These quick pickled red onions are tangy, crunchy, and the perfect way to add a burst of flavor to almost any dish. They’re crisp, slightly sweet, and full of zesty goodness: the kind of condiment that makes everything taste better. Made with just a few simple ingredients they’re incredibly easy to prepare and ready in minutes. You can make them ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for weeks, so you’ll always have a jar of bright, flavorful onions ready to elevate any dish.

Don’t hesitate to add a few extras to your jar of pickled red onions. We often throw in some thin slices of cucumber, red paprika, or carrots. They add a bit of variety to the flavors and textures, and it only takes a minute or two more in prep time.

Use your pickled onions to garnish sandwiches, burgers, falafel, and even pizza. We also love them in scrambled egg burritos and with our chicken fajitas. You’ll be surprised by how versatile they are 🙂

Ingredients

1 red onion
1/3 cup vinegar
2/3 cup water
1/4 tsp fine salt
1/4 tsp sugar
10-15 pepper corns
2 bay leaves

Instructions

Peel the onion and cut it into thin, long slices.
In a small jar, mix the vinegar, water, salt and sugar.
Add the onion, pepper corns and bay leaves to the jar and close it.
Shake the jar well to mix the ingredients. Open the lid and make sure that the onion is entirely covered with brine. If necessary, push it down a bit.
Put the jar in the fridge (make sure it is closed firmly) and let it sit. Preferably, it should rest at least one day, but it can be used after 4-5 hours.

Notes

Prep time: 5 minutes.
Cooking time: no cooking involved.
Feel free to play with the ratio of water and vinegar. This recipe is to the milder side, so if you prefer a bit more sour pickles, add more vinegar.
You can add some thin slices of bell peppers, carrots, or cucumber.

Related recipes

Here are some recipes that are either similar to the pickled red onions, or where they go well: