Quick Pickled Red Onions No Cook
These Quick Pickled Red Onions are made using a no-cook method. Using a cold brine, these pickled red onions are simple to prep in 10 minutes, with no heating required. They are tangy and crisp, with a slight sweetness. Perfect to pair with these Leftover Brisket Tacos.
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Why This Recipe is So Good
Quick pickling is a pickling process that doesn’t involve special equipment. You aren’t canning or lacto-fermenting your vegetables, instead the hot or cold brine is poured over the vegetables then they are jarred and marinated in the fridge for 1 – 2 days before enjoying. Prepping using this method only takes 5 – 10 minutes.
These refrigerator pickled red onions are simple to make and have the perfect salty and tangy and slightly sweet flavor that makes every dish better. It really is the best pickled red onions recipe.
They are made with only 5 ingredients – red onions, white vinegar, water, salt and sugar. They are quickly pickled with a cold brine so there aren’t any heating or cooking steps in the recipe. A cold brine is used for this recipe so we don’t have to cook the onions. That way the remain crisp and crunchy.
You can add these pickled red onions to really any dish. Mushroom Black Bean Burgers and Roasted Hatch Chile Burgers, sandwiches, any salad – anything you want an extra vinegary pop of flavor. If you love pickles, this garlic and dill refrigerator pickle recipe uses the same method.
Recipe Ingredients
- Red onions: Large red onions thinly sliced.
- Water and white distilled vinegar: To give the perfect tangy pickled onion flavor.
- Sea salt and sugar: Just to add a little bit of sweetness. This recipe isn’t overly sweet at all, but it helps to balance out the salty and tangy flavors of the salt and vinegar.
How to Make Quick Pickled Red Onions No Cook Method
All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Use a chef’s knife to cut the onion in half lengthwise then use a knife or mandoline to cut thin slices. Place onions into a clean mason jar.
Add salt, cane sugar, vinegar, and water. Top the jar with a lid, then shake until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
Refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Pickled onions are ready to eat once they are bright pink and tender.
Looking For More Recipes?
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
- Skillet Beef Fajitas
- 4-Ingredient Guacamole Recipe without Cilantro or Tomatoes
- Leftover Brisket Enchiladas with Hatch Chiles
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Quick Pickled Red Onions No Cook
Equipment
- 1 quart jar wide mouth jars will be easier to add the ingredients
Ingredients
- ½ large red onion thinly sliced, 8 ounces
- ¾ cup white distilled vinegar
- ¾ cup filtered water plus more as needed to keep the onions below the brine
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons cane sugar
Instructions
- Use a chef’s knife to cut the onion in half lengthwise then use a knife or mandoline to cut thin slices. Place onions into a clean mason jar.½ large red onion
- Add vinegar, water, sea salt, and cane sugar. Top the jar with a lid, then shake until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Add more water if needed to keep the onions submerged in the brine.3/4 cup white distilled vinegar, 3/4 cup filtered water, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 2 teaspoons cane sugar
- Refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Pickled onions are ready to eat once they are bright pink and tender.
Notes
How To Store/ Make Ahead
Can be stored fully submerged in the brine in the fridge for 2 to 4 weeks. The longer they sit, the softer they will become. If they ever look or smell “off” discard immediately.Tips and Tricks
- Add enough water to keep the onions submerged in the brining liquid
- Sweetener: This is a low sugar pickled red onion recipe. If you prefer it to be sweeter, taste the brine, then add a bit more sugar to your liking.
- Variations: Add chopped dried or fresh chiles, whole peppercorns, red crushed pepper flakes, or swap out the white distilled vinegar for apple cider vinegar.
- Hot brine vs cold brine. The two main ways to make refrigerator-pickled vegetables are either using a hot or a cold brine. A hot brine is when you heat water, vinegar, and salt until hot. The slightly warm brine is then poured over the vegetables, slightly cooking them. For a cold brine, the ingredients are not heated, but are poured directly over the vegetables in the jar, then refrigerated. This recipe uses a cold brine, which is helpful because it keeps the onions crisp and crunchy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate. Recipe card may include affiliate links.
