Pickled Red Onions

These pickled red onions are thinly sliced onions marinated in a mixture of sugar, salt, vinegar, herbs and spices. A quick and easy condiment that adds so much flavor to a variety of different dishes!

I love to make my own condiments whenever possible, including homemade steak sauce, fresh and zesty salsa verde, and these flavorful pickled red onions.

A jar of pickled red onions with garlic, pepper and thyme.

My local Mexican restaurant serves the best pickled red onions on their tacos. I decided it was time to try making these onions at home, and the results were perfectly flavored red onions with a minimal amount of work!

Pickled onions ingredients

Bowls of ingredients including onions, spices, vinegar and water.

The ingredients in this recipe include red onions, apple cider vinegar, water, fresh thyme, salt, sugar, peppercorns and garlic cloves.

How do you make pickled red onions?

Start by cutting a fresh red onion into very thin slices, then place the slices in a jar along with fresh garlic, black peppercorns and a sprig of thyme. Next, place apple cider vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Cook the mixture until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Carefully pour the vinegar over the onions. Let the jar sit at room temperature for one hour, then cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to use the onions.

Step by step process shots showing how to pickle red onions.

Tips for the perfect dish

I use a mandoline to cut my onions into perfect thin slices. You can slices the onions into rings, or else cut the onion in half lengthwise before you make your slices.
While this recipe calls for the onions to marinate in a glass jar, any airtight glass or plastic container will also work.
Use your onions on tacos, serve them on top of a pulled pork sandwich, add a spoonful to a green salad, sprinkle a few on top of pizza, or stir into a creamy pasta.
If you prefer that your onions have a milder flavor, you can blanch them before you add them to the pickling mixture. Simply place the onions in a strainer in the sink and pour boiling water over them.

Red onions in a jar of vinegar solution.

Recipe FAQs

How long do pickled red onions last?

Pickled red onions will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It’s best to let them sit in the pickling mixture for a minimum of two hours before serving.

Why do people pickle red onions?

Raw red onions can sometimes have a harsh flavor. Pickling the onions removes the harshness, which is why this is such a popular technique. You can also use the pickling process to add extra flavor to your onions, which is something you cannot do with plain raw onions.

Are pickled red onions healthy?

Pickled red onions are a great addition to any diet. Red onions are filled with nutrients including calcium, potassium, Vitamin C, folate and Vitamin K. Pickled onions are also very low in calories.

Flavor Variations

This recipe is great as-is, but you can add other flavors to really make these onions even more special.

Onions: You can use sweet yellow onions, such as Vidalia, instead of the red onions.
Vinegar: No apple cider vinegar on hand? You can also use white vinegar or rice vinegar. These other types of vinegar are not as sweet as apple cider vinegar, so if you go this route you’ll want to add another 2 teaspoons of sugar.
Spicy: Add some heat by placing a dried chili pepper in the jar such as chile de arbol. You can also add slices of fresh jalapeno or habanero peppers.
Herbs: Swap out the thyme for a different type of herb such as a dry bay leaf, fresh parsley, oregano or even rosemary. You can also add other types of spices such as juniper berries or allspice berries.

I almost always have a jar of these onions in my fridge – it’s the best way to add flavor to dishes with minimal effort.

More ways to enjoy onions

5 from 11 votes