Quick-Pickled Onions
Learn how to make quick-pickled onions! This tangy and crisp quick-pickled onion recipe is ready in 30 minutes. The perfect condiment for tacos, burritos, nachos, burgers and more.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 28, 2024
Do you love pickled onions as much as I do? Pickling transforms raw red onions from pungent and crunchy to irresistibly tangy and crisp. I add some red pepper flakes for extra spice and a splash of maple syrup or honey to round out the other strong flavors.
These onions are the perfect condiment for tacos, burgers, salads, and more. The best part?
These quick-pickled onions are ready to serve after a brief 30-minute cooling period. Start your meal prep with these onions, and they’ll be ready to go by the time the rest of your dinner is ready.
These onions are incredibly easy to make, too. I like to keep them on hand for any meal that needs some extra oomph. Leftovers are so much more exciting with quick-pickled onions in the fridge!
Quick-Pickled Onion Tips
Slice the onions thinly
The trick to making truly quick pickled onions is to slice the onions very thin (about 1/8-inch), so they soften up and absorb the vinegar quickly. You can do this with a sharp chef’s knife or a mandoline.
You could choose to slice the onions thicker (about 1/4-inch) for more of a crunch. Beware that your onions will need a few hours, or an overnight rest, to give the vinegar time to reach all the way through the onion.
Choose your vinegars wisely
Using a combination of apple cider vinegar and regular distilled vinegar makes these pickles taste more interesting. You can use all distilled vinegar if that’s all you have at home.
Natural sweeteners for the win
Choosing maple syrup or honey instead of plain sugar offers some extra flavor and intrigue, while making these pickles naturally sweetened. I don’t recommend making these pickles without any sweetener—they’re well-balanced with it, but quite vinegary and pungent without it.
Make a pint or three
The recipe as written below yields a pint-sized jar of pickles (I used this cute Weck jar—that’s an affiliate link). You could easily double or triple the recipe for a big party or barbecue; just use several pint jars or one large jar.
Fair warning
This recipe will make your kitchen smell of vinegar, so you might want to run your stovetop vent while you’re making these pickles.
Uses for Quick-Pickled Onions
These onions are utterly delicious on:
- Tacos
- Burritos
- Nachos
- Burgers
- Sandwiches
- Salads
- Basically anything that needs a crisp, spicy-sweet finish!
Craving more pickles? Don’t miss my classic pickled cucumbers, quick-pickled jalapeño peppers, quick-pickled vegetables and quick-pickled radishes. So good!
Watch How to Make Quick Pickled Onions
Quick-Pickled Onions
Learn how to make quick-pickled onions! This tangy and crisp pickled onion recipe is ready in 30 minutes. These onions are the perfect condiment for tacos, burritos, nachos, burgers and more. Recipe yields 2 cups.
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or additional white vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
Instructions
- Pack the onions into a 1-pint mason jar or similar heat-safe vessel. Place the jar in the sink, to catch any splashes of hot vinegar later.
- In a small saucepan, combine the water, both vinegars, maple syrup, salt, and pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then carefully pour the mixture into the jar over the onions.
- Use a butter knife or spoon to press the onions down into the vinegar and pop any air bubbles in the jar. Let the pickled onions cool to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes), at which point they should be sufficiently pickled for serving.
- Cover and refrigerate leftover pickled onions for later. Quick-pickled onions are best consumed within three days, but they keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Notes
Make it vegan: Be sure to use maple syrup instead of honey.
Can I can it? No. This recipe is a “refrigerator pickle” recipe. It is not designed for canning in a water bath, and it has not been tested for canning safety. Please do not attempt! Follow a recipe specifically designed for canning instead.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
These are delicious! I am definitely going to keep a jar of these on hand at all times. Perfectly balanced. Thanks!!
You’re welcome, Tina!
I love having something simple on hand to make something extra special! I’ve made this recipe twice, as written, and the pickled onions have given personality to a lot of regular dishes in my weekly rotation! I’ll also admit they’re still tasty and crisp coming to the end of their shelf life! Thanks for a go-to recipe
You’re welcome, Victoria!
I made these & have had them in my fridge for salads – they are delicious. Like many others, I do not like raw onions on my salads/sandwiches. These are a delicious alternative. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Heidi!
I made this and added I bulb crush garlic and 2 jalepeno peppers …very good!
I’m glad you loved it, Natocia!
I’ve been making this recipe for a couple of months now. It’s just wonderful. I pile the pickled onions high on my veggie burgers. The combination of vinegars is perfect—not too harsh. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Debbie!
Hi! I’m in the process of making this – so far so good. One clarification though: Do you keep the leftover onions in the pickling juice? Or do you strain them from the pickling juice and store them separately? Thanks in advance – you’re right, this is a very easy recipe!
I’m sorry for my delayed response! Store everything together. Keep the juice and the onions together. Make sense?
Thanks for having just the recipe I needed. Good, simple directions.
You’re welcome, Elizabeth! Thank you for your review.
Another recipe from you that didn’t disappoint! I made it before with olive oil but didn’t like the heaviness. Yours is truly crisp and transforms any dish!
Great addition to my daily dishes. Thank you
Thank you for your comment and review, Madina!
Love this recipe. Quick, easy, delicious. I add a good pinch of peppercorns for a bit of extra heat. It’s my new favourite go-to condiment. It also makes a great summertime hostess gift.
Thanks for sharing, Christine!
Hey! These look great! Do you think that I could can them and have them last a while? Has anyone tried canning these?
Dear Cookie & Kate, I find myself again at a recipe by you, these also would work very well in coleslaw, I like a good spicy coleslaw, like Furr’s restaurant did, maybe still does, but there aren’t anymore in California, and that’s a shame. Thank you again, for allowing me to use your time.
I tried this – now I’m addicted! They turn a salad into a real treat! Great for people like me who have salad every day. Thank you!
Love to hear that! Thanks for sharing, Marie.
Solid. Glad I tried this recipe. I’ve never pickled anything before but this seemed approachable and delicious. Am catering a party this weekend for 60 people, making two types of “build your own tacos,” and will make this as an accompaniment. I may try doing pickled jalapeños as well. Thank you, yet again.
Thank you, Joshua!
Just what I was looking for. The other evening I was watching a “master chef” video and when they mentioned pickled onions I wondered why I’d never thought of pickling some.
By the way (and slightly off-topic), it would be nice if you had a recipe for pickled bluefish. Cooked bluefish is virtually inedible unless fried, but pickled bluefish? Delicious. I had a recipe for it back in the 90’s and lost it, and none of the recipes I’ve found online remind me of the process of pickling the fish…. it takes between 4 and 7 days to do it right.
Thanks for the nice recipe for the onions!
Hi Eric, thanks for your comment. I’m not expert being vegetarian when it comes to fish, but I hope you find something you can enjoy!
Made these repeatedly. Love them! No pepper flakes, but mustard seeds instead. – Now, may I ask, when the onions are all eaten, what do you do with the delicious brine that’s left over? Last time I made a little reduction out of it. This time I wonder, could you boil it up again and use it to quick-pickle a second batch of onions? What are your professional thoughts on this? – Thank you!
I haven’t tried it! I’d be worried of spoilage. I would recommend starting over.
Wonderful recipe! Onions came out pleasantly crunchy and tangy! I threw in some radishes as well. It was a nice light pickle, not overwhelmingly vinegar-y. Can’t believe how easy it was too!! Will definitely do it again. Thanks so much, Kate, for another terrific recipe!
Water is unnecessary in pickled onions. Produces an inferior pickle. There are better recipes out there.
I’m sorry you don’t love this recipe, Linda. I appreciate your feedback.
Thank you. I will try it.
I’ve made made this a number of times – sometimes w/honey and sometimes w/maple syrup. This is the BEST quick pickling recipe E.V.E.R!
Love to hear that! Thanks for sharing, Margie.
Love this recipe I made it using maple syrup and yum will recommend this recipe to anyone it is so quick and easy to make
Have made this several times within the last couple of months…and will continue to do so. Incredibly easy. LOVE them!
So delicious!! And so quick to make!
Thank you for your review, Jessica!
Hi, very tasty! I think that the liquid could be mixed with oil and it would make a great salad dressing. No waste and homemade dressing is the best anyway!
Thank you, Heidi!
Believe it or not, pickled onions are great on orange salad. Take off the peel and pith from a few navels, slice them and arrange on a platter. Drizzle with a lemon juice olive oil vinaigrette sprinkle with som chopped mint and top with the onions. It may sound counter intuitive but it’s delicious
Thanks for sharing! That does sound like a good combination.
The smell of vinegar was totally overwhelming! So much so that my husband asked me if I was busy with a scientific experiment… Lol!
But boy, oh boy! It was totally worth it! They are divine!! I made double to use my red onions before they go off. I will definitely make it again. But I will have to multiply the recipe a couple of times. Hubby and me almost polished the jar last night.
I’m glad you thought it was worth it, Nicolette!
I made this recipe this morning for my avocado toast and it was great! Quick, easy and delicious! Looking forward to putting them on tacos. Thanks!
I made this for the first time then immediately made it again and again and again…it’s so good and easy! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Kim!
I have made this recipe twice so far. I made it vegan by using Agave syrup instead of honey, and I like the taste better than maple syrup. I like to put them on bagels topped with avocado and other sandwiches, but they are great on anything!
Needed quick pickled onions for salmon tacos and this was quick, easy and delicious! Heed the warning on the smell and use your hood vent!!
Made these yesterday for a taco night. So glad I did, I couldn’t stop eating them!! I plan on eating them again with burgers tonight. So easy and delicious, I definitely will be coming back again to make more.
Great to hear, Angela!
These are amazing. I used a mandolin to keep them really thin. Used them after 20 impatient minutes on a chick pea salad. PERFECTION!
Thank you, Christine!
Hi! I have never pickled anything before. I have always wanted to, just thought it would be difficult to do. So I am going to give it a shot. I really like pickled red onions, I can’t wait to make them!! Thank you for the instructions, I really appreciate what you do. Respectfully, Mary Jo
Thank you for sharing, Mary!
Is it possible to make these without any added sugars? Or will it completely ruin it?
Hey Christel, you can certainly omit the sweetener. They’re going to be extra-pungent without it (I don’t like sweet pickles at all, but find that a tiny bit of sweetener tames the intensity of the onions a bit).
Would love to try this! Can we slice up some chillies and add to this for extra spice? Or would you not recommend that? Thanks!
For sure, sounds like a great idea!
This recipe was so easy to do and healthy. It also helps with preserving my fresh vegetables which unfortunately tends to constantly go bad. Also beautiful in my mason jar. Thanks!
Hi Kate, i tried this receipe yesterday and it came out so well!! A delicious addition to our Indian meal
My grandmother taught me to make those onions 30 years ago… they’re amazing with turkey dinners
I made this quick pickle this afternoon and it was delicious. Delicious enough to eat straight from the jar! I love red onion and this is a great way to use it. I have a feeling that this is going to become a favourite and i’ll be making it often. I used kiwifruit vinegar (I am a Kiwi after all) and it worked beautifully.
I’ve been looking for something to spruce up my salads, tacos, and other dishes so I decided to give pickled red onions a shot.
This recipe was perfect and produced crisp, crunchy, and tasty red onions. I opted to skip out on the crushed red pepper and supplemented the honey with a tiny bit of sugar.
I was blown away by how good they came out. I found myself eating them straight out of the jar. I’m also eager to try this recipe with pickled shallots, too!
We have made this several times now. It’s easy and tastes great with so many things! Nachos, fajitas, burgers, steak, etc. It’s a perfect fresh crunch. I want to try it with other veggies! Have you tried this recipe and technique for cucumbers or carrots or anything else?
Thanks, Tonya! This method works great for thinly sliced carrot, cucumber and radish—I know that much!
Ooh, carrots. Great idea! That’s what i’ll be making next.
Fantastic recipe—made it once and then lost this recipe and used another one that did not work out-not even close. I found it again and bookmarked it so I won’t lose it this time. Used maple syrup and two different types of vinegar along with the other ingredients are an awesome combination. Great with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers on a Triscuit!
I made this and it turned out great. So good on my tacos. But, the next time I made it, I doubled the recipe. The first batch went way too quick. Yum!!!
Should I drain the vinegar mixture before storing them in the fridge?
Nope! You want to keep them in the mixture.
So easy and incredibly delicious. Used it on our carnitas and it MADE the dish special.
Thank you for the recipe Kate! I have a question. I noticed that in all your pickling recipes the water/vinegar/honey/salt ratio is a little bit different. Is there a reason for this or could I use this recipe to pickle anything?
Hi Lise! It really has been about the type of produce, what it needs to properly pickle and flavor. I hope this helps!
Ever made these with yellow onions or sweet onions? I never buy red ones – I don’t like their texture.
You can try it!
These were amazing, super easy and tasty. First time I did it with honey (since we raise bees) as you suggested instead of sugar from some other recipes I used in the past and brilliant. Thanks for sharing.
I won’t need the onions until Easter. Would a week be enough time for them to pickle if I do NOT heat first?
Thanks for a cool recipe. I love veggies so this is perfect!
Hi Mj! I’m not sure. The heat helps these get started. Quick-pickled onions are best consumed within three days, but they keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
I’ll go with your tried-n-true recipe then! Thank you!!!
Hi Kate
I have been a follower of yours for a while now and among many others this recipe is simple and just GREAT. :) Both my husband and I love these onions as a special touch to a number of dishes. I recommend to try it.
Ok, we made these last night for some black bean tacos and oh my goodness- YUM! I’m not a fan of raw onions and I’m pregnant so I was a little worried but thought I would give them a shot. Soooo good!!! I’m about to make more bc we’re almost out of the first batch (between my hubby and I eating them like crazy) and we need some for our veggie burgers tonight!! Thank you