Lena's Kitchen Pickled Onions Recipe (2024)

Posted: May 24, 2021 by lena gladstone | Updated: March 12, 2024

Learn how to make the bright, crunchy, and easy Lena’s Kitchen Pickled Onions Recipe. Give sandwiches, salads, bowls, and more a “bright pop of flavor.” With only four ingredients, you’ll end up with a sweet and tangy topping for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

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Recipe for Pickled Onions

If you’ve been following me for a while or have been watching my Instagram stories or live cooking sessions, you know I love making dish-enhancing elements such as sauces and sides. This may be my Ukrainian background speaking, but I find that there’s something very special about elevating an entire meal with very simple additions, like Lena’s Kitchen Pickled Onions.

Pickled onions and vegetables are also a huge nostalgic item for me. Making them brings up fond memories of being in the kitchen as a child, watching my mom and grandma spend time cutting up a variety of vegetables to pickle over the winter. We would bring jar after jar down into the basem*nt with heaps of other yummy varieties.

It doesn’t get much easier than this. Lena’s Kitchen Pickled Onions Recipe is ready to enjoy in only FOUR steps! Here’s how it’s done:

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How To Make Pickle Red Onions

Chop your red onion in half and slice thinly into half-circle slices.
Add them to a bowl, rinse with warm water, and lightly squeeze the onions to drain the excess water.
Place the onions into a mason or Weck Tulip jar. Add in the salt, warm water, and rice vinegar, and finish by mixing with a spoon or sealing the jar with a lid to shake.
Refrigerate the pickled onions for at least 4 hours, or for the best results, leave them overnight.

Keep a full jar of Lena’s Kitchen Pickled Onions in your fridge so they’re on hand when you need to spruce up a meal. This recipe will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator, however, they’re so delicious, they may not even last that long! My family goes through an entire batch in less than a week.

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What Onions To Use For Pickling?

My favorite onions to use are red onions and shallots, because of the oink hue they give to your dishes. But here are some others you can play around with or use what you have. If you only have white or yellow onions and happen to have a raw beet, you can add a few slices to give you that beautiful pink hue too.

Red Onions –my favorite onions to use, you will get great pink color from them.
White Onions – will be stronger in flavor once pickled.
Sweet Onions – will add a natural sweetness.
Shallots – will add a stronger and more pungent flavor to your dishes with a light pink hue.

Best Vinegar For Pickling?

Pickled onions can be used with any variety of vinegar. This is the time to experiment if you want! I suggest using a combination of vinegars, one strong + one more mellow for a smoother tangy flavor.

Rice Vinegar is my favorite vinegar to use, because of its mild flavor.
Champagne Vinegar will add a touch of natural sweetness to the onions.
White Wine Vinegar will also add a touch of sweetness.
Apple Cider Vinegar will add a little more funky flavor to the onions.
White Vinegar will give you the strongest flavor, I would use less vinegar to water ratio.

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Vegetables For Pickling

This pickling recipe is not exclusive to red onions! As I did as a child, you can pickle almost any vegetable and transform it into a tart, tangy, and sweet garnish. Swap the onions for your favorites, or try any of these suggestions:

Thinly sliced cucumbers
Radishes, thinly sliced or quartered
Carrots, cut into matchsticks
Cabbage (for this, I add a few cloves of garlic, fresh dill, and a bay leaf)
Daikon radish, either sliced thinly or cut into matchsticks

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Lena’s Kitchen Pickled Onion Recipe Tips

Slice the onions very thinly: The thinner the red onions are, the quicker they will absorb the vinegar and pickle faster. Use a sharp knife or a mandolin to achieve this.
Rinse your onions: Rinsing the onions before pickling will prevent the onions from being that strong onion flavor. I just squeeze them a bit in warm water and then add to the jar.
Choose the vinegar wisely: No sugar added rice vinegar is my top choice for this recipe. It’s a very neutral flavor that compliments the red onions, and the finished results are not too sweet. White wine or champagne vinegar are nice alternatives but will taste slightly sweeter.I would NOT recommend using apple cider or white vinegar as they both resulted in an overpowering flavor.
Be patient: In only four hours, these easy pickled red onions are ready to munch on. However, for the absolute best results, I highly recommend leaving them in the fridge overnight. This way, the onions will soak in all of the flavors and become much more flavorful.
Make multiple batches at a time: This recipe is extremely flexible. Easily double or triple the batch and seal them in mason or Weck jars. Consider gifting small jars of the pickled onions to friends or family!
Reuse the liquid: After your first batch is all used up, you can reuse the pickling liquid up to 4 times. Adjust the vinegar, salt and add some hot water to the next batch.

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How To Use Lena’s Kitchen Pickled Onion Recipe

A jar of Lena’s Kitchen Pickled Onions Recipe is always on my table, ready to compliment my next meal. They go well with either breakfast, lunch, or dinner! As to not overwhelm you, my quick-pickled onions will allow any of the following recipes to shine:

Lena’s Kitchen Pickled Onions Recipe

4.8 from 196 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Resting Time: 4 hours hrs

Total Time: 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

1 large red onion thinly sliced
¾ cup rice vinegar you can sub with white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar only
2 cups water hot
1 ½ tbsp sea salt

Instructions

Chop red onion in half. Peel and slice very thin into half-circle slices. Use a mandolin if you have one.
Add the onions into a bowl with warm water, and lightly squeeze the onions to release the onion flavor. Drain the water.
Place the onions into a jar. I use a 35.9oz Weck Jar,or you can use a wide mouth 32 oz mason jar. You want to have enough space for everything to fit. In a measuring cup add the salt, hot water, and rice vinegar. Mix with a spoon. Pour on the onions.
Let cool on the counter. Then cover with a lid and refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours, or leave them overnight in the refrigerator for the best results. (Reuse the liquid up to 4 times. Adjust vinegar and salt each time if needed.)

Notes

TIP: Reuse the liquid up to 4 times. Make sure to adjust the salt, vinegar and water ratio to taste when you do.

VINEGARS: Make sure your rice vinegar DOES NOT have any SUGAR. This will change the flavor. I would NOT recommend apple cider or white vinegar. They are just not the perfect fit for this pickling liquid. I’ve tried them with both and found the flavor to be overpowering, which will not give you the intended flavor meant for this recipe.

Course: Condiment, Dinner, Garnish, Salad, Sandwich

Cuisine: Asian, Mediterranean, Russian

Keyword: condiment, onions, pickled, side dish, vinegar

Nutrition

Lena's Kitchen Pickled Onions Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak onions in salt water before pickling? ›

Some people choose to soak their onions in a salt water mixture before pickling, but I don't find it necessary. In theory, this step draws out extra moisture to keep the texture of the onions nice and crisp even as they sit in the vinegar mixture.

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Are pickled onions still healthy? ›

Pickled onions, for example, can be a beneficial part of a healthy diet. The pickling process does use a large amount of salt and sugar, but when eaten in moderation and considering the fact that pickled vegetables retain their nutritional values, they can be included in your diet.

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Can I reuse the liquid from pickled onions? ›

Pro tip, if you eat the onions quickly, you can reuse the brine. Add more sliced red onions to the mixture and start again. You can also try pickling other sturdy vegetables like sliced radishes, carrots, or small cauliflower florets. If the brine is cloudy or has a bad odor, discard and start with a fresh batch.

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How long do pickled onions last once opened? ›

Of course, once that jar of pickled onions has been opened, it will need to be refrigerated. And while it might be tempting to keep them cold until they're used up, the USDA gives all opened home-canned goods a pretty short window: Just three to four days in the fridge.

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How long should you brine onions before pickling? ›

Once peeled, layer in a bowl and sprinkle each layer with salt. Cover and leave overnight or up to 24hrs. Meanwhile pour the vinegar and sugar into a large saucepan with the peppercorns, mustard seeds and bay leaves.

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Why are the bacteria killed off in a jar of pickled onions? ›

Package the vegetables and liquid into jars, cover them in the remaining hot vinegar solution and can them. Either way, the vinegar's acetic acid will increase the the vegetables' acidity and kill off any existing microorganisms, which will help prevent prevent short-term spoilage.

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Is it bad to eat a whole jar of pickled onions? ›

Can eating too many pickled onions be harmful? Eating too much of anything can be harmful. I don't think too many pickled onions could ever be a death sentence, it would take a whole hell of a lot of onions to do you in, but an upset stomach might come your way.

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Are pickled onions inflammatory? ›

Aside from giving your meals a flavor boost, onions are teeming with nutrients down to the core. Each layer is abundant with anti-inflammatory properties, vitamins and nutrients.

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Are pickled onions bad for high blood pressure? ›

Pickles are very high in sodium because it's an important part of the brining process. Consuming too much salt in your daily diet can contribute to high blood pressure. Anyone who is on blood pressure medication or looking to reduce their sodium intake should eat pickles in moderation or look for low sodium options.

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Why are my pickled onions slimy? ›

if your pickled red onions are slimy and limp then you May be cutting them the wrong way. we have two primary ways to slice onions pole to pole or orbital.

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Can bacteria multiply in pickled onions? ›

Removal of water helps the onions keep longer as bacteria, yeasts and moulds cannot multiply so quickly. The onions are pickled in a sugar, spice and vinegar solution. The vinegar changes the pH and prevents the enzymes and the microorganisms from working so the onions are preserved and keep for a long time.

Why have my pickled onions turned blue? ›

What happened? Red onions—as well as other red produce, including cabbage and cherries—are rich in pigments called anthocyanins. When they're cooked with acid, their color intensifies, but when combined with an alkaline component, they can turn a startling bluish-green color.

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Why are my pickled onions floating? ›

ANSWER :: This happens, it is not recipe or onion specific. It is as you suspect—not enough weight. The high amount of released CO2 is trapped between the onions and causing them to float above the brine.