Quick pickled red onions are all kinds of easy and all kinds of delicious. Marinated onions can be used in all sorts of dishes, from breakfast to appetizers and main dishes.
If you are looking for a condiment to give your tacos, nachos, salads and burgers a tangy kick, look no further than these Quick Pickled Red Onions.
Pickling red onions takes a lot of the raw onion bite out of them but still keeps some of the fabulous oniony flavor. This recipe also gets some heat from sliced jalapeño peppers.
What ingredients do you need:
RED ONION: You want to thinly slice them. Thick sliced onions won’t work as well in this recipe
GARLIC: Minced small.
JALAPEÑO: This is totally optional. It does make the onions a bit spicier. If you don’t want them to be too spicy, you can absolutely leave it out.
CUMIN: Adds a touch of smokiness that makes these the perfect topping for tacos.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: Gives these pickled red onions the tanginess that you associate with pickles.
SALT: No special salt needed, kosher works fine.
SUGAR: Sugar helps cut the acidity of the vinegar.
Step by Step Instructions:
A couple great things about his recipe, unlike traditional pickles, you don’t need any special equipment. No canning equipment. Not even any cooking!
All you need to do is whisk together the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and cumin in a large bowl. Next, add the red onions, jalapeños and garlic. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
DES’ TIP: Make sure that the onions and jalapeños are submerged in the vinegar mixture so that they all pickle.
How long do quick pickled red onions last?
Because these red onions are not canned, they need to be kept in the refrigerator. As far as leftovers, I prefer my onions to still have a bit of a crunch to them so I say they are best eaten within a week. They start to get soft after a while.
Looking for something to put these pickled red onions on? Try these adding them to these recipes:
Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce
Onion fan? Check out these recipes where onions are the star!
Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2014. It was updated in 2021 with new photos and nutrition facts.
Servings
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 medium red onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 - 2 jalapenos (sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
Instructions
- Whisk together vinegar, water, sugar, salt and cumin. Continue whisking until sugar is dissolved.
- Place red onion, jalapenos and garlic in a bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over the top. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Cover and chill for an additional 1 - 2 hours. Serve.
- Store onions covered in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Will keep refrigerated for about a week.
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Hi Kathi, I am not sure since I don’t use Stevia. However, since it’s just used to balance out the acidity of the vinegar, I think it would be ok!
Can you use Stevia instead of real sugar?
You are so welcome!
Wow, I’ve been making pickled onions for a long time, but the jalapeños & cumin added something extra. Thank you!!!
[…] Pozole is a rich stew that is usually made with pork shoulder, lots of dried arbol chilies, onion, and starchy hominy. Pozole is awesome because it’s served with a colorful array of garnishes so everyone can make their bowl just right. I love to top mine with avocado, garden fresh radishes, and a few of those spicy pickled onions. […]
Well I am kind of in love with that idea!
I love pickled onions and have been wondering the best way to make them. Now I know :)
Is it weird that I want to drink the juice? It’s so pretty, hehe :)
This makes me want a refrigerator filled with little jars of beautifully colored condiments :) Bet they taste great, too!
Aside from just being so pretty, these look delicious too! In fact, I just posted about bacon-stuffed waffles this morning, and I suggested changing up toppings to include caramelized onions. Well, why not spicy pickled onions?! That would be a flavor BOMB together! :o)
Oh man do these look good! Definitely a condiment that should be in every fridge!
I LOVE pickled onions. They’re great for tacos, and I love throwing it on a salad, too!
These pickled onions will surely perk-up tacos or nachos as you mentioned! Love the idea! Thanks for sharing.
They look amazing and so easy to make! Perfect when you have a BBQ with friends or family!!