Quick Pickled Red Onions: Tangy Recipe for Salads & Tacos

Pickled red onions are the little condiment that makes everything better. They’re simple to prepare and add bright, tangy flavor to BBQ, salads, sandwiches, tacos, bagels with lox, and more.

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Why you’ll love this recipe!

• Versatile: these onions brighten bowls, sandwiches, salads, tacos, quiches, frittatas, and many more savory dishes.
• Quick: they start to taste great in an hour or two, and it only takes a few minutes to prep a jar.
• Milder than raw: if you’re not a fan of raw onion, pickled red onions offer a milder, tangy alternative that complements spreads like lox and bagels without overpowering them.
• Easy to make at home: jars in stores can be hit or miss. Homemade pickled red onions are fresh, inexpensive, and a flavorful staple to keep in the fridge.
• Pizzazz: like a favorite seasoning, a little jar of pickled onions adds instant excitement to simple meals with minimal effort.

Ingredients and substitutions

You only need a red onion, vinegar, salt, and sugar to make these. A few optional aromatics can be added if you have them.

• Rice vinegar: I prefer rice vinegar, but red wine, white wine, or apple cider vinegar work well too. Red wine vinegar adds extra color.
• Kosher salt: Diamond Crystal works consistently; if you use a denser salt like Morton’s or table salt, reduce the amount so the onions aren’t too salty.
• Thyme: optional — fresh sprigs add subtle herbal notes. Dried thyme can be used in smaller amounts.
• Black peppercorns: optional — they add gentle background spice as the onions pickle.

Let’s make pickled red onions step-by-step!

(The printable recipe card at the end lists exact measurements and steps.)

With four main ingredients and two optional extras, this takes about 10 minutes of hands-on prep.

• Use a sharp knife and thinly slice one medium red onion into rounds, then separate the rings into individual pieces.
• Pack the onion slices into a clean glass jar. It’s okay if they fill the jar; they’ll shrink once the brine is added.
• In a heat-safe bowl or measuring cup, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and any optional thyme or peppercorns. Heat briefly (about 60 seconds in the microwave) to dissolve the sugar and salt.
• Pour the hot pickling liquid over the onions, pressing them down so they’re submerged. Tuck in any thyme sprigs and peppercorns if using.

• Let the jar sit at room temperature for an hour or two, shaking it occasionally. You’ll see the raw onion mellow and take on pickled color quickly.

Refrigerate after an hour or two. Stored in the fridge, they keep well for at least 2–3 weeks, though they rarely last that long once people taste them.

Tips and FAQs

1. Make them often — they’re an easy, crowd-pleasing addition to many dishes.
2. If you want them quickly, even 15 minutes will start to mellow the onion; flavors continue to develop over the first 24 hours.
3. Experiment with aromatics — rosemary, citrus peel, cumin, or coriander can all be good additions depending on what you plan to serve the onions with.

Great ways to use pickled red onions

They pair with nearly any savory dish. A few favorite ideas:

• Tacos and carnitas
• Fresh green salads or arugula and fig salads
• Burgers — try them on onion burgers or hatch chile pork burgers
• Smoked salmon bowls or bagels with lox

Make a jar today and you’ll have an easy way to add bright flavor to everything you cook.

P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating or review in the comments — feedback is appreciated.