Go Back
+ servings
a small bowl filled with red pickled onions
Print Recipe
5 from 8 votes

Small Batch Pickled Onion

Learn how to make a small batch of tangy pickled onions with this easy recipe! Perfect for adding zest to burgers, hot dogs, or salads.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time3 minutes
Resting Time30 minutes
Total Time38 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: brined onions, brining, onions, pickled onions, pickled red onions, quick pickled onions
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Joanie Zisk

Ingredients

  • 1 small red onion (about 3-ounces sliced)
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  • Prepare the Onion: Peel a small red onion and slice it in half from top to bottom, cutting through the stem. Place the halves flat-side down on a cutting board and thinly slice them into 1/4-inch pieces. Place these slices in a small mason jar - a 2-cup size is ideal. Avoid using metal or plastic containers as metal can react with vinegar, and plastic may absorb flavors.
  • Make the Pickling Liquid: In a small saucepan, combine water, vinegar, lime juice, honey, and salt. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Once it simmers and the honey dissolves completely, remove it from the heat.
  • Pickle the Onions: Let the brine cool slightly. Then, carefully pour it over the onions in the jar, doing it gradually to avoid cracking the jar. Use a spoon to gently press and move the onions around, ensuring they are fully submerged in the liquid.
  • Let It Sit and Store: Cover the jar and let the onions sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. After that, store them in the refrigerator. This recipe makes about 2/3 cup (70 grams) of pickled red onions.
    Pro Tip: For the best flavor, keep your pickled onions sealed in an airtight jar in the fridge. They improve in taste after a few days!

Notes

Expert Tips
  • Choose the Right Vinegar: The type of vinegar used in the pickling brine can impact the flavor of your pickled onions. While apple cider vinegar or white vinegar is a common choice, you can also experiment with red wine vinegar or even rice vinegar for unique taste variations. Just be sure to avoid balsamic or malt vinegar, as their strong flavors can overpower the onions.
  • Customize the Flavor: Feel free to get creative with your pickling spices and seasonings. This is a basic pickled onions recipe so consider including other additions. Classic choices include peppercorns, mustard seeds, and bay leaves, but you can also add red pepper flakes for heat, fennel seeds for an anise flavor, or a pinch of cumin for earthiness. Adjust the sugar and salt levels in the brine to suit your personal taste preferences, creating a pickled onion recipe that's uniquely yours.
  • Slice the onions thinly, but not too thinly: The pickling process often thins out the onions a little and the moisture from the brine makes them soft. I like to slice my onions to 1/4-inch thickness.
  • Use the right-sized jar for pickling: Since we are not heat processing these onions, you do not need to use a canning jar. Any jar with a lid or even a glass storage container will work. I use a 2-cup (1-pint) mason jar.
  • Clean and dry your jar well before using it: You don't want to introduce bacteria to the onion pickling process.
TO STORE: Pickled onions can last in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition facts have been calculated without the pickling liquid (for the onion only), as the liquid is discarded. You may want to use a free online nutrition calculator and play around with the other ingredients to calculate.
Please note, nutrition facts are a general guide only

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 4kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

Advertisements will not show up when recipe is printed.