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A close up overhead shot of pickled red onion in a mason jar with a fork in the jar.

Quick Pickled Red Onions

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Veronika | thehealthfulideas
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Pickling: 30 mins +
  • Total Time: 40 mins +
  • Yield: 1 1/2 cup 1x
  • Category: Side
  • Method: Pickling
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

These pickled onions are a delicious addition to so many different dishes. No canning involved, ready in as little as 30 mins.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 medium red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup champagne vinegar*
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar*
  • 1 tsp maple syrup (optional)**
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)***
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (optional)***

Instructions

  1. Start by peeling and slicing your onions. I like to slice them very thin but it’s up to you, if you have thicker slices, they will have a nice crunch.
  2. Slice your onion in half and thinly slice them vertically not horizontally, this will give you shorter pieces. I like to cut out the middle part to avoid having big chunks of pickle but this is optional. See post for photos.
  3. Tightly pack the sliced onions into a 2 cup heat proof mason jar and set aside.
  4. Add the water, champagne vinegar, sherry vinegar, maple syrup, sea salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and mustard seeds into a small pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, take it off the heat and pour it over the onion to the top.
  5. Some of the onions might stick out, use a spoon to gently push them down to get them into the liquid, careful not to spill over, it’s very hot. The onions will shrink and wilt down a little as they sit so don’t stress it if some are sticking out too much. 
  6. Let the onions sit in the liquid on the counter until they’ve cooled down or for at least 30 mins.
  7. Once completely cool, cover with a tight lid and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

* You can use any vinegar you have on hand. I’m using champagne and sherry to give the pickles more flavor but you can use apple, white wine, red wine, rice vinegar, or white vinegar. 

** The sweetener is optional in this recipe, it won’t affect how the onion pickles. You can use any liquid or granulated sweetener you like. I’d stay away from stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol as those will change the flavor.

*** You can add less or more, or skip the added flavors all together. Coriander seeds are also a great addition. 

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