Easy Sweet Pickled Red Onions
With a few simple ingredients, you can make these easy sweet pickled red onions in no time! Add a sweet tangy flavor to your favorite sandwich, salad, chopped brisket, hot dogs, tacos and even delicatessen cold meats.
- Simple basic ingredients – a large red onion thinly slices, granulated sugar, apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt!
- No canning involved – these are quick-pickled onions or refrigerator pickled red onions, so there’s no need for canning tools or pickling solution
- The apple cider vinegar brine also serves as a great pickling liquid for cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado or for making stovetop pickled beets
Ingredients and equipment
I recommend you use a mandoline slicer for the best thin sliced onions. This is the easiest way to get a thin slice with only a few minutes of prep. If you don’t have a mandoline, use a super sharp knife.
- One large red onion – sure, there are various kinds of onions you could use ( sweet yellow or white onions), but red onions (or purple onions) are inherently sweeter and make a colorful presentation on the finished product. The sweetness of the pickled onions depends upon the type of onion and red onions are inherently sweet, like Vidalia onions or Noonday onions.
- Apple cider vinegar – some recipes use plain distilled white vinegar, or other types of vinegar, but I’ve found apple cider to be the most flavorful. Sometimes, those other vinegars yield a different flavor.
- Sugar – plain old white granulated sugar
- Salt – a pinch of salt to finish off the vinegar solution
How to make it
- This recipe doesn’t take along time to make, so slice the red raw onions first. Set the mandoline slicer blade to 1/18th” inch thickness and follow these simple steps.
- Keep the root end in tact, and slice the other end to form a flat base
- Remove the onion skin and slide the peeled onion across the sharp blade; transfer to a large mixing bowl or a glass jar (Mason jar, etc). You can also use a large sealable storage bag if you need to reserve space in your refrigerator.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar and salt to a medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves
- Pour the warm vinegar mixture over the sliced and peeled onions; combine well and cover with plastic wrap or seal with the jar lid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours for best results.
Recipe Tips
Some folks like to season their quick pickled red onions with black pepper, peppercorns, garlic cloves, mustard seeds, coriander seeds or cinnamon sticks. Personally, I prefer the natural sweet flavor of this quick pickling mixture without any added spices.
Types of vinegar – you can make these with different vinegars: rice vinegar, malt vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar – the key is to keep the ratio of vinegar to sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks. A glass container is recommended because the strong onion flavor can be absorbed into plastic storage containers. Serve refrigerator pickles with a slotted spoon or fork for best results.
These easy sweet pickled red onions are a good choice as a side condiment on your cheese board or as a final garnish for your favorite protein or salad.
Related recipes
- Candied Jalapenos
- Hot Bacon Dressing
- Sweet and Tangy Salad Dressing
- Low Sodium White Balsamic Salad Dressing
- Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Vegetarian Bruschetta Toppings
Easy Sweet Pickled Red Onions
Equipment
- Mandoline or sharp knife
- Glass storage container
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced See recipe notes
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cut the end of the onion flat; leave the root in tact; remove the onion skin1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- Place the onion flat-side-down on mandoline or cutting board and slice to 1/18th" thickness; transfer to large glass mixing bowl or glass jar1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine vinegar, sugar and salt; stir and heat 3-5 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved; pour warm vinegar mixture over sliced red onions; cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours
- When ready to serve, use a slotted spoon or fork for best results
