These quick pickled onions are great when you want to add a little zing to a roast, burgers, sandwiches, beans, salads, or steaks. And they are fantastic on fish tacos and turkey burgers. Imagine them atop pulled pork on a sandwich. The possibilities are endless for these pickled onions, which are super easy to do.
![Pickled red onion rings being removed with a fork from a small jar](https://www.thespruceeats.com/thmb/A6xApAtc37p9TGQvU1z2FSU3GLs=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/easy-quick-pickled-onions-recipe-3062118-hero-images-2-e0a1c398ab224b179881a1b02be04032.jpg)
The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar
The onions take just a few minutes to prepare, and they add both zesty flavor and bright color to meals and snacks. All you need is some red wine vinegar, a little sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes. You can use white vinegar or even apple cider vinegar if you don't have red wine vinegar. Apple cider vinegar will make it a little sweeter.
The recipe makes enough to make one cup, but it's easily doubled for a 1-pint jar. This method is a great way to have pickled onions without going through all of the work that home canning entails. Keep the quick pickled onions in the refrigerator. Since they aren't canned, they aren't shelf-stable.
“Making your own quick pickled onions is so quick and easy and adds a delicious burst of flavor to elevate sandwiches, burgers, tacos, grain bowls, and so much more.” —Joan Velush
![Easy Quick Pickled Onions / Tester Image](https://www.thespruceeats.com/thmb/_HoYZIB-90YM_vjdWbpkX239RPM=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/easy-quick-pickled-onions-recipe-3062118-Joan-Velush-2022-39d0e005ee784b53a075bd73d4978d1a.jpeg)
Ingredients
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1 small red onion
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1/2 cup red or white wine vinegar
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2 teaspoons granulated sugar
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, or 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
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1 dash crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar
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Peel 1 small red onion and slice it into thin rings.
The Spruce Eats /Madhumita Sathishkumar
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Pack the onion into a half-pint canning jar or a 1 cup container.
The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar
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Put 1/2 cup red or white wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (or 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns), and 1 dash crushed red pepper flakes, if using, in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil; remove from the heat. If your container isn't heatproof—such as a canning jar—let the vinegar brine cool slightly.
The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar
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Pour the hot liquid over the onion and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until cooled.
The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar
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Cover the container and store the pickled onions in the refrigerator. For the very best flavor, refrigerate the onions for a few hours or overnight.
The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar
How to Store Pickled Red Onions
Because these red onions are quickly pickled and aren't canned, you'll need to keep them in the refrigerator and then consume the onions within 2 to 3 weeks.
Feeling Adventurous? Try This:
- Switch up the onions - Red onions are perfect for pickling because they tend to be a little sweeter, but feel free to try other onions, such as Walla Walla or Maui onions, which are sweeter, or even shallots.
- Play with flavors - Some other possibilities for flavor infusion include a few allspice berries, a small dried chili pepper (instead of crushed red pepper flakes), a few sprigs of thyme, a garlic clove, bay leaf, fennel seeds, peppercorns, and mustard seeds.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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12 | Calories |
0g | Fat |
2g | Carbs |
0g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 8 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 12 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 0g | 0% |
Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 79mg | 3% |
Total Carbohydrate 2g | 1% |
Dietary Fiber 0g | 1% |
Total Sugars 2g | |
Protein 0g | |
Vitamin C 1mg | 3% |
Calcium 4mg | 0% |
Iron 0mg | 0% |
Potassium 21mg | 0% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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