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 tasty condiment will elevate any dish. Use them on sandwiches, avocado toast, salads, soups, nachos, burgers, tacos, grain bowls, or just eat them straight from the jar. Yum!
As a vegan recipe writer with 2 bestselling cookbooks, I often get asked what my favorite vegetable is. I always have the same answer: onions! Almost all of my savory recipes call for onions, whether they are sautéd with garlic, thinly sliced raw, or in the form of onion powder.
Onions can also be the star of the show such as in my Vegan Caramelized Onion Dip, Vegan Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Grilled Cheese Sandwich, or Vegan Sour Cream & Onion Popcorn Seasoning. In my cookbook Fuss-Free Vegan I also have the recipe "Caramelized Onion Pizza to Die For" and "Love Letter French Onion Soup". In my cookbook Fast Easy Cheap Vegan you'll find the recipe for"Cheater Caramelized Onion Pasta". See? I really like onions.
Pickling onions is another great way to enjoy this superstar veg. You will see many restaurants use pickled onions on their dishes as they add such a great pop of color and flavor to any dish you add them too!
The instructions for this pickled onion recipe are super easy, made with just red onion, rice vinegar, water, and salt. Let the onions soak for an hour and they are ready to eat. The acidity of the vinegar mixture helps to soften the onions and infuse them with flavor. You can add other seasonings and spices to the pickling liquid to further enhance the flavor. (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 do not have seasoned rice vinegar sub for equal amounts of unseasoned rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar, and additionally add 1 - 2 tablespoons of sweetener such as agave, maple syrup, or white sugar.
This pickled red onion recipe is also a great way to use up any leftover red onions that you have lying around. Instead of letting half an onion go to waste, simply slice it up and pickle it. You can easily half this recipe to make a mini batch or double it to make several jars worth.
How to make the best pickled onions recipe:
Thinly slice the red onion. You can use a mandoline for this if you like, but I usually just use a sharp knife.
Pack the onion slices into a 16 oz/ 1-pint mason jar (or a few smaller jars). Add in any of the optional spices if desired.
In a microwave-safe dish, mix the vinegar, water, and salt. Heat in the microwave until the mixture is hot and steaming, 1 - 2 minutes. Or if preferred, bring the mixture to a simmer on the stove in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the vinegar mixture over the onions until the onions are covered, pressing down the onions if needed. If the vinegar doesn't cover the top of the onions just add more water. If there is more room in the jar, feel free to slice up some more onion and add it in.
Allow the jars to cool then store in the refrigerator. The onions will be pickled and ready to eat in 1 hour. They will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Tip: 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. Strain out any bits, reheat the liquid in the microwave or in a pot on the stove, and fill the jar again with fresh onion slices.
These quick pickled red onions are...
- super easy to make
- tangy, sweet, and crisp
- a beautiful garnish to use on so many dishes
- a great homemade gift idea
What to serve pickled onions on:
Garnish homemade hummus
Make homemade bagels and smear them with vegan cream cheese or avocado and top with the pickled onions
Top loaded vegan nachos or the healthier version cauliflower nachos
Layer them in 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 @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
The Best Homemade Pickled Onions
Servings:
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Ingredients
For the pickled onions:
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup seasoned rice vinegar, (see notes for substitutes)
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Optional add-ins (choose 1 - 3 options if desired):
- ¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- ¼ teaspoon whole fennel seeds
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
Instructions
- Pack the onion slices into a 16 oz/ 1-pint jar (or a few smaller jars). Add in any of the optional spices if desired.
- In a microwave-safe dish, mix the vinegar, water, and salt. Heat in the microwave until the mixture is hot and steaming, 1 - 2 minutes. Or if preferred, bring the mixture to a simmer on the stove in a small pot. Pour the mixture over the onions until the onions are covered, pressing down the onions if needed. If the vinegar doesn't cover the top of the onions just add more water. If there is more room in the jar, feel free to slice up some more onion and add it in.
- Allow the jars to cool then store in the refrigerator. The onions will be pickled and ready to eat in 1 hour. They will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
- Tip: 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. Strain out any bits, reheat the liquid in the microwave or in a pot on the stove, and fill the jar again with fresh onion slices.
Notes
Nutrition
More homemade vegan staples to try making:
Deborah C says
These are SO good-thank you very much! We love them!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Fantastic!
Coral says
I really liked that dish
Coral says
That was amazing, I really loved it
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks so much Coral!
HJPaek says
How many times can you reuse the same brine? Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
I don't recommend re-using it more than once. Enjoy!
Danielle says
Can you use cooking onions? Also, do you put the lids on the jars before or after the jars cool down?
I love all pickled vegetables, I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
You can but they will be a bit more sharp. You can put the lids on whenever you like. I usually leave them off so they cool faster. Enjoy!
Su says
Pickled onions are the bomb on avo toast! They’re great with just about anything except maybe ice cream.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Hahaha! Love that!
Daniel says
I love all your pickled veg recipes, I know red always go great with pickled beets, but will yellow or sweet onions work if no red on hand?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes they will! They will just be a bit sharper/ spicier in flavor. 🙂
Kim says
I used one white onion and one red onion, it turned out great!