Pickled onions are a great way to repurpose leftover raw onion or to elevate the flavor of just about any dish.
They’re super simple to make, requiring just 4 ingredients that you likely have on hand right now!
How to Make Pickled Onions
- Add sliced onions to a glass jar (we prefer red onion)
- Heat vinegar in a saucepan (we prefer red wine vinegar for this recipe)
- Add sugar and salt and stir to dissolve
- Pour vinegar mixture over onions, making sure to completely submerge them in the vinegar mixture
- Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour (or longer for more intense flavor)
We hope you LOVE these pickled onions. They’re:
Flavorful
Perfectly punchy
Easy
Versatile
& SO delicious!
Enjoy on salads, sandwiches, bowls, and so much more. The possibilities are endless!
If you try this recipe, let us know! We love seeing your comments, ratings, and photos tagged #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Quick Pickled Onions
A step-by-step guide for making quick pickled onions. Perfect for sandwiches, salads, and so much more! Only 4 ingredients required!
Servings 6 (~1/4-cup servings)
Ingredients
ONION
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
BRINE
- 2/3 cup red wine vinegar (we prefer red wine vinegar for best flavor and color, but white or apple cider also work!)
- 2/3 cup water (for stronger flavor, sub vinegar)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp organic cane sugar (or stevia to taste)
Instructions
- Add sliced onion to a mason jar or glass container. Set aside.
- To a small saucepan add red wine vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir to fully dissolve salt and sugar. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt or sugar to taste.
- Pour the brine over the onions, ensuring they are fully submerged. If needed, add more vinegar or a little water to cover.
- Seal well and shake to combine. Then refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or at least 30 minutes if in a hurry). The flavors will deepen and intensify the longer it marinates. Best flavor is achieved after 24 hours.
- Will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks (sometimes longer). Not freezer friendly.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition (1 of 6 servings)
Serving: 1 quarter-cup servings Calories: 17 Carbohydrates: 3.2 g Protein: 0.1 g Fat: 0 g Saturated Fat: 0 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 197 mg Potassium: 27 mg Fiber: 0.2 g Sugar: 2.5 g Vitamin A: 0.23 IU Vitamin C: 1 mg Calcium: 4.73 mg Iron: 0.14 mg
Melissa says
I subbed monk fruit sweetener for the sugar and they were awesome!
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Melissa!
Nicole says
These are quite punchy for something so quick and easy! I used white onion as that’s all I had and they turned out well, although not as pretty as red. These jazzed up camp tacos and added a lot of flavor for taking up very little space and weight.
Yum! Thanks so much for the review, Nicole. We’re so glad you enjoyed these onions!
Michelle says
Perfect simple recipe! I did a squeeze of 2 limes into the measuring cup before adding ACV (in lieu of red wine vinegar for pickled onions for tacos!). A little more salt, too, for my taste! Also…. don’t forget to drop a stainless steel object (fork, butter knife, etc.) into your jar… the steel will pull the excess heat away from your glass to prevent shattering – a little waitress trick when pouring hot tea into bar glasses for iced-tea – :).
Woah, cool tip! Thank you for the lovely review, Michelle! xo
Lydia M. says
2nd request: Thank you for your reply to my first comment regarding this matter. However, I still cannot print any images from any of your online recipes like I used to be able to.
I love this pickled red onion recipe! Making another batch today
Hi Lydia, sorry for the inconvenience! We’re aware of the issue and working on troubleshooting it.
Liz says
Thanks for sharing this super easy recipe! I’m almost done with my first batch of pickled onions. Would I be able to reheat the leftover liquid from this batch to pickle a second batch (2 weeks later), or should I start from scratch?
Hi Liz! So glad you enjoyed! We’d suggest starting from scratch. xo
Susan says
Hi, do I need to let it cool down before adding the lid and putting it in the fridge ?
We’d suggest letting it cool at least 10 minutes before transferring to the fridge so it doesn’t heat up the fridge too much. Hope that helps!
Cara Wincklhofer says
Wondering if carrots would be good like this as well?
See our pickled carrots here!
Rachel says
I use this as a guide to proportions every time I make pickled onions. I always start with 1/2 cup each of vinegar and water because that fills a pint jar for me. I also make small adjustments like mixing some white vinegar in with the red wine vinegar and adding less sugar. But it’s very handy to have this basic recipe to start from.
We’re so glad you find it helpful! Thanks for sharing, Rachel!
Stacey says
Delicious Dana, they are a staple in our house! I love the pickled onions I add them to my omelet or my avocado toast. I added a little very dark maple syrup and some red pepper flakes! The recipe certainly didn’t need it, I just like to add ingredients sometimes!
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Stacey! xo
Sherri neil says
This is. Now my third batch of onions with this and the last batch made with some added spices as suggested, and since they were so good, I thought what the heck try it with cucumbers. Oh my I just made some awesome quick pickle spears. Thanks Dana for not only providing perfect as is recipes, but also inspiring us to experiment a little. Your site has truly become a staple in my kitchen.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Sherri! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Becky says
I’m just curious which spices you used?
Natalie says
Super delicious!! I subbed white wine vinegar and coconut sugar instead and turned out great!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Natalie!
Amanda says
Hey Dana! Just curious why you use red wine vinegar instead of white or rice. I notice a lot of other recipes calling for white, which I tried, but not getting the right flavor that I’m looking for.
Hi Amanda, we like the flavor that it provides. Hope that helps!
Steph says
Used a combo of pomegranate vinegar from Trader Joe’s and red wine vinegar. Excellent!
Sounds lovely! Thanks for sharing, Steph!
Danielle Fernandez says
Super simple and very easy!
Question: once the onions are done can I reuse the liquid to pickle another batch of onions?
Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! And yes, you can!
Catherine D Nugent says
I don’t have a glass jar. Can I make this in a plastic container?
Just make sure not to pour hot liquids in plastic. Otherwise, should work!
Caleb Anderson says
Would apple cider vinegar work?? probably a different taste…
A different taste, but it would work!
D'Ona says
What other spices might you add to the onions?
We think cumin or coriander seeds would be nice, depending on what you’re using it for.
Kayla says
Hi! Just wondering if normal white sugar will do? Trying to limit my trips to the grocery store, thanks!
Yes!
Aida says
can I use coconut sugar or maple syrup instead?
That should work!
B says
Perfect!
Emily M. says
Be aware that if you taste the hot vinegar mixture, your throat will immediately close up and you won’t be able to breathe. That’s because vinegar absorbs all the moisture in your mucous membranes and creates a vacuum effect as it does. You can drink water to rehydrate and open your throat if, like me, you learn this the hard way. It happened to me years ago and I live in terror of anyone ever doing it!
So strange! I definitely wouldn’t propose drinking the mixture, only tasting with the tip of your finger or off of a spoon. But thanks for the warning!
Judy Rae says
WOW!!!! Thank you!!!!!
Tish says
Hi I am googling this subject due to me just now eating a pickled onion and my throat closed up and I couldn’t breathe. Was really scary. I tried to stay calm and eventually eased off. Generally I usually cough when eating pickled onions but this was very extreme
Ruthie Cherry says
I have plenty of yellow onions and want to pickle. YOu suggest red onion what do you think about yellow? Thank you
Yellow will work!
Justine says
Hi, making this now. After 24 hours do i leave the inions in the brine or drain it? Thanks
Leave it in the brine! It will intensify the flavor, FYI, but that way it’ll keep fresh!