods to preserve the garden harvest. Here are a few other of my favorite recipes:

• How to Make Pickled Garlic Scapes
• How to Make Pickled Shredded Carrots
• How to Make Fresh Pickled Food
• How to Make Pickled Bean Sprouts (or Dua Gia)

Why Homemade Pickled Onions Are Worth Making

Pickled onions are a “quick pickle” rather than a true fermented or canned pickle: there’s no lengthy fermentation and no pressure canner required. That makes them approachable even if you’ve never pickled anything before. They’re also incredibly forgiving: slice the onions a little thicker or thinner, swap the spice blend, or adjust the sweetness, and they’ll still turn out great.

What You’ll Need

• Red onions, thinly sliced (white onions work too, though red holds its color best)
• Apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
• A sweetener of your choice (granulated allulose keeps this low-glycemic, but regular sugar or honey works fine too)
• Whole spices: cloves, allspice berries, black peppercorns, bay leaves, a cinnamon stick, star anise, and a pinch of Aleppo pepper (or crushed red pepper flakes)
• A non-reactive pot (stainless steel or enamel: avoid plain aluminum, which reacts with vinegar)
• Clean mason jars

How to Make Them

Build the brine. Combine your vinegar, sweetener, and all the whole spices in a large, non-reactive pot. Bring it to a boil, then drop to a simmer for a few minutes. Cover the pot, take it off the heat, and let the spices steep for about 10 minutes so the brine picks up their flavor.

Prep the onions. While the brine steeps, peel your onions, trim the ends, and slice them into thin rounds — about 1/4 inch is a good target. A mandolin or food processor makes quick work of this if you’re pickling a big batch.

Combine and steep. Bring the brine back to a boil, then turn off the heat and stir in the sliced onions, making sure they’re fully submerged. Cover the pot and let everything cool together — this resting time is what gives the onions their color and flavor, so don’t rush it.

Jar and chill. Once cooled, pack the onions and brine into mason jars and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating. They’ll keep in the fridge for about three weeks (these are a refrigerator pickle, not a shelf-stable canned product, so freezing isn’t recommended).

Tips for Success

• Slice the onions as evenly as possible so they pickle at the same rate.
• If you want a milder onion flavor, blanch the slices in boiling water for 30 seconds before adding them to the brine.
• Feel free to add a clove or two of garlic or a dash of hot sauce to the jar for extra kick.
• Doubling the recipe is easy — just make sure your pot and jars have enough room.

Once you’ve got a jar of these going, you’ll probably find reasons to put them on everything from breakfast eggs to grilled meat to a simple green salad.

Pickled Red Onion Recipe

Pickled Red Onions

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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 cups apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
• 1.5 cups granulated sweetener allulose, sugar, or honey
• 4 whole cloves
• 4 allspice berries
• 4 black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick smashed
• 1 star anise pod
• 0.5 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pounds red onions sliced thin

Method

 

1. Combine brine ingredients: In a large, non-reactive pot, combine 3 cups apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar, 1.5 cups granulated sweetener (allulose, sugar, or honey), 4 whole cloves, 4 allspice berries, 4 black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, smashed, 1 star anise pod, and 0.5 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
2. Simmer and infuse: Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes . Cover, remove from heat, and let the spices steep.
3. Slice the onions: While the brine steeps, peel and trim 1 pounds red onions, sliced thin, then slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Discard any leathery outer rings.
4. Add the onions: Bring the brine back to a boil, then turn off the heat and stir in the sliced onions until fully coated and submerged.
5. Let cool: Cover the pot and let the onions and brine cool together completely — this is where the color and flavor develop.
6. Jar and chill: Transfer the onions and brine to mason jars and refrigerate for at least a few days before serving.

Notes

Makes about 2 pints. Doubling the recipe yields roughly 3 one-quart jars. This is a refrigerator pickle, not a shelf-stable canned product — store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks and skip the freezer.