Quick-Pickled Onions
Learn how to make quick-pickled onions! This tangy and crisp quick-pickled onion recipe is ready in 30 minutes. The perfect condiment for tacos, burritos, nachos, burgers and more.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 28, 2024
Do you love pickled onions as much as I do? Pickling transforms raw red onions from pungent and crunchy to irresistibly tangy and crisp. I add some red pepper flakes for extra spice and a splash of maple syrup or honey to round out the other strong flavors.
These onions are the perfect condiment for tacos, burgers, salads, and more. The best part?
These quick-pickled onions are ready to serve after a brief 30-minute cooling period. Start your meal prep with these onions, and they’ll be ready to go by the time the rest of your dinner is ready.
These onions are incredibly easy to make, too. I like to keep them on hand for any meal that needs some extra oomph. Leftovers are so much more exciting with quick-pickled onions in the fridge!
Quick-Pickled Onion Tips
Slice the onions thinly
The trick to making truly quick pickled onions is to slice the onions very thin (about 1/8-inch), so they soften up and absorb the vinegar quickly. You can do this with a sharp chef’s knife or a mandoline.
You could choose to slice the onions thicker (about 1/4-inch) for more of a crunch. Beware that your onions will need a few hours, or an overnight rest, to give the vinegar time to reach all the way through the onion.
Choose your vinegars wisely
Using a combination of apple cider vinegar and regular distilled vinegar makes these pickles taste more interesting. You can use all distilled vinegar if that’s all you have at home.
Natural sweeteners for the win
Choosing maple syrup or honey instead of plain sugar offers some extra flavor and intrigue, while making these pickles naturally sweetened. I don’t recommend making these pickles without any sweetener—they’re well-balanced with it, but quite vinegary and pungent without it.
Make a pint or three
The recipe as written below yields a pint-sized jar of pickles (I used this cute Weck jar—that’s an affiliate link). You could easily double or triple the recipe for a big party or barbecue; just use several pint jars or one large jar.
Fair warning
This recipe will make your kitchen smell of vinegar, so you might want to run your stovetop vent while you’re making these pickles.
Uses for Quick-Pickled Onions
These onions are utterly delicious on:
- Tacos
- Burritos
- Nachos
- Burgers
- Sandwiches
- Salads
- Basically anything that needs a crisp, spicy-sweet finish!
Craving more pickles? Don’t miss my classic pickled cucumbers, quick-pickled jalapeño peppers, quick-pickled vegetables and quick-pickled radishes. So good!
Watch How to Make Quick Pickled Onions
Quick-Pickled Onions
Learn how to make quick-pickled onions! This tangy and crisp pickled onion recipe is ready in 30 minutes. These onions are the perfect condiment for tacos, burritos, nachos, burgers and more. Recipe yields 2 cups.
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or additional white vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
Instructions
- Pack the onions into a 1-pint mason jar or similar heat-safe vessel. Place the jar in the sink, to catch any splashes of hot vinegar later.
- In a small saucepan, combine the water, both vinegars, maple syrup, salt, and pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then carefully pour the mixture into the jar over the onions.
- Use a butter knife or spoon to press the onions down into the vinegar and pop any air bubbles in the jar. Let the pickled onions cool to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes), at which point they should be sufficiently pickled for serving.
- Cover and refrigerate leftover pickled onions for later. Quick-pickled onions are best consumed within three days, but they keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Notes
Make it vegan: Be sure to use maple syrup instead of honey.
Can I can it? No. This recipe is a “refrigerator pickle” recipe. It is not designed for canning in a water bath, and it has not been tested for canning safety. Please do not attempt! Follow a recipe specifically designed for canning instead.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
These are so good!I added them to a dense bean salad and then I send the brine in the dressing. It’s fantastic!
I have to make a new double batch every 2-3 weeks! Delicious and easy!
I made these after a google search for pickled red onions. I chose this recipe because I thought combining white vinegar with apple cider vinegar would have the best flavor. I’ve made them twice for a Greek food themed luncheon. I made a 4x sized batch. Each time the onions were a smash hit. Very few left over and those were quickly purloined. So I chose the right recipe!
I’ve made countless batches of these and have them in the fridge year-round. I eat them with EVERYTHING!! The BEST!!
WAY too much salt. Added only one teaspoon but had to add more vinegar and honey to make it palatable… otherwhise a nice recipe. Great with burgers
Love this recipe! This is the 3rd time I’ve made it. Very quick and easy.
Can you do a yellow onion this way?
Hi Bambi, you can, but they will have a sharper flavor.
I’ve made this many times and the fam’s favorite is using blue agave syrup instead of honey or maple syrup, and adding black peppercorns, in addition to the chili flakes. Having tried the extra vinegar, I switched it for red wine and then apple cider vinegar. Apple cider is the winner.
Next time I might try it with radishes.
This is a very good recipe. It is great on most everything or eaten as a lunchtime side snack. I like it as a side when I have humus and pita.
Oooh! Thank you for the idea! I’m going to try radishes, too!
Do I put the lid on it after pouring the hot liquid over them or let it sit out uncovered?
Hi Molly, you can let it sit on the counter until it cools enough to put the lid on.
Thanks for the quick pickling method. I made this with a flavored balsamic vinegar (happened to be cranberry pear) and no added sweetener. It was quite tasty!
This made our meal! Spicy cauliflower tacos. This was a needed topping in a pinch. Thank you!
Delish! Perfect on my chicken tacos. So easy and my whole family loved this! Thank you!!
Hi, is this supposed to cover all parts of the onion? I struggled with getting enough liquid that way when using the 1x – to – 1 onion recipe. I ended up doubling it, but maybe I did something wrong lol!
Hi Becky, how big is your onion and what size jar did you use?
Hey Becky, I use most of a large onion and a quart sized Mason jar. I just keep smashing the sliced onions down into the liquid till they’re covered. It takes a little time but the onions soften and eventually submerge! Hope this helps :)
Hi, (and sorry for the late reply, Kate, if you see this!) I used a medium/large onion – I think lol! Just a normal one from a US grocery store – and a pint sized mason jar. Ended up putting more of the liquid in to cover it all just in case, but I probably messed up a measurement somewhere, since it seems like this is a me problem.
Hi Becky, it does sound like your measurements were off. I do just press them down until the liquid covers the onions.
Just the right balance between the sweet, sour and salty flavours! Love it
Hi Anne, thanks for rating and reviewing. I love these on just about everything!
This recipe is a keeper! I usually never modify a recipe the first time I make it, but I did add a small amount of pickling spice. Though I’m sure they would be equally delicious without.
So easy to make. Will always keep these on hand. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Lisa, thanks so much for sharing! You’ll find that these complement so many different dishes and add that extra zing to lots of meals.
I don’t really like the taste of vinegar, but it does intrigue me enough to try this….
It sure would be nice to have these handy, and I suppose because of pouring the hot liquid over the onions, it may even be okay for my friend who tends to not like ‘fresh raw onions’
Any thoughts on any modifications to make it no so vinegary tasting….maybe if I use I flavoured balsamic?
Hi Kelley, your friend that doesn’t typically like raw onions may enjoy pickled onions. You can also mellow the flavor of raw red onions by soaking them in ice water, then draining. It takes away some of the “bite” of the onion. You can definitely experiment with different types of vinegar to change the flavor profile, but the vinegar is what makes something pickled. If you don’t enjoy vinegar, this may not be for you.
How long I the shelf life of pickled onions if one made they are kept in the fridge?
Hi Ryan, they stay safe to eat for 2-3 weeks, but will soften over time. Mine never last long enough to get to that stage, though. They are such a bright, acidic addition to so many meals, from toasts, to burritos, bowls, and salads.
My partner requests these at least 4 times a year and they are airways the first topping to run out when we host parties.
I’ve made them with both honey and maple syrup and it always turns out amazing.
Excellent! I’ve made both the maple syrup and honey versions, and the maple syrup was way better! I normally cook with honey so I didn’t want to try the syrup but I’m happy I did. I didn’t use any special brand, just regular syrup that you would put on pancakes. This is great, thank you so much!
This recipe is perfect! I make them all the time and my family puts the pickled onions on anything we can think of!
Quick and super easy with the most delicious results! I always double the recipe – they keep fantastic in the fridge :)
Thank you!
Hi Lindsey, these are my favorite ingredient to add that extra special flavor to many dishes. I’m glad your family enjoys them, too.
Can this exact brine be used to pickle other veggies, like carrot, cauliflower…?
Yes, it can!
Last time I accessed your site, there was a way to change the yield and have the recipe adjust automatically. That feature appears to be missing now?
I’ve made these pickled onions before and loved them, but I cook for a crowd and love the ease of changing the yield before printing. Any chance of getting that feature back?
Thanks!
Hi Lark, I removed the scaling feature because it wasn’t providing reliable results. If I find another option for scaling, I will add it back to the site.
In order for scaling to be accurate, the amounts appear to need to be written only at the beginning of the ingredient lines. So where you state a pint jar, for example, that won’t adjust with scaling. I find a pint jar to be a bit small for one onion anyway. I made these yesterday and used two quart jars for 3x the recipe.
With all recipe sites that include scaling, I’ve noticed I have to go back over the recipe and especially the instructions to verify what did and did not change. As I often cook for a crowd, I usually make 3x to 4x a recipe. Obviously, that isn’t going to fit in the recommended dish sizes. All the scaling options I’ve found have this challenge. If a recipe states a dash of salt, it doesn’t multiply a dash. Any amount that isn’t numeric and at the very beginning of the line likely doesn’t change either.
Hi Lark, thank you for your feedback. I have disabled the scaling plug-in due to the inconsistent results.
Easy to make and SO GOOD. Wonderful addition to a salad or sandwich.
I liked this recipe as it uses honey rather than lots of sugar.
Wow, I will definitely try this recipe! Can we do this with other veggies, too?..like cauliflower, zucchini or green beans?
Hi Luciana, yes I have recipes for pickling many types of vegetables. You can also experiment with your favorites.
I made these today. I used “hot honey” for both the spiciness & sweetness. Thanks for the easy recipe!
These are fantastic! I admit to a bit more cider vinegar but, THANK-YOU!
I use them on and serve them with almost everything
Is heating the liquids necessary? I put everything in the jar before reading the entire recipe because I googled no “heat method”. It will still be edible right? Not sure what the purpose is of heating the liquid if it’s going in the frig.
Hi Linda, heating the liquid makes sure the sugars are dissolved, and quickens the pickling process.
This was my first time pickling anything. It turned out so incredibly delicious!!! I believe that I will be pickling all of my onions now! I will also be trying other veggies as well! I used maple syrup since I am vegan. This recipe was so simple and I would give it 10 stars if I could!
This recipe is truly excellent and tastes restaurant quality. The first time I used honey because I frequently use honey in recipes and maple syrup sounded weird. It was good but not quite the pickled onion taste I’d normally expect. The second time I used the maple syrup and it was PERFECT. Truly excellent, thank you for the recipe!
I know the recipe is easy as is, but is there a microwave option? Like could I put all the ingredients, including the onion, in the microwave so it’s done in one go while I work on prepping something else?
Hi Mo, I’m glad you enjoyed it. You could boil the liquid in the microwave and then pour it over the onions.