Description

Ready with just 5 minutes of prep, these quick pickled red onions can be made with vingear or lime juice and are ready for eating after just 30 minutes. Perfect for meal prep and made without any cooking, these pickled onions are a great fridge staple that adds a vibrant and tangy pop of flavor to a multitude of meals.

Ingredients

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for the vinegar pickled red onions

1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon honey, or maple syrup
1-2 cloves smashed garlic, optional
3/4 cup water, hot or just boiled

for the lime juice pickled red onions

1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons honey, or maple syrup
1 heaped teaspoon sea salt

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Instructions

FOR THE VINEGAR PICKLED ONIONS

Pack the sliced onions into a pint jar (or larger). If you’re using a medium sized onion, you should be able to get all of it into a pint jar. If your onion is on the larger size, you can divide it into two smaller jars or just use one larger jar.

Add the vinegar, salt, honey, and garlic cloves to a large spouted measuring cup. Pour over the hot water then stir to completely dissolve the salt and honey. Once they have dissolved, pour the brine over the onions. You will most likely have brine left over. You can use it for other veggies or keep it in the fridge and use it within a week.

Gently pack down the onions to ensure that they are fully submerged in the brine. Allow the onions to pickle at room temperature for 30 minutes before eating or moving to the fridge. In my opinion, the flavor is best if you wait for them to pickle for at least 24 hours. Keep these in the fridge and enjoy within 2-3 weeks.

FOR THE LIME JUICE PICKLED ONIONS

Add the thinly sliced onions to a wide, shallow bowl.

Add the honey and salt on top then pour over the lime juice. Toss to combine and coat the onions in the lime juice. Set the bowl aside and toss the onions every 5-10 minutes over the course of 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, transfer the onions and all accumulated juices into a jar. Enjoy now, or refrigerate. Enjoy these within a week.

Notes

Maple syrup or sugar can be used in place of the honey to make the recipe vegan as needed.
Four ripe limes yielded 1/2 cup juice for me but this will vary depending on how juicy your limes are.
You can use a white or yellow onion in place of the red onion if you prefer but keep in mind the pickled onions wont have their vibrant pink color. You can also use 3-4 shallots.
You’ll end up with about 1 1/2 cups of pickled onions since they will soften and lose some volume while pickling.
Please note that neither of these recipes are formulated to be safe for water bath canning. They are meant to be stored in the fridge and consumed within 1-3 weeks.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Pickling Time: 30 minutes