Easy Pickled Onions
With just a little bit of time, you can have your own homemade Easy Pickled Onions! They’re so simple to make and are a great way to add a little tangy, slightly sweet flavor to all of your favorite burgers, sandwiches, salads, and more!
Next try our Easy Pickled Beets!
Here’s a quick and easy one for you all! Our Easy Pickled Onions are now a staple in our fridge! They are so incredibly simple to make and the perfect finishing touch on some of our favorite sandwiches, burgers, tacos, and salads! No need to buy them in the store anymore, you can have your own for a fraction of the price!
Ingredients Needed
- Onions – Reds are the best for pickling because it turns that pungent red onion flavor tangy!
- Apple Cider Vinegar – You can use white as well, but we prefer the gentler and slightly sweeter brown vinegar.
- Sugar – Just a little for the pickling liquid, but you could also use a natural sweetener, too!
- Garlic – This is optional, but I love adding a couple of whole cloves to the bottom of the jar to add a very subtle garlic flavor. You could also add herbs and additional spices to customize!
So Easy to Make
Slice the Onions Thin
You can of course slice them a bit thicker if that’s what you prefer, just keep in mind that will adjust the time it takes for the onions to absorb the vinegar and become soft. To get the best even slice, we let our mandoline do the job!
If you don’t already have a mandoline, trust me, you want one! Not only are they fairly inexpensive, but they will take your cucumber salads and homemade potato chips to the next level by being able to get a supppper thin slice on those spuds and cucumbers!
Add Garlic and Onions to a Jar
Again, the garlic is totally optional, but if you love a garlic and onion combo like we do, then you’ll love the subtle flavor that’s added.
Add the Vinegar
After you’ve brought the vinegar, salt, and sugar to a quick boil on the stovetop, then you just add that hot vinegar to your onion-packed jar and let it do its pickling thing. All of that slightly sweet vinegar will be soaked up into the onions to soften them and add a tangy sweet flavor.
Let it Rest
Now, the work is done! All you need to do is just let those lil’ onions rest in that sweet and salty vinegar to soak up all the goodness and soften.
In as little as 30 minutes later, your Easy Pickled Onions will be soft and ready to be put to delicious use!
You’ll know they’re done because the color with be bright and the onions will be soft. If they’re still a bit crunchy, no problem, just let them sit a while longer so they continue to soften!
Recipe Tips
Evenly is probably the most important as that will ensure that they’re all ready at the same time. You can of course slice the onions thicker, it’ll just take longer for them to soften. But if you have some thick slices and some thin slices in the same jar, that means that some will be ready faster than others. Using a mandoline will help ensure even slices!
Add even more garlic, or toss in some of your favorite herbs like oregano or rosemary or some whole peppercorns. Or add a little kick with some red pepper flakes.
However, you want! You can use these Easy Pickled Onions on/with anything that could use a little pop of tangy color. Burgers, salads, sandwiches, tacos, lettuce wraps, the possibilities are endless!
These pickled onions will last about 2-3 weeks in the fridge. You’ll know they’ve gone bad if the color starts to change to yellow/brown, the liquid is cloudy, and if they have a weird slimy texture. Then it’s time to toss ’em out and make a fresh batch.
I just love how easy and simple these Easy Pickled Onions are to make – and you’re going to love the sandwich that we use them in!
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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Easy Pickled Onions
Equipment
- Mandoline optional
- pint mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 red onion sliced 1/4 inch thin, approximately 2 cups
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
Instructions
- Create Pickling Liquid: Add the vinegar, salt, and sugar to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat and stir until the sugar and the salt have fully dissolved. This will take approximately 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prep Onions: Slice the onions 1/4 inch thick with a sharp knife or mandoline.
- Fill Jar: Add garlic cloves to the bottom of your jar and then fill the jar with sliced onions. Pour cooled vinegar into the jar, ensuring all of the onions are covered.
- Rest: Let the onions rest on the counter for about 10 minutes to ensure the liquid has cooled and then store in the fridge. After about 30-60 minutes, once your onions are bright pink and tender, they're ready to enjoy. Store them in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks.
These are sooooo delicious and so easy to make! They taste fantastic on so many things, I always have a jar in my fridge!
This is a great recipe! I love pickled onions, and this recipe is great because it makes the process so easy. It’s much easier than the recipe I’ve been using.
So great to hear, Beth! Thanks so much for sharing!
I’ve never made my own pickled onions before but they are so delicious and are so good on wraps, sandwiches, salads, etc…I didn’t realize how easy it is to make either! Love this!
Great to hear, Catherine!
Thank you for the easy recipe! They are so good. I prepped them to have with our turkey burgers tonight, but taste tested them with cheese and crackers and they are zippy and delicious!
Great use of them! Thanks Katie!