Refrigerator Quick Pickled Red Onions - BEST RECIPE!! | Montana Happy (2024)

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Refrigerator Quick Pickled Red Onions is a recipe you’ll use repeatedly to add flavor to your salads, grain dishes, sandwiches, tacos, and avocado toast.

If you’re looking for more pickled recipes, look at my recipe for Another fun recipe to try is Refrigerator Tomato Jam. It’s so good!

Refrigerator Quick Pickled Red Onions - BEST RECIPE!! | Montana Happy (1)

Don’t you love a recipe that’s super easy to make and adds amazing flavor to your meals? I’m not a person that cans things – but refrigerator pickling is my jam. Why? Because it’s easy.

There’s something so comforting about making our own food. Plus, it’s fun to open your refrigerator and find jars of homemade condiments waiting to for use in future dishes.

I found this recipe many moons ago inMollie Katzen’s cookbook Vegetable Heaven. If you don’t know who Mollie Katzen is, she was the owner of a famous vegetarian restaurant called Moosewood.

One of my most popular recipes, To-Die-For Hungarian Mushroom Soup, came from one of her cookbooks.

Whenever I talk about my stash of pickled onions in the refrigerator, I always get asked, “How do you make pickled red onions?”

It surprises me that more people don’t make their own because they are so simple to make and keep on hand.

Once you start making this quick pickled red onion recipe, you’ll be like me and never be without them again. I always buy a large bag of red onions because I know I’ll use them.

What I love about making Homemade Pickled Red Onions is how the onions go from a deep red color to just a gorgeous purplish-pink color because of adding the hot water.

Refrigerator Quick Pickled Red Onions - BEST RECIPE!! | Montana Happy (2)

The jars full of these pinkish onions are simply beautiful! Pickled onions stay crunchy and add that special touch to your food.

This recipe is made with apple cider vinegar, so your adding a healthy ingredient to this yummy condiment.

I like to make pickled onions with honey instead of sugar, but you can use sugar instead.

Red onions are full of antioxidants, may boost digestive health, and have antibacterial properties. Plus, they make everything taste a little bit more delicious!

Quick pickled red onions make a great gift idea as well. Put a couple of jars of pickled onions in a basket. Add whole red onions, a jar of local honey, and a print-out of the recipe rolled in a scroll and tied to one of your jars.

Your friends and family will love your thoughtfulness.

Refrigerator Quick Pickled Red Onions Ingredients:

This recipe has just five ingredients besides water. It has red onions, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and peppercorns.

That’s it. Super simple to make, and you probably already have the ingredients on hand.

I once read a cookbook that featured a line-up of famous chefs. They asked the same question of all of them – “What things do you always have on hand in case you might have a last-minute guest?”

One of the most popular responses was pickled vegetables in the refrigerator. It makes sense because you can always put together a quick quesadilla, tacos, or charcuterie board.

With this handy recipe in your arsenal, you’ll look like a rock star.

Refrigerator Quick Pickled Red Onions - BEST RECIPE!! | Montana Happy (3)

Cozy Living Group

Since you found this recipe for quick pickled red onions, I’m guessing you like all things cozy living. I created a Facebook groupcalledCreating a Cozy Lifewith over 116,000 like-minded souls.

It’s a group where we share recipes, pictures of things that leave you in awe, and ideas on how to make your life just a little bit more snug. Join here to be part of the virtual cozy cabin.

How to Make Quick Pickled Red Onions:

Ingredients for Pickled Red Onions

2 medium red onions

4 cups boiling water

For the Marinade:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons honey (you can substitute sugar)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

How to Make Refrigerator Quick Pickled Red Onions

1) Peel the red onions. Slice onions thinly using a sharp knife or a mandoline. (I use a Mandoline – if you don’t have one, you don’t know what you’re missing!)

2) Transfer onions to a medium-sized bowl.

3) Pour the boiling water into the bowl over the sliced onions. Let the onions soak in the boiling water for at least 5 minutes.

4) Drain the onions in a colander.

5) Let the onions sit in the colander while you mix the marinade. Combine all the ingredients of the marinade in the medium-sized bowl, and stir well.

6) Add the onions into the vinegar solution and let them sit for at least 10 minutes until they come to room temperature.

7) Place onions with the pickling liquid in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.

8) Chill the pickled red onions in the refrigerator until cold.

Tips for making the Quick Pickled Red Onions Recipe:

  • In the original pickled onion recipe, there was 1/2 teaspoon of whole cloves that was optional. Since I’m not a big fan of cloves, I omitted them.
  • For a healthier vinegar, use apple cider vinegar with the mother.
  • One of the ladies in our Cozy Living Group prefers spicy pickled red onions. She suggested adding red pepper flakes for a nice kick.
  • You can also add a couple of garlic cloves or a minced jalapeño for a different variation to this pickled red onion recipe.
  • For pickled red onions with no sugar, you can substitute Stevia for the honey. For every tablespoon of honey, you can use 6-9 drops of liquid Stevia.
  • Maple syrup or cane sugar can replace the honey in this recipe.
  • White wine vinegar, rice vinegar, white vinegar, sherry vinegar, and red wine vinegar can replace apple cider vinegar this quick pickled onions recipe.
  • Mustard seeds, bay leaf, fresh herbs, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and star anise are also simple ingredients you can add to your pickles.
  • White onions can replace the red onions.
  • Make thicker onions if you are using them for a burger topping.

How long do Quick Pickled Red Onions last?

According to Mollie Katzen, these Homemade Pickled Red Onions will keep for months in the refrigerator in a glass container with a tightly-lidded jar.

What to do with Quick Pickled Red Onions

This recipe is a favorite way to add flavor to your meals. They are the perfect addition for healthy eating to your favorite dishes.

Refrigerator Quick Pickled Red Onions - BEST RECIPE!! | Montana Happy (4)

Hot Dogs and Sandwiches

Quick pickled red onions work well on sandwiches and hot dogs. Whether you put them on an Italian sub, pork sandwiches, favorite burger, gyro, or grilled cheese sandwich, everyone will love the zing these onions will give your next culinary adventure.

Quesadillas

Put some pickled red onions in your next quesadilla to take it to another level.

Tacos

Fish tacos, beef tacos, and chicken tacos will all taste better with the crisp texture of pickled red onions.

Burritos

Refrigerator red onions all wrapped up in a burrito with your favorite beans, rice, or meat is the perfect combination. They also go well in burrito bowls.

Eggs

Add the pickled onions to scrambled eggs, quiche, or omelet. Pickled thin slices of red onions also taste amazing on breakfast sandwiches.

Potato Salad

Pickled red onions add big flavor to potato salad.

Refrigerator Quick Pickled Red Onions - BEST RECIPE!! | Montana Happy (5)

Here’s some fun pickling cookbooks I found on Amazon:

Pickling Everything: Foolproof Recipes for Sour, Sweet, Spicy, Savory, Crunchy, Tangy Treats

Fermented Vegetables: Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs in Krauts, Kimchis, Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Relishes and Pickles

Red onions have a sweeter flavor than white or yellow onions due to low levels of pyruvic acid and sulfur compounds, according to Wikipedia. The sulfur compounds have many health benefits.

Refrigerator Quick Pickled Red Onions - BEST RECIPE!! | Montana Happy (6)

We’ve reached the end of Refrigerator Quick Pickled Red Onions. I hope you enjoyed this wonderful recipe.

Let me know in the comments below how you liked it.

Make sure you join our Creating a Cozy Life – Hygge Style facebook group. You’re not going to believe how amazing it is. Join here to be part of the virtual cozy cabin.

Pin this easy recipe below on your food Pinterest board.

Thanks for stopping by. I’m so happy you found us!

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Printable Version Best Pickled Red Onions with Nutritional Information

Refrigerator Quick Pickled Red Onions - BEST RECIPE!! | Montana Happy (7)

Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Crunchy and delicious, Homemade Pickled Red Onions is an easy recipe to make and the perfect addition to sandwiches, salads, grain dishes or your favorite bean recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium red onions
  • 4 cups boiling water
  • For the marinade:
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons honey (you can substitute sugar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon peppercorns

Instructions

1) Peel the red onions. Slice the onions thinly (I use a Mandoline - if you don't have one you don't know what you're missing.

2)Transfer onions to a medium-sized bowl.

3) Pour the boiling water into the bowl over the sliced onions. Let the onions soak in the boiling water for at least 5 minutes.

4) Drain the onions in a colander.

5) Let the onions sit in the colander while you mix the marinade. Combine all the ingredients of the marinade in a medium-sized bowl, and stir well.

6) Add the onions to the marinade mixture and let them sit for at least 10 minutes.

7) Transfer the red onions with the marinade to jars with tight-fitting lids.

8) Chill the pickled red onions in the refrigerator until very cold.

Refrigerator Quick Pickled Red Onions - BEST RECIPE!! | Montana Happy (2024)

FAQs

Should you refrigerate pickled red onions? ›

Your pickled onions will be ready to eat once they're bright pink and tender - about 1 hour for very thinly sliced onions, or overnight for thicker sliced onions. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

How long will onions in vinegar last in the fridge? ›

How Long Do Quick Pickled Onions Last in the Refrigerator? Pickled onions can last in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. I like them best during the first week because they are the most crisp, but they're still yummy later on.

Why do you soak onions in salt water before pickling? ›

Water and salt helps balance out flavors and maple syrup offsets the bitterness of the onion and vinegar. Without those, your pickled onions will be much more pungent!

Do red onions keep better in the fridge? ›

Store in a Cool, Dry Place

For this reason, he says it's best to store onions in a cool, dry place like a cellar, pantry, or even a garage. While they can be stored whole in the fridge, Yee notes that this causes the onion to convert starch to sugar, and can result in soft or soggy onions.

Is it OK to eat lots of pickled onions? ›

Eating a whole jar of pickled onions is not necessarily bad, but it is not recommended. Pickled onions are high in sodium, so eating too many of them can lead to high blood pressure and other health problems. Additionally, pickled onions can be acidic, which can irritate the stomach.

How to tell if pickled red onions are bad? ›

If they give off an off-putting or sour smell, it's best to discard them. Additionally, if you spot any signs of mold, it's time to say goodbye. Changes in color from vibrant pink to brown or a slime-like texture are also indicators of spoilage.

What happens if you leave raw onions in vinegar? ›

What happens when you soak onions in vinegar? Eventually you get a not-very-good “pickled” onion. To make it better and to pickle it properly, you want to put some salt and spices in there with the vinegar.

Is there a difference between red and purple onions? ›

Red onions (also known as purple or blue onions in some mainland European countries) are cultivars of the onion (Allium cepa), and have purplish-red skin and white flesh tinged with red. They are most commonly used in cooking, but the skin has also been used as a dye.

What to pair pickled red onions with? ›

Tacos: The sweet acidity is especially good on fish tacos and carnitas. Mayo-based salads: Add chopped pickled red onions to egg salads and potato salads, or use as a topper for deviled eggs. Green salads: Top any salad with pickled red onions to add flavor and eye-candy.

Are pickled red onions good for gut? ›

Fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut or pickled red onions contain high amounts of good probiotics and digestive enzymes. Maintaining a healthy gut flora can aid your digestion and overall energy levels.

Should I salt my pickled onions? ›

Salt is a very important component when pickling, as it helps prevent the production of harmful bacteria by drawing out moisture. There are two types of 'salting'. Dry salting prior to the pickling process (which the recipe below uses) or wet salting, which uses a brine as part of the pickling process.

How does Bobby Flay pickled onions? ›

Place the vinegar, 1/4 cup of olive oil, sugar, peppercorns and thyme in a large noncorrosive saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the onions to the hot liquid and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the onions to steep for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Which pickled onions are best? ›

Top 10 Pickled Onions Products
  1. Garner's. Original Pickled Onions. 454g. Vegan. ...
  2. Vadasz. Pickled Red Onion. 400g. ...
  3. M&S. Pickled Red Onions. 260g. ...
  4. ASDA. Pickled Onions. 710g. ...
  5. Tesco. Pickled Silverskin Onions. 440g. ...
  6. ASDA. Pickled Silverskin Onions. 440g. ...
  7. Garner's. Pickled Shallots Drained. 300g. ...
  8. Waitrose Ltd. Essential Pickled Onions drained. 225g.

Why boil vinegar for pickling? ›

You take all of your ingredients, apart from the product that is being pickled, and bring them to a boil. The heating process helps activate the flavors in the brine and marry them together. This hot brine is then poured over what is to be pickled and then stored in the refrigerator.

Can I leave pickled onions out overnight? ›

For best results, they should be refrigerated at least overnight, if not 24 hours. If you cut the time short you'll get crunchier onions that still have a bit of spice to them. The longer they marinade the juicier they'll be with great pickled flavor throughout. I love using these onion in my Roasted Beet Salad recipe!

Will pickled spoil if not refrigerated? ›

If the jars are properly heat-processed, both homemade and commercially sealed pickles can sit unopened at room temperature for years, says Julie Laing, author of The Complete Guide to Pickling. But eating them sooner will ensure the best texture and flavor.

How should I store pickled onions? ›

Pickled onions should be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator to maintain their freshness and flavor. The vinegar and salt in the pickling solution act as a preservative, allowing the onions to last for several weeks or even months in the fridge.

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