Easy Pickled Onions

a mason jar of pickled onions with a fork pulling some out.

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5 from 18 votes

Forget store-bought! Making your own pickled onions is so simple and easy!

Course Condiment

Cuisine American

Diet Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Vegan

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 2

Resting time 30

Total Time 37

Servings cups

Calories 80kcal

Author Tracy

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.

Notes

The nutritional value is for the whole jar.

Substitutions

Onions: Red onions are our favorites when it comes to pickled onions, but of course, you can use any other onion, too!

Vinegar: We prefer the flavor of using apple cider vinegar, but white vinegar will work just fine, too.

Sugar: You can also use a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup.

Customize

Add more garlic or herbs, peppercorns, or red pepper flakes.

Onion Thickness

The onions will be ready when they are tender, and the thicker the slice of onion, the longer it will take for them to absorb the vinegar and become tender. Be sure to slice your onions evenly.

Nutrition