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.
Great with Italian Tropea onions
Alessandra
Pisa, Italy
Love this recipe! Easy and delicious.
Thank you
You’re welcome, Mani! Thank you for sharing.
This is by far the best pickled red onion recipe I’ve found! I make ALL the time. So simple.
I use a hack to make it even speedier: I add my measured boiled water (from teakettle) directly to the brine. I allow the kettle water to cool slightly (one min?) before adding.
Word to the wise: Only try this method with a thick container and do all of your prep in the sink basin. Also, using a wide-mouth funnel helps to avoid any spills. Yummage! Thank you for this now staple recipe!!
You’re welcome, Sadie!
These are the BOMB on smoked salmon / cream cheese bagels
And most other things too
Can I substitute sugar as the sweetener ?
Hi Mariann, this recipe is best as written. I hope you can try it!
Do you store them in the liquid?
Yes. I hope you enjoy them!
Hi Kate,
How do I make whole pickled onions? The kind you find in old school fish shops. In Australia 333’s make a fair one that is commercially available.
I would love to make my own, to go with my battered snapper recipe.
I don’t have a recipe for that. Sorry!
Oh, this is wonderful! I’ve been wanting to make pickled red onions for yonks, and just never done it. I was looking for a quick method to make before friends arrived for lunch a few days ago. I stopped scrolling when I saw yours as I always use honey instead of sugar in all my preserves, and this looked perfect. I made it for lunch, and everyone asked for more.
So I then made a big batch (15 onions), and my son and I have just done a delivery of jars to my neighbours. Just in time for lunch on a sunny day ☀️
Oh, this is wonderful! I’ve been wanting to make pickled red onions for yonks, and just never done it. I was looking for a quick method to make before friends arrived for lunch a few days ago. I stopped scrolling when I saw yours as I always use honey instead of sugar in all my preserves, and this looked perfect. I made it for lunch, and everyone asked for more.
So I then made a big batch (15 onions), and my son and I have just done a delivery of jars to my neighbours. Just in time for lunch on a sunny day.
Thank you from Somerset, UK ☀️
That’s a lot of onions! I’m excited you love them and are sharing them. I appreciate your review, Anna.
These are easy and great!! I’ll be making them again!
That’s great to hear, AB! Thank you for sharing.
absolutely yummy and so fast, I am the mom and wife that forgets to check on what is in the fridge for dinner until just before dinner. With this I was able to elevate the quick lamb koftas, tomato salad, homemade hummus (also a quick 3 min recipe) and quick homemade pitas. The boys were getting seconds and thirds, they finished the entire jar with dinner. I am making it just a day later again for our burgers and sweet potato fries, mmm cannot wait!
I love to hear that, Nancy! I appreciate your review.
These are so easy and so tasty! We love having them around to throw in salads, on sandwiches and with Mexican-style egg recipes for breakfast. Thanks, Kate!
You’re welcome, Alison! Thank you for your review.
I have probably made this pickled onion recipe at least 20 times. Love that it’s sugar free and sooooo tasty. I use the lefter over brine in dressings and sometimes when I make sushi rice.
I most often have it with avocado or hummus with a fried egg on toast for breakfast.
Thanks so much!
You’re welcome, Lisanne!
Thank you for the recpe! I love pickled onions and wanted a recipe that used honey instead of sugar. I am eliminating as much sugar from my life as I can. These will be wonderful, I am sure.
These are dope! I skipped the red pepper flakes since I was making it for folks who are afraid of spice, and they still turned out awesome!
Wonderful, Eric!
I’ve made these several times now and they’re a game changer!
Yum. Yum. And Yum. Made this once before and stored in fridge for months. Burgers, salads, sandwiches….Yum again
Neelam
Great to hear, Neelam!
Hi Kate:
I pickle just about everything. Only refrigerator veggies, no canning involved. These quick pickled onions are fabulous! Love that they’re ready in 30 min. Making another batch tomorrow. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing, Joanne!
These were not good. They just tasted like raw red onions.
Hi Brooke, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you let it rest the correct amount of time? They will still be onions, but a different taste.
I love this pickled onion recipe! I used to use a very similar recipe but the auther changed her recipe and did not archive the one I’d been using; so I lost that recipe. I love the ease of putting freshly simmered brine over raw onion
I use the Great Value brand of pickling spices instead of the pepper flakes and stevia as the sweetener.
Please don’t change your recipe! It’s wonderful as is!
Great to hear, Andi!
Kate, I am on a low-salt diet. If I reduced the salt by maybe 2/3rds would it ruin the recipe?
I love the recipe. Just one question what kind of fruit can I mix with the onion. I try mango its was good but what else will good
I’m not sure about mixing fruit into this. Sorry!
I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved them. I added a little extra red pepper flakes and cut my onions thicker.
Thank you for your review, Karin!
Hello, can i use brown/yellow onions for this recipe?
You can try it. I prefer this best as written.
This is a fantastic recipe. I used hot honey and skipped the pepper flakes. SO GOOD!
Thank you for your review, Terri!
I can’t wait to try this! I have many food sensitivities and cannot have store bought condiments or sauces, which makes some (maybe most…lol) foods very boring. I have found that I seem to be able to tolerate making pickled foods at home, so I am very excited to try this! I love onions, and I am sure I will love pickled onions!
I hope you love them, Michelle!
Are the onions crisp. I’m dicing them to go in a fresh dip and they need crispness
They still maintains some crispy texture.
Excellent. I now live in France and pickles here are gherkins rather than onions. I can’t even make my own pickled onions as I’ve never seen the small ones for sale.
However, I made this recipe to serve with a proper pork pie for a party this evening and it was delicious and my French friends thought so too.
I’ll keep this.
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed them, Steve!
Quick, easy and delicious! I used red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar – and added the red pepper flakes. We liked the hint of heat.
Great to hear, Aimless!
These are so delicious, but they are definitively an acquired taste. I put salmon flavored cream cheese on crackers and drape the pickled onions over the cracker. So good!! Thank you!!
I gave it a little zip and added some hot honey!
I have also replaced 1/8 of the white vinegar with OJ and it is delicious. A friend who managed a Mexican Food Restaurant, gave me the hint that is how they did theirs. So I tried it. Spot on with the taste.
Great simple recipe Kate!
I added some sliced red jalapeños to my last batch instead of using the pepper flakes for extra spice, and if you eat the picked goodness fairly quickly the fluid works really well for brining chicken meat.
Thanks for sharing your kitchen tips!
You’re welcome, Andrew!
Easy and quite good, zero complaints.
Paired this with some raw red cabbage on rock fish tacos and loved it…will for sure keep this as a repeat recipe…thank you much!
Great to hear, Gary! Thank you for sharing.
I love this recipe and have used it with other veggies, too. I am wondering if it is OK to reuse the brine if it’s only been in the frig a few days. Seems like it is a waste to toss. Thoughts??
I recommend making the brine every time for best results. Thank you for sharing how much you love it, Anne!
Thanks so much for your recipe. I do think though that suggesting sugar is not a natural sweetener is a stretch too far since it’s produced from a plant as maple syrup is. Just a thought. Maree
I made them per your recipe and also added 3 slices of my scotch bonnet chili peppers for a little heat – absolutely scrumptious!
I’ve been making those onions for years and they are my absolute favourite choice of of an add-on to various meats, be it grilled or fried, as well as salads. What a versatile little snack – and so delicious!
Great to hear, Aneta! I appreciate your comment.
These are by far the best pickled onions I’ve ever made. Never using another recipe again!!
I love this recipe! These onions are great on sandwiches, rice bowls, black beans, etc. Thank you.
Love this recipe for pickled onions. I make it all the time. My question is about pickled beets. Could I use this brine to make pickled beets? Most pickled beet recipes don’t lend themselves to a sweeter tasting brine and beets.
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
This is my “go-to” pickled red onion recipe. They’re perfect in salads and sandwiches, as well as straight from the jar!
I love to hear that, Kairle! I appreciate your review.
Dear Kate
Your pickled onion recipe is amazing and so healthy, I am making batches of it for family and friends and we all love it. So delicious!
Thank you
You’re welcome, Marilyn! I appreciate your review.
Just seen I can put iPad on cook mode so screen doesn’t to sleep, love it. Now to pickle some onions!
I love pickled red onions, and these sure beat the commercial brand that I’ve been buying by a mile. So delicious. So addicting. So easy to make. I can’t wait to try them out on my avocado toast. {Next time, I’ll double the recipe!}
They are delicious on avocado toast! I’m happy you enjoy this recipe, Elisabeth.
So easy and so perfectly balanced – thank you :)
You’re welcome!
Easy, quick, and delicious! I have learned to always trust your recipes. This was wonderfully simple and so good.
My favorite of yours to date is the sweet potato enchilada casserole from the book. I topped it with a dollop of thick, Greek yogurt, pomegranate seeds, and some chipotle salsa! Wow was it great! Thanks again for consistently reliable and tasty recipes!
You’re welcome, Pamela!
Simple, easy recipe that tastes fabulous! Also love that it doesn’t have a lot of sugar!