An Easy Pickled Onions Recipe
Pickling is for more than just pickles. Nearly everything changes about a given food when you pickle it. What was harsh becomes sweet, what was mild becomes complex and spicy. Case in point: raw onions can be harsh and overpowering, but a vinegar solution takes off the edge and replaces it with a lovely sweet-spicy bite. These make one of the best condiments imaginable for sandwiches, tacos, nachos, and burgers alike, or can act as a healthy snack all on their own with a spoon or fork. Our pickled onions recipe is proof!
Makes about 2 Cups
You'll Need
3⁄4 cup white or red wine vinegar
3⁄4 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 red onions, sliced into thin rings
How to Make It
- Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, bay leaves, and pepper flakes in a small pan and heat until the liquid just begins to simmer. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- Place the onions in a sealable jar or container and pour the liquid over the onions.
- These are ready to use almost immediately (give them at least 20 minutes of soaking)
and keep covered in the fridge for up to a week.
Eat This Tip
What to Pickle:
Pickling is not only a fun activity, but it's a great way to keep things fresh in your kitchen, no pun intended. When pickling, it's great to get creative and place some fruits and veggies into jars that you never would have thought of. You'll be surprised at the unique and exciting tastes that will emerge. Here are a few delicious options that surprised even us (and as you know, we're not easily startled): blueberries, watermelon rinds, peaches, grapes, garlic, pumpkin, pork, beef, the list really goes on and on and…on. Find a few favorites and stock up! The more you have on hand the more healthy options you'll have to snack on. Try something even we didn't think of and give it a whirl. Worst that can happen is you don't like it and you feed it to your dog. You know what they say: one person's trash is another dog's dinner…
This recipe (and hundreds more!) came from one of our Cook This, Not That! books. For more easy cooking ideas, you can also buy the book!
