Quick Pickled Red Onions (Heat Required)

This quick pickling method for red onions requires heat. Spices and hard herbs can be added to customize your desired flavor profile. Red pickled onions add snap, crunch and a zesty tang to salads, burgers, eggs, etc. This recipe creates a delicious condiment that adds texture and a savory note, without being overwhelming. Red pickled onions can be served with brunch lunch or dinner. This is a heat method of pickling onions and can be used for other julienned or thinly sliced vegetables too like carrots, daikon radish etc.

Course Condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine American fusion, Asian fusion

Keyword pickles, Quick pickled onions, red onions

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Marinading 30

Total Time 45

Servings Servings

Calories 17kcal

Author Dr. Wendy Dearborne

Equipment

Non-reactive saucepan
Mason jar with lid
Measuring jug

Ingredients

1/4 cup water
3/4 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2-3 tbsp sugar or sweetener of your choice
1½ tsp kosher salt
1 large red onion thinly sliced or 2 medium size onions
1 tsp whole black peppercorns (optional)
1/2 tsp coriander seeds (optional)
1 tsp of whole allspice berries (optional)
1 sprigs thyme or rosemary or any other hard fresh herb (optional)
1-2 whole chili peppers (optional)

Instructions

Over medium heat, in a non-reactive saucepan add vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and dried spices like pepper corns, all spice, pimento berries, coriander seeds etc., stir well to combine. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture begins to simmer.
In a large enough sterile mason jar, put the hard fresh herbs, whole chili peppers if using, and the thinly sliced onions.
Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the onions, fresh herbs and chili peppers. screw on the lid tightly and shake the jar making sure the pickling brine has evenly coated the onions.
Then, reopen the jar and make sure that the onions are submerged. You may need to use a spoon to press the onions down or use a fermenting stone or a glass weight.
Let the onions marinate and cool for 30 minutes.
Pickled red onions are ready to serve. Use a clean fork to remove onions from the jar. Store any remaining pickled onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Notes

Slicing Onions

You can use a sharp knife or a mandoline to cut the onions. Try to keep the onions all the same thickness, as this will make for a better end product. The thinner the onions are sliced, the quicker they will be pickled. The thicker the onions are sliced the longer it will take for them to be pickled.

Substitutes

White vinegar can be substituted with rice wine, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar.

Sugar can be substituted with maple syrup, honey, agave, or the sweetener of your choice. Be sure that the sweetener is totally dissolved before adding it to the slice onions.

Nutrition