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.
There’s actually enough brine for two jars, and I used three onions (cut in half and then sliced). Made this on Friday and used it on a hotdog on Saturday – delish!
I’m not sure what happened; today there was only enough brine to cover the one pint jar, so I made another recipe of it which also covered the other pint jar! I still used three onions, which filled the canning jars perfectly – can’t wait to use them again. It’s so nice you don’t have to wait long :)
Man, these were perfect. I made them for some flank steak tacos and they were just fantastic. I can’t wait to pickle some more stuff!
Thanks for the great quick recipe. Was scrounging for what to do with leftover rice and beans. Only had some yellow onions so I used those instead. So dinner tonight was quesadillas with rice and bean, pickled onion, lettuce and chopped avocado stuffing. Little greek yogurt subbing in for sour cream, and I had dinner from an almost bare refrigerator.
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review, LA.
Absolutely delicious
These were so delicious on top of avocado toast with some Everything but the Bagel seasoning.
These are just DELICIOUS!!!! I have never pickled anything before (hangs head in shame) and now I wonder why I came to the party so late! A friend sent me the link to your site, and I will also try your pickled cucumber recipe.
So tangy and flavoursome and just – yummy!!
I’m delighted you love this recipe, Gilly! Thank you for your review.
I now make these all the time. Throw a few rings on Avocado toast for a beautiful color and a great little zing. Perfect for falafel, Sammies, sprinkle on poached egg on toast, tuna salad. Definitely on the weekly rotation.
So good. So easy. I’ve made these several times. This time I added a clove of garlic and a thinly sliced jalapeno. So many uses! Thinking maybe potato salad, cucumbers…
These are sooo good.
I’m glad you loved them! I appreciate your review, Anjie.
I added a few whole peppercorns and maybe ⅛tsp of minced garlic to add a little more complexity. I didn’t want to add too much garlic since onion and garlic are both powerhouse ingredients but they’re very complementary. This is the first try at this recipe, and we haven’t tried them yet but the house smells AMAZING (and pungent lol). Thank you for this oh-so-easy to follow recipe!!
I have made these many times- they are so easy and yet add so much flavor to your meal! I like to serve with BBQ sandwiches, shredded beef tacos, and roasts!
That’s great, Angela. I appreciate your review!
These are delicious. I’ve tried different recipes for pickled onions and these are my favourite. Will definitely make them again.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing.
This is an excellent recipe, which I have used so many times that I have it memorized now, and have shared the link with a number of friends. Thank you for posting it! I was recently given a huge bag of onions, and I find myself wondering if this recipe would work for canning. Maybe?
Hi! This or my Mujadara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions) would be delicious!
Loved your recipe. Especially, combining the two different types of vinegar. Also, the heating of the liquids made a huge difference.
THANKS..A wonderful topping for the tex-mex meatballs I made.
You’re welcome, Marleen! Thank you for your review.
Do you pour off the pickling solution after it has cooled or do you leave the onions in the solution when you put the leftovers in the fridge?
Hi! You want to store the liquid with the onions. I hope you love them!
Love the ease of the recipe and the added idea of a little red pepper flakes. ?took me back to my grandmother’s hot dilled pickles.
Easy and delicious!!
Wife and her mom love a cream cheese and lox (with capers and pickled onions) appetizer at a local restaurant. When they switched to just raw onions it simply wasn’t as good.
Bought some lox yesterday but couldn’t find pickled onions anywhere…found your recipe this am, but simmered the liquid outside on the grill’s side burner. Momma was so surprised when she got back (no smelly kitchen to tip her off) Better than the restaurant’s!
Now I can say I have lived….yum-oh
Yes! I’m happy you enjoyed them.
Can other type onions be used like sweet onion
I prefer red, but it can work with other types.
What liquid do you store the in
Hi Deb! I’m not sure I understand your question.
I quadrupled this recipe and pickled both onions and jalapenos. So good! I used maple syrup and the sweetness didn’t completely cut through the heat from the peppers, which I love. I’ve been kind of disappointed with store-bought tamed jalapenos so I was hoping this recipe would bring that vinegar tang without totally getting rid of the spice. It was a success! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Emmie.
I just made these so I haven’t tasted them yet but from just breathing in the aroma…..I know I will like them. My comment is to say how wonderful it was that you successfully answered every commenter that I read. I appreciated that as it really makes one feel a connection with you. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Carole! Thank you for your review.
So delicious! Perfect balance of sweet and sour.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Corina! Thank you for your review.
I make these at least once a week. My husband and I love them on just about everything. They add a lot of flavor to a vegan diet. Love! Love! Love!
That’s great, Brandi! Thank you for your review.
Hello!
This sounds amazing and I am about to make some, but I was wondering, could I use only ACV if I may not have white vinegar? I do have everything else:)
Hi, sure that could work. Though, it may be more potent. Let me know what you think!
Thank you for this recipe! So easy and my family loves them! We use them on so many things.
Yes, they are great on so many things! Thank you for sharing, Tanya.
Would this be a good recipe for pickling other things as well ie. carrots? I somehow have ended up with a TON of carrots and a TON of white onions. Thanks!
Hi Tiffany, I haven’t tried pickling carrots so I can’t say for sure.
Great recipe! I was hesitant to add sugar, but a small glug of honey provided balance without overt sweetness. Red chili flakes went in my brine, and a clove of garlic went into each jar (of 2) before stuffing the onions in.
That brine is amazing–I added a tablespoon or two to a lackluster tomato sauce and it went from okay to excellent.
Thank you!
Wird question but How many carbs are in this?
Hi Kyle, the nutrition information is below the notes section. Enjoy!
Kate. I have made this recipe several times in the past 2 months after searching for a recipe. I have made with honey and maple syrup. Always comes out great. I love them. I do use cayenne powder instead of flakes. Thanks for sharing this online.
Wonderful, Peter! Thank you for your review.
I recently discovered that I like pickled onions. I had never tried them on their own before and was concerned about the strong vinegar flavor, but they were perfect for my tacos and salad! Can’t wait to try them on other stuff now!
That’s great, Krystina! Thank you for your review.
These pickled onions are amazing! (And that’s coming from a raw onion HATER.)
I’m happy these won you over, Donna! Thank you for your review.
So I am not afraid to say I tried this recipe with Vidalia onions a week or so ago. Today I tried it also with Zuchini and Garlic Scapes, and in a separate jar Lemons/Limes. I also subbed out the white distilled for mostly Balsamic for a more pungent pucker. Use the Maple syrup for complexity and to play down the red pepper flakes.
I didn’t have any white vinegar but I did have white balsamic so I used that instead with the Apple cider vinegar and OH MY where they good. We had them over loaded sweet potatoes with cumin black beans, avocado, and BBQ sauce and they were amazing.
Tried this recipe and oh my goodness. How quick and easy. Thanks so much for coming up with it. I am printing it off to keep in my own recipe book in the kitchen. Brilliant. 5 stars.
Great recipe! I have to admit I cheated a bit: instead of heating up the liquids on the stove, I put them in my big Pyrex measuring cup and used the microwave. Not only does it work just fine, but it makes filling the jars much easier.
love this recipe, I make then all the time. Thank you
Super quick and easy to make! It’s amazing how such a simple recipe can take a meal from good to great. My favorite way to use these pickled onions is on a homemade veggie burger. 5 stars.
Yes, delicious on a veggie burger! Thank you for your review, Liane.
Absolutely love these and will be making them over and over again. So far I have added them to tacos and breakfast burritos and I’m hooked. Thank you for this great and easy recipe ❤
You’re welcome, Rua!
Super easy and delicious. I added some thinly sliced Fresno chiles to give it some heat.
These are delicious! I am on my second batch!
Wanted to jump on the bandwagon here: this is a great recipe! I’ll be using it for years to come. I’ve been making a beet salad for a while now, and I’m always looking for a better recipe for the dressing; found it! I make a batch of onions, and a separate batch to soak the beets (1 recipe to 3 cans drained plain sliced beets; NOT pickled). After beets have sat for 24 hrs, I drain them and dump the onions and brine over the “quick pickled” beets. That’s how I store them in the fridge; to serve I dish out some of the veg and “dressing”, add some crumbly cheese (either bleu, goat, or feta; all are great!), and add either pecans or walnuts (when I’m doing it fancy for a holiday I candy the nuts first). Oh, I use frozen oj concentrate (not reconstituted, 1.5 tb of concentrate) as the sweetener.
Thank you! I’m happy you enjoyed it, Bethany.
I was inspired today and made this recipe to accompany black beans, cilantro lime rice and creamy avocado dip. It was easy and loved how the onions tasted.
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Gilda.
This is my go to pickled onion recipe. Perfect tacos and nachos. I also use the extra juice to make a spicy mayo.
Thank you
For those of you who re-use the liquid- do you re-boil it before using in another batch or before mixing with yogurt for salad dressing? How long can you extend/re-use one batch of liquid? Thank you kindly!
Wondering if yellow or sweet onions would work?
You can use them, although the flavor will be slightly different.
Words cannot describe this wonderful & easy recipe…. I continue to make them and added 1 clove garlic to the jar along with the chili pepper flakes. Game changer. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for your review, Rebecca!
Awesome and easy recipe! These things take salads and sandwiches to the next level. We always keep these on hand now. Absolute game changer! Thanks!
We just love this super simple delicious recipe. I had no idea that it was so simple to make until I did it. I think I will have some pickled onions on my eggs this morning.
They are good on so much! Thank you for your review.