Pickled Red Onions
These Pickled Red Onions are downright addictive! They are quick and easy to make, and are awesome with so many different meals! Watch the Video!

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Welcome to one of my favorite condiments in the whole wide world.
Pickled Red Onions.
This refrigerator version is so easy, and takes only about 10 minutes to make!
The onions are crispity crunchity and perfectly tangy sweet, and last for weeks in the refrigerator (if you can keep your fingers out of the jar!).
There’s no reason why you shouldn’t have a jar of these pickled onions in your fridge at all times!
*Here are a few recipes where I particularly enjoy using these pickled red onions: Without a doubt, my number one way to serve these onions is with carnitas. They’re also fabulous on egg salad and tuna salad.

I loooooooove pickled vegetables, and it just doesn’t get much better than quick refrigerator versions.
I’ve quick-pickled celery, carrots (our youngest daughter’s favorite!), squash, and the most beautiful medley of mixed veggies (shown above).

My mom’s easy recipe for sweet refrigerator dill pickles (shown above) is also a longtime favorite.
I especially like to have them on hand when I make my slow cooker sloppy joes and during the grilling season. The pickles pair wonderfully with all kinds of grilled goodness, especially when using barbecue sauces!

How to pickle onions
In this recipe, you simply stir apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar with some sugar and salt on the stovetop. Sprinkle in a bit of allspice and a few red pepper flakes, and then add in your onion slices.
To slice the onions, use either a sharp knife or a mandoline. If you like super thin slices, I highly recommend using a mandoline.
And this is how to pickle red onions. Easy-peasy!

Quick Pickled Red Onions are a wonderful thing!
I’ve met many a friend and family member who has turned up their noses at pickled onions, saying “I don’t like raw onions.”
But I beg everyone to try these.
The pickling process transforms the onion slices into just the most wonderful thing, erasing that raw bite that so many people find offensive. The onions are softened just a bit, bright and tangy.
You must taste these quick pickled onions to believe this for yourself.

There are many ways to use this pickled onion recipe
Once you have a jar of these pickled red onions in your fridge, there are countless ways to use them!

My favorite way to eat pickled onions
My favorite way is tucked into a carnitas taco, where their zesty bite contrasts brilliantly with the tender, rich pulled pork. (shown above) Pickled onions are great with almost any Mexican meal.
The tangy onions would also be great with slow cooker pulled pork!

Pickled onions are also awesome with eggs, especially a plate of huevos rancheros. Check out this breakfast taco bar from Aimée at Simple Bites – so fun!
The bright onions go great with Asian flavors. Check out these banh mi meatballs (shown above) and this banh mi salad.
Pickled onions make most any sandwich or burger sing.
They’re pretty wonderful on salads, too. Like this one from Heather Christo, using fresh greens. And this fresh watermelon salad from Food 52, so lovely.
The possibilities are truly endless.

Here are a few more pickled recipes you might like:
*Here are a few recipes I’d like to try: Pickled Jalapeños from Honey and Birch and Sweet and Sour Asian Pickled Cucumbers from foodiecrush. And, oh how I love me some Pickled Ginger – this recipe comes from Foodie with Family.


Pickled Red Onions
This recipe is incredibly quick and easy to make. The pickled onions are awesome with so many different meals - you'll quickly become addicted to having them on hand at all times!
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion
- 1 c. apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
- pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Slice the top and bottom off the onion and then slice onion in half, from top to bottom. Remove the outer peel. Lay the cut surfaces of the onion onto the cutting board, and then slice into half moons about 1/8" thick using a very sharp knife. I also recommend using a mandoline for slicing the onions, especially if you like super thin or very even slices.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Place over medium-high heat and bring mixture to a boil. Whisk until sugar and salt dissolve, then remove pan from heat and whisk in allspice and red pepper flakes.
- Carefully add sliced onion to the pan and gently stir to combine. Let mixture cool completely at room temperature, stirring occasionally.
- Pour into a glass container (I like to use a large canning jar), cover tightly with a lid, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. The pickled flavor will intensify over time, but it's good to go after resting overnight in the refrigerator. This recipe is for refrigerator pickling only and needs to be stored in a refrigerator. Enjoy for up to one month.
Notes
from a farmgirl's dabbles
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 24 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 147mg Carbohydrates: 6g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 5g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 0g
This post was originally published June 2014 and has been a popular reader favorite. Some of the photographs and text were updated May 2017.
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Best pickled onions I’ve ever had and so easy! On the last batch I added a thinly sliced jalapeño for heat to go with carne asada tacos.These are a staple in my fridge now. Thank you for this delicious recipe!!!
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I just made this for dinner tonight and I was very impressed! It tasted delicious and was super easy with minimal mess. Will definitely make this again! Thanks!
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This is an easy and delicious recipe! I used it for my carnitas and the flavor is not bitter and goes well with the tacos!
So happy you liked this recipe!! :)
Could these be canned? Would it ruin the texture? Sorry, I think I posted this in the wrong section earlier… These look amazing and I’m looking for a good recipe!! Thank you!!
Hi Julia – I’m sure this could be canned, however I haven’t done it myself.
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Thank you. I made these onions today and they taste delicious. I used white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar and cut it half with filtered water as I am not that strong on a vinegary taste. They are amazing.
Hi Claire – so glad you liked!
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This recipe is AMAZING, not only because these onions are so tasty and go with literally everything and are so low calorie, but because they are so easy to make! Thanks Brenda !!
I have tried a number of pickled onion recipes and this one by far is my favorite. I now use it every time I make them.
I love to hear this! Thank you!!
I tried it last night and loved it! Thanks for the great recipe. :)
YAY! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment. Enjoy!
Brenda, bravo! What a great idea! Love this. I’m sure this is incredibly delicious!
BRENDA, , thank you very much! I really liked the recipe, I took it to my recipe book)
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I love these on so many different things! I love how easy they are to make at home!
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I love onions but I’ve never had them pickled before. I can’t wait to try these. They sound like they’ll be the perfect mix-up for my eggs.
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Pickled red onions make me so happy! I love the crunch!
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The pickled onions sound amazing and the Korean Beef skillet you paired them with sounds like a great combo. I would love the recipe for the Korean Beef skillet. Thank you!
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Had a piece of sliced toast with avocado spread topped with pickled red onion !! Oh my gosh ❤️ Glad to find how to make them here. Don’t care one bit that it’s December!!!!!
My daughter asked me to shop for pickled onions for her and I can’t find any in our grocery stores so I decided to goggle pickled onions and came upon this recipe. The recipe looks so easy – which I love – so I’m going to give it a try and see what she says.
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OMG, these are the best thing EVER!! i could simply eat the whole batch plain, but in an attempt to be adult, i put them on salmon, salad, and tacos, and poured them over sliced cucumbers…fabulous!
I am obsessed with pickle onions! Putting them on a sandwich is absolutely one of my favorite things to do. What is your absolute favorite thing to do with your pickled onions? Thank you for this recipe! Can’t wait to make my own at home.
I made these last night to put on some homemade tacos and they are insanely good! I can’t believe I haven’t tried making these at home before. My husband is also obsessed. I’ll be making them all summer – thanks for a great recipe!
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These are so wonderful to have in the fridge. I make a quick pickle version and a slow pickle version for storage. Are you a part of the Food in Jars Challenge? These were a part of April’s challenge so I just edited my post and added your blog and recipe to it for posterity’s sake!
http://merrymeetingmenu.blogspot.com/2017/04/pickled-red-onions.html
Thank you so much Madeleine!
I make a longer version (fewer ingredients, but no heat so 24 hrs before they’re good). I love them dearly on tacos, turkey sandwiches, tuna sandwiches. I like the idea of allspice so I’m going to give this a whirl. Thanks for sharing!
i add jalapeno to them and i put them in coleslaw among many other things
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Your recipe seems to have a lot of vinegar as compared to others (most have only 1/2 c total for 1 onion), and I’m wondering if they are a lot more tart than others?
I just made your recipe and it was so good! I tasted it the day after I made it and it was really good. Then I tasted it again after letting it pickle for a week and it was a million times better! Thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m so glad you liked this recipe – thanks for coming back to let me know! :)
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Wow, you got this one right !
My first try lasted 1 day !
I cut the sugar in half, less sweet.
I added 1 sliced Jalapeno with seeds.
No pepper flakes, not needed.
Next try will be same with a sliced garlic.
Thank you.
Ray.
With jalapeño…I need to try that!
Thank you so much! I made these yesterday and by the evening I was munching away on them and couldn’t stop, haha. Your recipe made for some truly delicious onions. I can’t wait to eat more of them today. I’m thinking of all of the different ways I can use them. Thanks again, they are Awesome!
Yay! So glad you liked these. And. That you find them as addictive as I do! ;)
Could these be canned? Would it ruin the texture? They look delicious and my other recipe was a flop!
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THANK YOU! Your pickled red onions is a perfect addition to my Mediterranean Pita recipe: flafel, spring lettuce, sundried tomatoes, spicy hummus, feta, diced tomates & cucumber, mediterranean white bean salad and diced gerkin pickles!
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Look yummy! I usually make Bobby Flay’s version, but they take 24 hrs (no heat) and I need them tonight for tostadas. So here we go! I can’t wait to see how they turn out. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you liked these! :)
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Can you reuse the juice after the onions are gone or should you start fresh with each batch?
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So excited to see this. I had this once while traveling and loved it. Getting what I need tmrw. Will be back to post my success. Thank you
I hope you like these, Anita! :)
Pickled onions are AWESOME on almost any Mexican dish and even pinto beans! Our local Mexican restaurant puts them on their buffet as a condiment (sometimes just the onions themselves, sometimes mixed with tomatoes and cucumbers). DELISH!
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What a gorgeous color these onions have! The perfect condiment for the table!
They really are pretty. Such a fun addition to so many meals!
I heart quick pickles! These onions are perfect to top just about everything with!
I love love love pickled red onions! Had NO idea how easy they are to make! Thank you!! :)
Brenda, would this same recipe work with beets?
i want to know why in each restaurant there are picked red onions are served as salad? whether it has some scientific significance related to our health share please?
I just think it’s a great way to add that tart crisp bite to a plate of food!
These look delicious!
I’ve had pickled onions on my list to try, I need to do it now!
I want to top a burger mile high with these!! Beautiful!
I can’t wait to make these….oh my perfect for summer burgers and sandwiches. Yum!
Love, love, love pickled onion. We just developed a recipes using them on a chicken sandwich – delicious!
These were so good!!!!
Thank you! :) xo
Quick pickles are just my favorite!
Oh I so do love pickled anything and this looks particularly delicious! These would be so divine on a burger, or just plain out of the jar!
I adore pickled veggies – love the allspice in this!
I love it when I have everything in house to make a recipe that pops up in my inbox. I love all the food blogs I follow as every day I am inspired to bake/cook something yummy. Thanks! I can’t wait to have them all the ways you mentioned, especially pork tacos.
I hope you like this recipe, Dawn!
These look like such a great condiment to have on hand! I’m sure they’re delicious!
I love pickled veggies, I can’t wait to try these onions!
Love pickled red onions! Might just have to try this version too!
i LOVE pickled red onions on EVERYTHING! I can’t wait to make a jar of these!! :)
Me, too! It’s the most wonderful versatile pickle out there!
I had no idea it was this easy to make!
I never realized how easy it is. I can’t tell you how many jars my husband has bought at a local orchard,
Truly. Just use really great fruit and you’ll be eating the most awesome jam ever! :)
I keep pickled red onions in the fridge all summer. Well, all year really. I eat them on everything you can think of – tacos, of course, but salads, burgers, hot dogs. Yum. Yum.
I am so excited to try these and I agree with Maria, I love that color!
Thanks, Tieghan. They’re the best pickle in my fridge right now. ;)
Love the color!
These picked onions are calling my name! And so pretty too!
Thanks, Mom. You will LOVE these!! xo
These look absolutely awesome!