• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Shared Appetite

  • Home
  • About
    • Who I am
    • Contact me
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Dinner
      • Main Dishes
      • Sides
      • Meat
      • Poultry
      • Pasta
      • Soups
      • Salads
      • Quick + Easy
      • Budget Friendly
    • Desserts
    • Special Diet
      • Gluten-Free
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Paleo
      • Healthy Eating
    • Breakfast
    • Game Day
  • Recipe Index
  • Where I Eat
    • Eating Database
    • NYC
    • Paris
    • San Francisco
  • Resources
    • How To Start A Food Blog
    • Blogger Resources
    • Food Photography
  • Work With Me
    • Media Kit
    • Press
    • Contact
You are here: Home / Budget Friendly / Easy Pickled Onions

Easy Pickled Onions

By Chris Cockren

pickled onions

Asheley loves pickles.  LOVES them.  I even got her an “I Love Pickles” t-shirt for Christmas.  She wears it with a smile on her face and pride in her heart.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the conventional cucumber pickle.  They just don’t do it for me, unless we are talking about those little bread and butter pickle chips.  I’ve liked those since I was a little squirt of a kid.

But we’re about to embark upon a completely different story.  Pickled onions are a precious gift.  I cherish them.  I adore them.  And they are ridiculously easy to make.  5 minutes and you’re done.

pickled onions

You can add pickled onions to pretty much anything and it will taste better.  They add a perfect, tart crunch to sandwiches, burgers, salads, nachos, tacos, and really anything else you can think to add them to.

red onions

And it really is as easy as mixing up a quick brine solution and pouring it over a thinly sliced onion.  No cooking required.

pickled onions

The pickled onions really taste best once they’ve had at least a day to relax and chill out in the brine bath.  And they last for a few weeks kept refrigerated.

I always try to have a mason jar full of them in the fridge… you don’t want to be unexpectedly caught pickled-onion-empty-handed.  That would just be plain embarrassing.

pickled onions

I attended a pickling seminar this past fall at the NYC Wine and Food Festival, hosted by Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian.  He mentioned that when he cooks a dish and feels like it’s missing a certain something, 9 times out of 10 he ends up adding some sort of pickled vegetable.  The power of the pickle!

pickled onions

Go ahead and use red onions.  You won’t achieve this vibrant pink color with any other onions, unless your talking about adding some artificial food dye to your pickled onions.  And really, why would you do that?

pickled onions

You’re going to see a bunch of recipes coming up in the next couple of weeks that include these pickled onions.  Get ready now and whip up a batch.  It will literally take you 5 minutes, unless you are out of red onions and need to go the store.  In which case, can you pick me up some milk?  I’m out of milk.

pickled onions

I’ll just come out right now and say You’re Welcome, since I’m pretty sure you’ll want to thank me after adding pickled onions to your condiment pantry.

I found this recipe in one of my recent issues of Bon Appetit…

Print

Easy Pickled Onions

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together until sugar and salt is fully dissolved.
  2. Place onion in a jar or bowl (I like to use a mason jar). Pour vinegar mixture over the onions and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour if you’re in a rush. Preferably, cover jar or bowl and place in refrigerator for at least 1 day. Pickled onions will last for a few weeks stored in the refrigerator.
  3. Use pickled onions to top tacos, nachos, sandwiches, salads, and more!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @chris_SharedAppetite on Instagram and hashtag it #SharedAppetite

Filed Under: Budget Friendly, Condiments, Gluten-Free, Healthy Eating, Mexican, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: condiment, cook, cooking, easy pickled onions, mexican, onions, pickled onions, quick pickled onions

By Categories

By Date

Search

Previous Post: « 10 Ways To Immediately Improve Your Cooking
Next Post: Roasted Tomatillo Salsa »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lokness

    April 2, 2013 at 6:07 pm

    I love pickled onions, but not sure how to make them. Thanks a lot for sharing. Love to try this.

  2. Christina

    April 12, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    Add cabbage! My MexiMan makes this all the time (with a little jalapeño and carrot) and we put it on everything. You should look up
    A recipe for tostadas!

  3. Linda

    August 1, 2013 at 3:49 pm

    I just now found your website while looking for Strawberry Habenero Jam recipe. Saw your Pickled Onions recipe and you mention you have several recipes incorporating pickled onions. Can you mention a few of those recipes. Thank you!

    • Chris

      August 1, 2013 at 8:58 pm

      Hi Linda, thanks so much for stopping by! Yes, check out Carnitas Tacos with Pickled Onions and Salsa Verde and Numpang Pulled Pork Sandwich. I also love to add them to Pulled Pork Sandwiches, burgers, salads, nachos, and more!

  4. Joan Johnson

    January 13, 2014 at 9:09 pm

    I made a quart of these last month and my oh my – they were wonderful! We just finished up the jar last night. We’ve put them on hamburgers, hot dogs, pork chops, meatloaf, you name it. I’ll be making more very soon. Thanks for a great “keeper” of a recipe.

    • Chris

      January 13, 2014 at 11:08 pm

      So glad you loved the pickled onions, Joan! Aren’t they great with pretty much everything?! I love putting them on burgers, sandwiches, and Mexican-type things. YUM!

  5. Beth

    January 15, 2014 at 1:16 am

    After you make these, do you continue to store them in the vinegar/water liquid mixture, or do you drain them?

    • Chris

      January 15, 2014 at 10:15 am

      Yes Beth, keep and store them in the liquid mixture. This is what’s going to pickle them and will actually keep them from spoiling b/c of the vinegar. I’ve had a jar of them in the fridge for weeks and weeks without it going bad.

  6. Matthew

    June 6, 2014 at 12:57 pm

    Could I use distilled white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar?

    • Chris

      June 7, 2014 at 4:05 am

      Hmmm probably, although it would probably change the flavor a little. Cider vinegar has a lighter taste. The acidity in apple cider vinegar is normally 5-6%, versus distilled white which is normally somewhere in the range of 4-7%… since they are pretty similiar in the acidity range, you can swap out the apple cider for the distilled white and still get the pickled effect. Let me know how it turns out!

  7. Lorraine Abronski

    July 20, 2014 at 3:29 pm

    love pickled onions my son got me hooked on these.

    • Chris

      July 20, 2014 at 7:18 pm

      They are pretty addicting!

  8. Shay

    August 2, 2014 at 3:37 am

    Hi I just came back from Mexico and tried these onions for the first time and fell in love with them. So happy I found your website can’t wIt to make these, thanks.

    • Chris

      August 2, 2014 at 4:08 am

      Thanks so much Shay! Pickled onions are a fave of mine 🙂

Trackbacks

  1. Simple Caesar Salad says:
    April 22, 2013 at 6:39 pm

    […] red onion slices (I like it quick pickled, recipe here) […]

  2. Raw Tacos says:
    April 29, 2013 at 11:01 pm

    […] pickled or fresh red onions […]

  3. Homemade Pickled Onions Recipe says:
    July 26, 2013 at 1:07 pm

    […] could also take a look at this Easy Pickled Onions Recipe from Shared […]

  4. Pickled Onions Miami Bytes says:
    August 8, 2013 at 3:02 pm

    […] * This recipe is from Shared Appetite. […]

  5. Black Bean “Pupusas” says:
    December 3, 2013 at 2:02 am

    […] (Adapted from Shared Appetite) […]

  6. Things I’ve Been Eating says:
    April 3, 2014 at 9:41 pm

    […] Pickled onions. Again, on everything! My toleration of onions has been growing. I still won’t eat them raw, or in big chunks. But if they are minced or sliced thin, caramelized, or pickled, I love them! Usually I had just been making my salad dressings in advanced and letting the thinly sliced or minced onions sit in them and pickle a bit in the vinegar or lemon juice. But now I have graduated to keeping a jar of the onions in my fridge for use as a condiment, or just plain! There are ton of recipes out there, but I was looking for a no thrills no fuss brine, especially not one with cinnamon or cloves, yuck. Now go make your own immediately! […]

  7. Two things that will change your life says:
    May 11, 2014 at 3:14 pm

    […] The second thing that will change your life is TOTALLY and completely unrelated. It’s a food, or rather a condiment, that makes almost anything better. What is this magical delicious topping you ask? Pickled Red Onions! I came across the recipe on Pinterest (where else?) a couple weeks ago and use them almost daily (I have made three batches so far). They add acidity to savory things you didn’t know needed a touch of acid! Seriously, make some right now. Your sandwiches and dinners and bagels and mouth and tummy will thank you (over and over again)! Thanks to the blog sharedappetite.com for the recipe because these are the most cherished thing in our fridge right now. Seriously, I’m in love. Get the recipe here. […]

  8. Watermelon Arugula Salad says:
    May 12, 2014 at 5:55 am

    […] isn’t rocket science, but I broke down the recipe here. I had never pickled onions before so I used this easy recipe and it worked great! Watermelon Arugula salad is a great way to feel decadent on a hot day […]

  9. Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula Salad - Shared Appetite says:
    May 19, 2014 at 2:25 pm

    […] Pickled Red Onions […]

  10. Melange of Onions says:
    June 13, 2014 at 10:25 am

    […] Easy Pickled Onions from Shared Appetite […]

  11. Potato Salad Nicoise - Wooden Spoon Baking says:
    July 23, 2014 at 2:00 pm

    […] onions that needed using, some capers, and some hard-boiled eggs. (The pickled onion recipe is from Shared Appetite, and comes highly recommended.) Potatoes in the fridge, too,  so potato salad it was. I love […]

Primary Sidebar

A Dude Food Blogger?

I know! We actually do exist. Hey, I’m Chris. Husband. Teacher. Photographer. Avid lover of all things food, especially Mexican and dessert. Sharing is caring. Eat. Cook. Share. LEARN MORE...

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Chimichurri Skirt Steak Fries

Chimichurri Skirt Steak Fries

Ultimate DIY Hot Dog Bar

Ultimate DIY Hot Dog Bar

Chimichurri Skirt Steak Fries

Chimichurri Skirt Steak Fries

bbq-meatball-subs-dr-pepper-bbq-sauce | sharedappetite.com

BBQ Meatball Subs with Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce

What to Eat in Paris

The Ultimate Paris Food Experience

Eat Like a Local in Paris

Lunch at Les Papilles

The Top 10 Foods You Have To Eat In Paris

Bistro Paul Bert

What to Eat in NYC

The Top 10 Foods To Eat in NYC

The Top 10 Foods You Have To Eat In NYC

The 10 Best Ice Cream and Frozen Treats in NYC

The Best of The Big Apple Barbecue Block Party

How To Create An Epic Fall Charcuterie Board

How To Create an Epic Fall Charcuterie Board

DIY Loaded French Fries Bar

DIY Loaded French Fries Bar | sharedappetite.com

Corned Beef Nachos with Swiss Cheese Queso and Pickled Cabbage

Irish Corned Beef Nachos with Swiss Cheese Queso and Pickled Cabbage for St. Patrick's Day | sharedappetite.com

How To Build A Summer Charcuterie Board

Sabra Hummus for How To Build A Summer Charcuterie Board | sharedappetite.com

Bulgogi Korean Steak Nachos with Kimchi and Gochujang Aioli

Bulgogi Korean Steak Nachos with Kimchi and Gochujang Aioli | sharedappetite.com

By Date

By Category

Search

Main Dishes

Ultimate DIY Hot Dog Bar

Ultimate DIY Hot Dog Bar

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken Tacos | sharedappetite.com

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken Tacos

bbq-meatball-subs-dr-pepper-bbq-sauce | sharedappetite.com

BBQ Meatball Subs with Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce

...

Footer

Popular Posts

sugar plums recipe
Spicy Black Bean Southwest Salad
Quick and Easy Thai Chicken Pot Pie | sharedappetite.com
braised pork shoulder ragu
Summer Gardening with Basil
Roasted Vegetable Grain Salad with Avocado, Feta, and Walnut | sharedappetite.com

I know! We actually do exist. Hey, I’m Chris. Husband. Teacher. Photographer. Avid lover of all things food, especially Mexican and dessert. Sharing is caring. Eat. Cook. Share.

Copyright @ 2014 Shared Appetite · Facebook · Twitter · [footer_backtotop]