Pickled Onions

Pickled Onions- This simple homemade condiment made of red onions and a sweet garlicky vinegar brine is as beautiful as it is delicious!

April 28, 2025 by Nicole Collins

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Today, we’re making Pickled Onions!

It’s confession time! It’s been a while since we’ve done that, hasn’t it?

You guys know how I tell you every now and then about a recipe that got lost in the vault. Or how I’ve been sitting on a recipe for way longer than feels normal? Welllllllllp…today’s recipe has been ready to go for over two years. *Insert side eyes here.

It’s not because this recipe isn’t so simple. It’s not because this recipe isn’t so delish. It’s not even because this recipe isn’t something that I’ve made dozens of times since I first filmed and photographed it. I feel like once I get past a certain point of not sharing a recipe (due to my own life schedule or time management), there’s something that happens in my brain that makes me mentally unable to share it. Maybe it’s guilt. Maybe it’s some kind of decision paralysis. But whatever it is, we overcome it TODAY!

To start, we need a one pint mason jar. We want a jar that fits all of our red onion slices, that allows room for our liquid to fill in while covering our onions completely, but that doesn’t leave much room for extra air. So for me, I feel like the 1 pint jar is the perfect size.

We’ll take a medium sized red onion, slice it into relatively thin slices, then get it stuffed into our jar. To the jar, we’re also going to add a couple cloves of smashed garlic and a spoonful of black peppercorns to help flavor our onions.

Next, we need to make our brine. If you know me, you know I don’t really like sour things…including pickles. But, I find that if the brine is a smidge on the sweeter side, I can handle it way better. So for our onion brine, we’ll use some water, some apple cider vinegar, some sugar, and a little salt. We’ll let this heat on the stovetop until it starts to simmer and the sugar and salt have dissolved. Then, we’ll carefully pour the mixture into our jars until the onions are completely covered. Now, you’ll likely have a little bit of brine leftover that doesn’t fit in the jar, and that’s totally ok. Just discard whatever doesn’t fit.

We’ll carefully give our jar a couple gentle taps to get out any air bubbles. Then, we’ll twist on the lid, give our jar a gentle shake to make sure everything is completely mixed around, and let the jar cool down to room temperature. From there, we’ll pop our jar in the fridge. Then, we need to wait at least 24 hours before we open the jar back up to enjoy.

I love to enjoy these pickled onions on some tacos, on some bbq chicken, on some avocado toast, on some nachos…the possibilities are endless! The onion softens a bit in the brine while still keeping some nice, sharp crunch. The onions are a little sweet and a little tangy. And, the color is absolutely gorgeous. I think that beautiful pink color is my favorite part!

Ok, everyone. I have to admit this is not the only recipe that got lost in the depths of the vault. So, we’re going to clear our minds (and our “open” folders), and finally give these long lost recipes the moment they deserve!

In the meantime, enjoy! And, let’s eat!

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Pickled Onions

Serves: 2 cups          Print

Ingredients:

• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

• ½ tbsp black peppercorns

• 1 cup water

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar

• 2 tbsp sugar

• ½ tbsp salt

Directions:

1. Add red onion, garlic, and peppercorns to a one pint mason jar. Push the onions down in the jar as far as you can. Set aside.

2. To a small saucepan, add water, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat; and pour over onions in the jar, making sure to fully cover the onions. Give the jar 2-3 taps on the counter, and place the lid on the jar. Shake the mix, and allow to cool at room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
   

Recipe notes:

*Pickled onions are great in some many different things. I love them on tacos, barbeque, and avocado toast.

*The longer these set, the better they get! I try to let them sit in the fridge for at least a day before I use them if I have the time.