Pickled red onions are a quick and easy way to add deliciously sharp freshness to your meals. A jar of pickled red onions will be your best friend for boosting flavour – they’re tangy, slightly sweet, and extra punchy! Perfect for layering into jar salad, abundance bowls, burrito bowls and pulled pork – anything really!
Pickled red onion ingredients
Pickling your own onions sounds like a mission, but it’s not! You only need 5 ingredients:
- Red onion: I used red onions for their subtle sweet flavour and because they turn a beautiful vibrant pink and add a pop of colour to your meals.
- Water and apple cider vinegar: To create the pickling liquid (brine).
- Honey: To help bring out the onion’s natural sweetness.
- Salt: To blance the other flavours.
How to pickle red onions
These quick pickled onions can be ready in just one hour and they’re ridiculously easy to make! I recommend using a 500ml kilner jar for easy storage, but you can use any medium-sized jam jar, or glass container with a lid.
- First, slice the onions. Use either a sharp knife or a mandoline, just make sure you slice the onion thinly. This makes it easier for the onions to absorb the pickling liquid (brine). Then place them into the Kilner jar.
- Second, make the brine. Place the water, vinegar, honey and salt in a medium jug and whisk to combine. Carefully pour the brine into the jar with the onions and let it stand at room temperature until slightly cooled.
- Third, refrigerate and leave to ferment! Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight. That’s it – SO easy! These pickled red onions will keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
Flavour-boosters
Experiment with different flavour combinations to give your pickled red onions a boost:
- Whole spices. Black peppercorns, coriander seeds, star anise, or fennel will impart a subtle flavour to the pickled onions.
- Garlic. Slice a garlic and mix it with the onions before adding the brine.
- Ground spices. Add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes to the brine for a hint of heat.
- Herbs. Mix sprigs of dill, or fresh basil and mint leaves with the onions before adding the brine.
Serving suggestions
Pickled red onions are great when you want to add a pop of deliciously sharp freshness to your meals. Here are a few ideas:
- Add to your favourite bowls. No matter what kind of bowl you have, whether it be a spicy burrito bowl, or a rainbow abundance bowl, pickled red onions are always a good idea.
- Layer onto salads. Pickled red onions are great layered up in a jar salad, and oh so pretty!
- Top on your favourite proteins. Whether it’s pulled pork, shredded chicken or a simple omelette, these punchy onions will add a pop of tangy sweetness.
Other pickles to try
Once you try fermented veggies, you won’t look back! If you enjoy these pickled red onions then you’re definitely going to love my dill pickle sauerkraut.
I hope you enjoy this quick pickled red onion recipe. If you make it, let me know how it turned out. I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below, or post in The Fertility Kitchen Community.
Quick pickled red onions
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
- 125 ml hot water
- 125 ml apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Place the sliced onions in a 450ml glass jar.
- Place the water, apple cider vinegar, honey and salt in a jug and whisk to combine.
- Carefully pour the brine over the onions, secure with a lid and refrigerate for an hour, or overnight.
Notes
- The onions will keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
I’ve made several jars of this and it’s a delicious accompaniment to several recipes I’ve made from this collection. It is fabulous with the pulled pork recipe Charlotte mentions. This will be a staple throughout my summer at the very least.