Go Back
pickled red onions for mexican food in a mason jar
Print Recipe
4.78 from 18 votes

Pickled Red Onions

This bright, gently perfumed condiment brings a lot of character to a wide variety of dishes. It's a great technique to add character to vegan (or wildly carnivorous!) meals.
Prep Time10 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Sauces and Condiments
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: mexican pickled onions, pickled red onions, pickled red onions mexican
Calories: 24kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

  • 2 medium red onions
  • Juice of two limes at least ¼ cup/(60 ml)
  • 1 cup (240 ml) red wine vinegar
  • ½ cup (120 ml) distilled white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • ½ cup fresh oregano thyme, rosemary, or cilantro sprigs, or a combination

Instructions

  • Peel the onions and halve from tip to root. Very thinly slice each half from tip to root.
  • In a quart-size mason jar or medium bowl with a lid, combine the lime juice, red wine vinegar, white vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir (or put a lid on the jar and shake gently) to completely dissolve sugar and salt.
  • Add the sliced onions and the herbs to the jar or bowl. Stir and press a bit to submerge all the onions and herbs in the liquid. Top off with an extra splash of vinegar if necessary.
  • Pickle these babies in the fridge for 24 hours or simply on the counter at room temperature for an hour or two before serving as a condiment for tacos, sandwiches, salads — you name it.

Video

Notes

  1. Slicing the onions from root to tip as opposed to crosswise helps them hold their shape and toothsome bite as they soften up in the brine.
  2. There's no substitute for freshly squeezed lime juice. Don't be tempted to use the bottled stuff.
  3. For the fresh herbs, you've got options. I always include cilantro, and if I have them on hand, I'll also tuck in some rosemary, thyme, and oregano in pretty much any combination.Part of the magic of this recipe is that it will keep for up to a month tightly sealed in a nice cold fridge. We like to keep a batch of them on hand pretty much all the time to add to all kinds of meals and snacks. They'll get a little more pickled as they age.
  4. Spicy variation: soicy pickeld onions: This recipe lends itself beautifully to the addition of spiciness. Depending on your heat tolerance, you can add anywhere from half a jalapeño to a whole habanero when you add the herbs. You don't need to make any additional changes to the recipe. Note that the longer the onions sit in the fridge, the spicier they will get.
  5. Sugar-free variation: This isn't a sweet pickle at all. The tablespoon of sugar merely rounds out the flavor and is barely perceptible. If you need a sugar-free recipe for any reason, you can simply omit the sugar and proceed with the recipe as written.
I first published this recipe here way back in 2011, adapted from Bobby Flay via Serious Eats. I've since updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.

Nutrition

Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.3g | Protein: 0.4g | Fiber: 0.5g