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How to Make Pickled Red Onions

How to make pickled red onions, it's EASY! Thinly sliced red onions pickled in vinegar with spices.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Elise Bauer
Updated February 11, 2021
Elise Bauer
Pickled Red Onions
Elise Bauer

I keep on making things that when I think about it, would be enhanced with some pickled red onions.

Bean soup, liverwurst, salmon, and especially hot dogs and hamburgers would all be terrific with some pickled onions on the side.

All you really need to make pickled red onions is some sliced red onion, vinegar and sugar! There's lots of leeway with the spices and herbs used.

For this batch I used cinnamon, cloves, star anise, bay leaf and red pepper flakes. You could easily thrown in some ginger, swap out the chile flakes for some cumin, or allspice for the cloves.

Pickled Red Onions
Elise Bauer

How to Make Pickled Red Onions

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Yields 1 1/2 pints

Ingredients

  • 1 pound red onions (about 2 med or 1 large), thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • Spices
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • 5 cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 star anise
  • Dash red pepper flakes
  • More spices (optional): Fresh ginger slices, allspice berries, oregano, garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds

Method

  1. Blanch the onions:

    Blanch red onions in a saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain in colander.

  2. Boil vinegar with sugar and spices:

    While the water is heating in step 1, in a separate saucepan combine the vinegar, sugar and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

  3. Add blanched, drained onions to the vinegar mixture. Simmer for 1 minute
  4. Transfer to a glass jar:

    Allow to stand until cooled. Will keep several weeks refrigerated.

Links:

Molly's pickles based on the Zuni Cafe recipe from Orangette

Carnitas Tacos with Pickled Onions and Salsa Verde from Shared Appetite

Quinoa Veggie Burgers with Pickled Red Onions from Love and Olive Oil

Pickled Red Onions
Elise Bauer