Quick Pickled Red Onions (No Cook)

Name: Quick Pickled Red Onions (No Cook)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 1 cup hot, not boiling, water ((microwave tap water 40 seconds)); 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (or distilled white vinegar); 1 teaspoon table salt; 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1 medium to large red onion (also called purple onion) (about 2 cups sliced)

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My Quick Pickled Red Onions is a no cook recipe that can be made in minutes and ready to eat in 1 hour! These easy pickled onions are made much faster than using traditional pickling methods. Add them to salads, sandwiches, brats and tacos for a bit of crunch and tanginess.

View of pickled red onions in Mason jar looking down into the jar with fork on wooden board.

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Quick pickled onions are made with only 4 ingredients (if you don't count tap water), that you may already have on hand, making this the perfect recipe for anyone new to the process of pickling refrigerator pickled onions.

No need to rest them for a month like many pickle recipes, these quick pickled onions are ready to enjoy within an hour, although the flavor does increase after a full 24 hours.

Note: Remember, store these no cook pickled red onions in the refrigerator, not on a pantry shelf. See how to can pickled red onions toward bottom of this post.

Quick pickled red onions can be added to a variety of dishes, anywhere where you want to add crunch, texture and hit of sour flavor. Add them to your lunchtime sandwiches, salads, your favorite burger, and they work particularly well with Mexican food like tacos.

an open jar of pickled red onions with a portion of onion on a fork

Shortcuts

Just when you think this quick pickled red onion recipe could not be any shorter, a hand held mandolin-type slicer makes slicing onions even faster than a knife.
Making refrigerator pickles is much faster than the long process of pickling the old-fashioned way in a crock for weeks, pressure canning, or even processing in a water bath.

You can use this same quick pickling method with different vegetables. Try it with cucumbers, zucchini, radish, pearl onions, Vidalia onions or even carrots. Be sure to check with your local extension service to see if a vegetable can be a refrigerator pickle.

Ingredients

Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.

Hot, but not boiling, water. It helps dissolve sugar and salt without cooking the onions.
Apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
Table salt or sea salt
Granulated sugar
Red onion (also called purple onion)

Pro Tip: Red wine vinegar adds depth of flavor but also darkens the color of the pickled onions.

I prefer my pickled red onions with apple cider vinegar because it adds just a little extra flavor and I always have it on hand.

How to make Quick Pickled Red Onions

Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.

sliced red onion and a kitchen knife set onto a chopping board

a hand held mandolin set on a board with sliced red onion

Whisk together the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar.
Cut the onion in half from top to bottom, vertically.
Thinly slice the onions to about ⅛ -inch thick.

Pro Tip: A hand held mandolin-type slicer makes quick work of thinly slicing an onion.

a jar of sliced red onions with a pickling liquid being poured over

Arrange the onion slices in a wide mouth Mason pint jar or air tight container.
Pour the vinegar mixture over the onions, secure the jar with a lid, and place in the refrigerator.

a kilner jar filled with pickled red onions set on a wooden board

Substitutions & Variations

Pickled Red Onions without Sugar - You can omit the sugar in this recipe. The small amount of sugar cuts the stringent tartness of vinegar and salt but it will still work without it to make sugar-free pickled red onions.
How to Make Spicy Pickled Red Onions - Add a couple of dried hot chile peppers and maybe a clove of garlic.
A touch of heat - Add 6 whole peppercorns.
Red Wine Vinegar Pickled Red Onions - Substitute red wine vinegar for the distilled white vinegar. The white part of the onions will discolor slightly but that’s just the onion absorbing the red white vinegar color and flavor.
Mexican Pickled Onions - Mexican pickled onions are fermented onions (or marinated onions) in lime juice and salt. Use this recipe and substitute fresh lime juice (about 6 large limes) for the apple cider vinegar and omit the sugar. Sprinkle in a little black pepper or add ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper for Spicy Mexican Pickled Onions.

open jar of pickled red onions with a fork set on a wooden board

Just look at that gorgeous color on these fast pickled red onions!

Helpful Information

What is quick pickling?

Quick pickling is a process of pickling fruits and vegetables without the need to heat the pickling liquid, or set the jar aside for a month before you can enjoy the pickles. They are prepared in 5 minutes (before marinating in the refrigerator). The pickling liquid combines water, vinegar, salt, and sometimes sugar.

How long does it take to pickle onions?

This quick method of pickling red onions only takes 1 hour to create quick pickles. I have found that after 24 hours, they are fully pickled and have reached that beautiful purplish red color.

How to pickle onions without sugar (Keto Pickled Onions)?

To make pickled red onions with no sugar, use this recipe and simply omit the 1 teaspoon sugar and you'll have sugar-free fermented onions.

What is the best vinegar for pickling?

You can pickle onions with any vinegar. I like to use apple cider vinegar for added flavor or distilled white vinegar in this recipe. However, you could also use red or white wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar.

a fork with a portion pickled red onion set on a white plate with a jar of pickled onions in the background

What to serve Quick Pickled Red Onions with?

These quick pickled red onions are really versatile and can be added to a range of dishes to elevate the flavor. Here are some ideas:

Sprinkle some over your lunchtime salad, like my Quinoa & Tomato Corn Salad or Shortcut Grilled Chicken Pizza.
Great with my Venison Burger, or any other meat or vegetable based burger.
They are perfect with Mexican food like tacos, my Venison Chili, or Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas.
In the UK, they are often eaten with fish and chips.

open jar of pickle red onions on a wooden board with a fork set alongside

Canning Pickled Red Onions

Process pickled red (purple) onions in a boiling water bath to make them shelf stable.

Sterilize your pint canning jars, first.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a canning rack in the bottom.
Firmly pack the red onion slices in the Mason jars.
Heat the vinegar mixture in a saucepan until boiling and pour over the onions and seal with lids.
With a canning jar lifter, gently lower the pint or half pint jars into the water so the water covers the jars by one inch. Bring water back to a boil and set a timer for 10 minutes. Larger than pint jars will need more time in the water bath.
Carefully remove the jars and place on a kitchen towel to cool completely. Pickles are ready to eat after 24 hours. Store on a shelf free from direct sunlight and in refrigerator after opening.

a Mason jar filled with pickled red onions with lid on.

The color of the onions turn from purple to red after marinating or canning in the pickling liquid.

Are pickled red onions good for you?

Yes! Fermented foods like pickled onions are loaded with probiotics and digestive enzymes that improve your gut health. Pickled onions are much easier to digest than raw onions which cause some people to experience gas or bloating. A group of antioxidants called anthocyanin are found in red onions which have been found to reduce inflammation in the body.

Storage Tips

To Store. Store pickled onions in a jar in your refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. However, I do like to eat them in the first week or two when they are at their most crunchy. They start to lose their pretty color after 2 weeks.

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Want more refrigerator pickle recipes and condiments?