Quick pickled red onions
13 min · 0 g protein · 12 cals / serving
Thin rings of red onion that turn bright pink and tangy in a warm vinegar brine in half an hour. They cut through rich tacos, burgers, salads, grain bowls, eggs and anything grilled, and a jar keeps for weeks in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 2 medium red onions, sliced into thin rings
Brine
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano (optional)
Steps
- Separate the onion rings and pack them into a clean 750 ml (1 1/2 pint) jar, or two 350 ml jars.
- Warm the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, peppercorns and oregano in a small pan, stirring, just until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 2 minutes. It does not need to boil.
- Pour the warm brine over the onions, pressing them down so they are covered. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, until pink and softened, then close the jar and refrigerate. They are good after 30 minutes and even better the next day.
Good to know
Can I leave out the sugar?
Yes, and the onions come out sharper and more sour, at about 95 instead of 88.
How long do they keep?
Up to 3 weeks in the fridge, always lifted out with a clean fork. They soften and get milder over time. Once the onions are gone, the pink brine makes a good base for a salad dressing.
Which vinegar is best?
Apple cider vinegar is mellow and fruity; white wine or rice vinegar work well, and distilled white vinegar gives the sharpest pickle. Swap a little of the water for lime juice to serve them with tacos.
Can't fill you up alone — pair it with protein.
Per
- Calories
- 35
- Protein
- (7%)
- 1 g
- Fat
- (2%)
- <1 g
- Carbohydrates
- (91%)
- 7 g
- of which sugar
- 5 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 284 mg
More sauces & dressings
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 192 kcal goes into the pot and 554 g of ingredients comes out as about 550 g of food: 35 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.