Spicy Pickled Onions
Spicy Pickled Onions are a simple mixture of ingredients that transforms raw onions and jalapenos into a crispy, tangy condiment. Add them to salads, sandwiches, eggs, tacos, and burgers, or eat them plain. So good!
Quick Pickled Onions
Are you more of a “load up the condiment” type of person, or an “everything plain and simple” type of person? Because if you are the former, you will be using these pickled onions on EVERYTHING.
I’m definitely a condiment lover because I love a variety of textures and layers of flavors in everything I eat. So if I’m consuming a sandwich or burger, I’m in need of a bib because I make quite a mess at every dang bite. But it’s WORTH IT.
Why This Recipe Works:
- SIMPLE RECIPE – You’ll need eight simple ingredients for this pickled onion recipe.
- TANGY AND DELICIOUS – We love the tangy flavor of pickled onions. They are the perfect condiment to have handy in your refrigerator.
- MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER – We’re obsessed! These refrigerator pickles are a great way to add flavor to a wide variety of dishes. We go through a big batch every couple of weeks.
Ingredients needed for Quick Pickled Red Onions:
- Red Onion – One large red onion, sliced thin.
- Jalapeno – Use one large jalapeno (with seeds) for heat.
- Garlic – I added a few whole garlic cloves too.
- Water – Use about 1 3/4 cups of water in your brine.
- Vinegar – I used 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar, but you could substitute red wine vinegar or plain white vinegar (distilled).
- Sugar – Sugar is needed to make these slightly sweetened. However, you can use a natural sweetener too – like honey or maple syrup.
- Salt – Kosher salt or sea salt.
- Peppercorns – For some depth of flavor, optional.
How to make Quick Pickled Red Onions:
Step 1
Slice Onion. Peel and slice one large onion into thin strips.
Step 2
Prep jalapeno and garlic. Then slice the jalapeno into small strips. Peel the garlic.
Step 3
Make brine. Combine brine ingredients in a small sauce pan – water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then simmer vinegar mixture for a couple of minutes or until sugar dissolves.
Step 4
Combine. Place the sliced onions, jalapeño peppers, and garlic in a mason jar (about liter sized). Pour the pickling liquid overtop and let cool.
Step 5
Store. Store pickled red onions in the refrigerator. I prefer to use them by the end of two weeks.
Recipes to Pair With Red Pickled Onions:
The following are a few of our favorite dishes to pair with quick-pickled onions.
- SALADS – Pickled onions are so good with salads, like my Arugula Caprese Salad, Chopped Greek Pasta Salad, Simple Quinoa Salad with Goat Cheese, or Spicy Kale Salad.
- SANDWICHES – Try it with my Italian Grinder Sandwich, Classic Egg Salad Sandwiches, or Classic Tuna Melts.
- OTHER – These are great served with our Easy Fish Tacos, Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas, or Healthy Tuna Patties. Add them to avocado toast, burrito bowls, hot dogs, and potato salad.
Recipe FAQs:
Pickled onions are a perfect accompaniment to a healthy diet. They’re rich in vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants, and low in calories and fat.
Yes, let the pickling brine come to room temperature, and then store the jar in the refrigerator.
When they’re bright pink and tender, your pickled onions are ready to eat. It takes about two hours for very thinly sliced onions, or overnight for thicker sliced onions.
These will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Spicy Pickled Onions Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion – sliced thin
- 1 large jalapeno – sliced thin (include seeds)
- 3 large garlic cloves – peeled
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons peppercorns
Instructions
- Slice the red onion into thin slices. Slice the jalapeno into thin slices as well. Peel the garlic. Place onions, jalapeno, and garlic in a jar.
- In a small sauce pan, combine water, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for a couple of minutes, or until sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour mixture over the onions.
- Let this mixture cool slightly before placing in the refrigerator to enjoy.
Notes
- When they’re bright pink and tender, your pickled onions are ready to eat. It takes about two hours for very thinly sliced onions, or overnight for thicker sliced onions.
- I prefer to use these by the end of two weeks or so.
I was searching for a recipe to make pickled onions to bring some extra flavor to my family’s sandwiches and salads. Since my desire for pickled onions came about last minute, I ended up making Sue’s recipe without jalapeno and peppercorns. Despite this, the pickled onions turned out to be delicious and we’re enjoying them at nearly every meal! I plan to make these pickled onions regularly and I’m excited to try the spicy version next. By the way, I usually dislike raw onions but I absolutely love the pickled ones!
I’m so happy to hear this, friend!
Ohhhh, these are fire!! Such a yummy add to soooo many things and spicy just like I like it!! I will keep these in my fridge always…..
A great way to energize salads during swim suit season! 💪
Exactly! 🙂