These pickled red onions add a delicious crunchy smokiness to all kinds of dishes and they're incredibly simple to make (especially perfect for beginner picklers). Seriously tasty and ready in minutes they're the best sour crunchy pickle toppers for homemade bacon-wrapped or grilled hotdogs, cheeseburgers, veggie burgers, tacos, Cubano sandwiches, and countless other wraps and dishes. And even though this condiment is obviously vegan, these onions add a meaty, umami, smokiness to whatever you pair them with. As with all things homemade, they taste better when you share♡. So, make an extra jar and give it to that neighbor who loves to grill, or your best condiment-loving friend.
What's the Difference -- Quick-Pickles Vs Canned Pickles Vs Fermented Pickles?
I grew up pickling, fermenting, and canning all kinds of delicious garden-fresh produce and fruit alongside my Mom for as long as I can remember. When it comes to pickling there are three types (or ways) of pickling all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Quick pickling and canned pickling is inexpensive and probably the least labor-intensive way to dip your toe into the world of home canning. Below are three ways to pickle vegetables and fruit starting with the easiest.
- Quick Pickles (must be kept refrigerated and consumed somewhat quickly). Quick pickles are the easiest pickles to make and are sometimes referred to as "refrigerator pickles". They're vegetables (or fruits) that are pickled in a brine made of vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar, herbs, peppers, or spices are also added) and stored in the refrigerator and consumed within about two weeks. There is no need to sterilize the jars or wait for them to cure.
- Canned Pickles (shelf-stable long-term preservation pickles). Pickles (usually cucumber dill pickles) from the grocery store or home-canned pickles fall into the larger "quick pickle" category because they too are pickled in a brine made of vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar, herbs, peppers, or spices are also added). However, these pickles have been safely canned so that they may be preserved for long periods of time and remain shelf-stable for many months or even years. You must sterilize the glass jars, lids, and bands, and ensure the ratio of acid (usually vinegar) and salt is sufficient in order to safely preserve the fruit or vegetable and avoid contamination that could lead to unwanted bacteria growth which could be harmful. Generally, there's enough acid in home-canned pickles you'll never likely run into this issue.
- Fermented Pickles (shelf-stable long-term naturally preserved pickles). Fermented pickles are the healthiest of all pickles because of the lacto-fermentation method of using only salt, water, and a warm (but not too warm) environment to allow the vegetables (or fruit) to slowly pickle over a period of several weeks. If you're familiar with sauerkraut or kimchi, then you know how the Lactic acid fermentation process works. Fermented pickles are also referred to as "the real dill pickles" and get their sourness naturally whereas quick pickle varieties get their sour quality from added acid (usually vinegar). The taste of fermented pickles is much milder than pickles made using vinegar. Fermented pickles retain more of the original cucumber flavor and are usually tangy, salty, garlicky, and delicious, but not vinegary.
Quick Pickled Smoky Red Onions Ingredients
If you want a spicy, smoky pickled red onion, add some crushed red pepper flakes, ground cayenne pepper, or even a few slices of fresh hot peppers like jalapeños or Sichuan bird's eye chilis to the brine.
- 1 (16-ounce) Mason pint canning jar, or equivalent (473ml)
- 1 small or medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced (150g)
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar (240g)
- 1 cup of water (240g)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (25g)
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (18g)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
How to Make Delicious Smoky Quick Pickled Red Onions (Short Term Preservation)
For this recipe, all you need is a clean jar (any kind will do), and a few household pantry staples to get started. These pickles make a delightfully crunchy smoky condiment for all your favorite burgers, hotdogs, and fajitas, and even taste great in potato salad, egg salad and so much more. Double or triple the recipe for cookouts, BBQs, and large gatherings.
- Prepare the onions. Peel and slice the onions thinly and as evenly as possible, and set aside. *Use a mandoline slicer if you have one.
- Prepare the jar. Add the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper (if using) directly to the jar.
- Make the brine. Place the onions, water, vinegar, sugar, and salt into a medium pot and bring to a boil stirring constantly just until the sugar and salt have dissolved, and turn off the heat. Using a ladle, fill the jar, allow it cool completely to room temperature, screw the lid on, shake it and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Enjoy!
*scroll down for instructions on how to make canned (shelf-stable) smoky pickled red onions
How to Can or Preserve Smoky Quick Pickled Red Onions (Long-term Preservation)
In case you have an abundance of fresh onions coming out of your garden, you may want to preserve some of these delicious pickles for eating later on in the year (or for gifting to your food-loving friends and family). Here are the instructions for preserving (canning) these smoky onions for the long-term versus the quick pickling instructions above.
- Prepare the onions. Peel and slice the onions as thinly and evenly as possible and set them aside. *use a mandoline to slice the onions if you have one
- Sterilize the jar. Wash and rinse the jar and sterilize it by either boiling it for 10 minutes in a hot water bath or placing it on a sheet tray and baking it in a preheated 320°F/160°C oven for approximately 20 minutes.
- Prepare the jar. Add the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper (if using) to the jar.
- Sterilize the lid and band. Place the cleaned lid and band into a small pot of water and bring to a boil to sterilize it and also warm up the "gasket" for a better seal.
- Make the brine. Place the onions, water, vinegar, sugar, and salt into a medium stockpot and bring to a boil stirring constantly just until the sugar and salt have dissolved, and turn off the heat. Using a ladle, fill the sterilized jar leaving ¼ to ½-inch (1.27cm) headspace. As soon as the jar is filled, clean and wipe any brine from the rim of the jar with a clean wet towel, and immediately place the lid and band on top using a pair of tongs. Tighten to just to "finger tight" seal. Turn the jar upside down and leave it for 24 hours to cool and complete the sealing process. Enjoy!
Smoky Quick Pickled Red Onions tips + tricks + FAQ's
- Where does pickling come from? Pickling started as a way to preserve food before there was refrigeration. Nowadays people eat them because they're tasty, but families like mine still pickle lots of things each year to preserve abundant fruits and vegetables grown in the garden.
- Where was pickling invented? Pickling has been around for thousands of years since at least 2030 B.C and is native to India near the Tigris valley. Cleopatra attributed part of her beauty to pickles and Aristotle said they were medicinal...and they're apparently even mentioned in the Bible (twice). Pickles have been around a while, but most of these pickles were made using the lacto-fermentation method and are great for promoting good gut health because they're full of probiotics. They don't taste like vinegar pickles.
- What is pickling? Pickling is the preservation of foods by a process known as anaerobic fermentation taking place in a brine of salt water and/or vinegar.
Looking for More Delicious Pickles to Make?
Above are a few of our favorite homemade pickles we think you also may like. We'll be posting more of these recipes soon, so check back with us as we add them to our Vim + Vinegar section.
- Spicy Mala Sichuan Flower Pepper-Pickled Carrots (花椒 pickled carrots)
- Lemongrass Dill Pickled Watermelon Rinds (Ribbons + Tidbits — Spicy Optional)
Let's get started!
Print📖 Recipe
Smoky Quick Pickled Red Onions (refrigerator pickles)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 Pint 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These crisp, smoky, pickled red onions are amazing. They compliment everything from your favorite burgers, hotdogs, to hummus, and even homemade Cuban sandwiches (pretty much anything you want a slightly sour pickle). These are one of my favorite easy pickles to make and vegans and vegetarians alike, love these crunch onions...
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) Mason pint canning jar, or equivalent (473ml)
- 1 small or medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced (150g)
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) (240g)
- 1 cup of water (240g)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (14g)
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (11g)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the onions. Peel and slice the onions thinly and as evenly as possible, and set aside. *Use a mandoline slicer if you have one.
- Prepare the jar. Add the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper (if using) directly to the jar.
- Make the brine. Place the onions, water, vinegar, sugar, and salt into a medium pot and bring to a boil stirring constantly just until the sugar and salt have dissolved, and turn off the heat. Using a ladle, fill the jar, allow it cool completely to room temperature, screw the lid on, shake it and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Enjoy!
*see notes for instructions on how to make (canned shelf-stable) smoky pickled red onions
Notes
- Scale this recipe for larger crowds or cookouts and BBQs
- You may substitute distilled white vinegar for the rice wine vinegar.
- You may substitute sweet Vidalia onions or any other onions in this recipe, but the color obviously won't have the same beautiful pink hue.
- The color of these onions and the brine gets very deep red/pink the longer they are in the jar.
- As you use up the onions, you can get creative with the leftover brine by re-purposing it for vinaigrettes, etc.
How to Can Quick-Pickled Onions for Long-term (shelf-stable) Storage.
- Prepare the onions. Peel and slice the onions as thinly and evenly as possible and set them aside. *use a mandoline to slice the onions if you have one
- Sterilize the jar. Wash and rinse the jar and sterilize it by either boiling it for 10 minutes in a hot water bath or placing it on a sheet tray and baking it in a preheated 320°F/160°C oven for approximately 20 minutes.
- Prepare the jar. Add the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper (if using) to the jar.
- Sterilize the lid and band. Place the cleaned lid and band into a small pot of water and bring to a boil to sterilize it and also warm up the "gasket" for a better seal.
- Make the brine. Place the onions, water, vinegar, sugar, and salt into a medium stockpot and bring to a boil stirring constantly just until the sugar and salt have dissolved, and turn off the heat. Using a ladle, fill the sterilized jar leaving ¼ to ½-inch (1.27cm) headspace. As soon as the jar is filled, clean and wipe any brine from the rim of the jar with a clean wet towel, and immediately place the lid and band on top using a pair of tongs. Tighten to just to "finger tight" seal. Turn the jar upside down and leave it for 24 hours to cool and complete the sealing process. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Vim + Vinegar
- Method: Quick-Pickling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
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