March 4, 2026 Ellen 0 Comments

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Pickled Red Onions – with white vinegar and apple cider vinegar

Pickled Red Onions brining in a mason jar

This is a great way to add a pop of color and a zing of flavor to your favorite salads and sandwiches. This recipe for pickled red onions is so easy to make with just a few simple ingredients – red onions, vinegar, sugar and salt. I like to use both white vinegar and apple cider vinegar because they each add a different kind of acidic bite.

Why you will love this recipe for Pickled Red Onions
Quick and Easy: No canning or fermentation required. Just slice the red onions, brine and let them sit.
Versatile: A wonderful addition to tacos, avocado toast, burgers, grain bowls, salads and sandwiches.
Long Shelf Life: These store beautifully in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Customizable: Easily adjust the brine with peppercorns, garlic cloves or red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.

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What’s in this recipe

red onions
white vinegar
apple cider vinegar
garlic
peppercorns

Pickled Red Onions

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Part of my series- Getting Blaise to eat salads: find things besides lettuce. He likes onions and pickles so I figured why not pickled onions? Score.

Author: Ellen
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 48 minutes (includes cooling and chilling time)
Yield: 32 ounces (~4 cups) 1x
Category: Dressing/Dip/Condiment
Method: Pickling, Stovetop
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Ingredients

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2 red onions, sliced in thin rings
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoon salt
2 cloves garlic, peels and mashed
1 teaspoon peppercorns

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Instructions

In a small saucepan on medium heat, add white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Whisk until the salt and sugar dissolves. Mixture should be hot but not boiling by the time the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
In a 32 ounce mason jar, add the garlic, peppercorns and sliced onions. Put the vinegar mixture into the mason jar. Depending on how much onion is in your jar, you may have left over vinegar that you can discard. If you do not have enough liquid to fill the jar to the top, add water until it reaches the top of the jar.
Let the mixture continue to cool for about 30 minutes before covering the jar and place in the fridge. Ready to eat when the onions turn pink, after at least 1 hour in the fridge. The onions will last about 2 weeks in the fridge. Enjoy on salads or sandwiches.