This simple pickled red onions recipe comes together in minutes. Hardly any effort required! Add your pickled onions to sandwiches, tacos, salads, and more.
Pickled red onions are so easy to make I’m not sure if this even qualifies as a recipe. You literally just slice up an onion, add it to a mason jar with a few other ingredients, then place it all in the fridge and walk away. Easy, peasy, done.
If you are looking for a simple condiment that will add a tangy, zesty pop to your food, then you have to try making these! The method used here is “refrigerator pickling” which means that no cooking is required. The citric acid in the lime juice will “cook” the pickles and tenderize them, similar to what happens when you make ceviche.
How to Make Refrigerator Pickled Red Onions
Want to know how to make these? Here’s what to do:
- Slice a red onion. Make sure that you slice it thinly. Thick slices won’t get as tender, but it’s also not the end of the world if some of your slices are thicker than others.
- Put the onion slices in a mason jar. Stuff them all in there.
- Add the other ingredients to the jar. Give everything a good stir, or seal the jar tightly with a lid and shake it all up.
- Put the jar in the fridge. Let the onions marinate for at least 4 hours for best results before using them.
Tip: Only use freshly squeezed lime juice for this recipe. Bottled lime juice will not taste as good!
What Do You Do With Pickled Red Onions?
There are so many ways to use these. Talk about a return on investment! For minimal time and effort, you can have flavorful, soft pickled onions that are perfect in:
- Sandwiches – Add them to your favorite sandwiches, or to tortas ahogadas.
- Tacos & Burritos – These would be super on top of my simple ground beef tacos. Chicken tacos, or pork carnitas tacos would also be super with ways to enjoy the onions! Or add them to your favorite burrito along with other fixings.
- Quesadillas & Mulitas – Add them on top of or stuff them inside quesadillas or mulitas.
- Salads – Mix them in with salads along with your other preferred fixings.
- Soups – These are surprisngly good on hearty soups, like this birria ramen.
- Serve them on the side. Sometimes I will just add a small pile of pickled onions on the side of my plate and mix them in with whatever I’m eating. They add a tangy pop to every bite!
Frequently Asked Questions
These pickled red onions will last for up to 3 weeks when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Yes. Between the onions and lime juice, pickled red onions are full of good-for-you nutrients like folate, vitamin B, potassium, and vitamin C.
How to Store
Storing pickled onions is easy. Just leave them in the mason jar you used to make them for up to 3 weeks. They should always be stored in the fridge.
PrintQuick Pickled Red Onions
This simple pickled red onions recipe comes together in minutes. Hardly any effort required! Add your pickled onions to sandwiches, tacos, salads, and more.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Pickled
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 5 limes, juiced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
Slice a red onion. Make sure that you slice it thinly. Thick slices won’t get as tender, but it’s also not the end of the world if some of your slices are thicker than others.
Put the onion slices in a mason jar. Stuff them all in there.
Add the other ingredients to the jar. Give everything a good stir, or seal the jar tightly with a lid and shake it all up.
Put the jar in the fridge. Let the onions marinate for at least 4 hours.
Notes
Store in your mason jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
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