Happy Friday to the Veg World! This week flew by, and it was full of checking off some major “to do’s” that have been on my list for a while.
As you all know, I love to keep my fridge stocked with healthy foods if I’m having a busy week. Luckily, I spent all day on Monday testing recipes so the leftovers would be available for lunches and quick dinners.
These Quick Pickled Red Onions have been a STAPLE! Honestly, they’re so tasty I sometimes eat them right out of the jar or on the side of my workday lunches.
Will and I also used them as a topping for homemade millet crust pizzas that we tried earlier this week, and I added them on top of my Sweet Potato Black Bean Patties for a quick and tasty meal.
These Quick Pickled Red Onions would also be great on top of:
- Tacos
- Nachos
- Salads
- Burgers
- Gyros (these + falafel would be awesome!)
I’d love to hear about what you do with them!
The only downside of these onions is that they were hard to photograph. I took the photos one morning a couple of weeks ago, so the lighting was a little different than when I shoot in the afternoon (which I do for most of my blog posts).
That plus the fact that most of the onions are white and missing that purple rim made for some pretty monochromatic photos. I didn’t realize this until the editing process. Ha! It’s kind of a pretty color scheme though.
Alright, enough with the small talk. You guys are going to love how easy it is to make these quick pickled red onions!
First of all, you will need to get some glass jars. Plastic is not a good choice because you will be using vinegar AND you will be heating the vinegar to pour over the onions.
For slicing, you can use any sharp knife but the recipe works even better if you use a mandoline. This will help you get the onions super thin so they soak up all that delicious brine. I personally prefer thin pickled onions but you can make them bigger if that’s more of your thing.
Speaking of the brine, it’s simple to whip up. You probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry! Once you have that prepared, the final product can be ready for enjoyment in only 30 minutes (hence the “quick” in the title).

Quick Pickled Red Onions
Ingredients
- 2 small red onions - or 1 medium
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1.5 teaspoon salt - kosher or sea salt
Instructions
- Rinse out two 8 oz glass jars or one 16 oz glass jar with lids. Prepare the onions by using a mandoline or a very sharp knife to slice them into thin circles. Place the onions in the jars. You can pack them in pretty tightly.
- In a small saucepan, combine the vinegars, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
- Pour the brine over the onions (half in each 8 oz jar or the whole thing in the 16 oz jar). Cover the jars with their lids and let the onions sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, and up to an hour.
- Enjoy right away or store in the fridge for later use. They will keep for about 2 to 3 weeks!
Notes
Nutrition
For other quick pickled veggie recipes, check out my Pickled Red Cabbage.
And if you LOVE pickles, check out my sister’s company Brine Street Picklery (especially if you are from the Philadelphia area). They are awesome and the real pros when it comes to pickled goods.
Pin these Quick Pickled Red Onions now to make later!
Happy pickling!
Lizzie
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