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Glass jar of bright pink pickled red onions on a wooden counter, ready to serve

Easy Pickled Red Onions Ready in 45 Minutes

Thin red onion slices soaked in a warm apple cider and white vinegar brine. Crisp, tangy, lightly sweet, and ready in 45 minutes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Resting Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Calories: 17
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Onions
  • 1 large red onion about 10 ounces, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
  • 1 small garlic clove smashed (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns optional
Brine
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 5% acidity
  • 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar 5% acidity
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 3/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt or fine sea salt

Equipment

  • Sharp chef's knife or mandoline
  • 16-ounce wide-mouth glass jar with lid
  • Small stainless steel saucepan
  • 2-cup liquid measuring cup with a spout
  • Long spoon or chopstick

Method
 

  1. Put the garlic and peppercorns in the jar, then pack in the onion rings loosely, about 1 inch below the rim.
  2. Heat both vinegars, water, sugar, and salt in the saucepan over medium heat, stirring 2 to 3 minutes until steaming and no grains remain.
  3. Remove from heat when tiny bubbles form at the edge.
  4. Pour the hot brine over the onions until covered, leaving 1/2 inch at the top. The brine turns faintly pink within a minute.
  5. Push floating rings under and rest uncovered for 30 minutes, until the edges look glassy and slices bend without snapping.
  6. Cover and refrigerate. Best after 2 hours, when the onions are bright magenta all the way through.

Notes

Measure salt for your brand. Diamond Crystal holds about half the salt per teaspoon of Morton.
Keep at least as much vinegar as water in the brine. Sweeten with sugar, not water.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 2 weeks in a covered glass jar. Do not freeze.