This super basic Pickled Red Onions recipe may not seem particularly exciting, but once you’ve tasted them you’ll be hooked! I love the gorgeous pink color created by soaking the onions in pickling liquid, but I love the bright, tangy flavor even more. Serve them on tacos, burgers, and your favorite bowl recipes to bring a pop of color and flavor like no other!

Table of Contents

serve them on:

Chicken Tzatziki Bowls

Made with my Easy Tzatziki Dip, this bowl recipe highlights bright, fresh flavors! Served with grilled chicken tenders, rice, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

recipe

When it comes to slicing onions for pickled red onions, there are a lot of opinions out there! I personally change it up depending what I’m serving them with, but most often I’ll go for thin rings or smaller slices like you see here, which are great for tacos so you don’t end up pulling a bunch of pickled red onions off the taco with each bite.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to recreate these Pickled Red Onions at home:

Red onion – I mean…obviously.
Water – Water helps build the volume of liquid and dilute the vinegar to keep the pickling liquid yummy.
Apple cider vinegar – I prefer ACV for this recipe because it has a slight sweet flavor and isn’t as harsh as white vinegar. You could also use white wine vinegar if you have that on hand.
Sugar – A little more sweetness to balance out the flavor of the pickling liquid.
Salt – I just use regular sea salt for this recipe, but some call specifically for kosher salt. I don’t personally think it matters too much, just use what you have. Salt helps preserve the pickled onions by preventing bacteria growth, plus it makes the flavors pop!

How long will they last?

Storage Tips

Store pickled red onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best texture, I like to eat them within a week or two of pickling, but they will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month. The texture will begin to soften and the color won’t be as bright toward the end of that timeline.

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Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Pickled Red Onion

Prep: 10

Total: 10

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Ingredients

▢ 1/2 medium red onion, sliced, (100 grams)
▢ 1 cup water, (8 oz)
▢ 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, (4 oz)
▢ 2 tbsp sugar, (24 grams)
▢ 2 tsp salt, (10 grams)

Instructions

Microwave water in a microwave safe dish until almost boiling, about 1-2 minutes.
Add sugar and salt to hot water and stir until completely dissolved. Add apple cider vinegar and stir.
Place onion slices in a resealable glass jar and pour pickling liquid over top until onions are covered in liquid.
Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.