How to Make Quick Pickled Red Onions at Home (AIP, Paleo, no sugar)
I don’t know why it has taken me so long to make my own pickled red onions. It almost feels like I needed to get another autoimmune disease, go on an elaborate elimination diet, start a blog to share my recipes, and then realize I cannot live without these pickled onions anymore!
Jokes aside, this is definitely one of the easiest recipes. And what makes these AIP pickled red onions so great is how versatile they are and how they go with so many different dishes.
These go really well with pickled cucumbers, and the recipe is practically the same!
What you will need to make AIP Pickled Red Onions
Just a few simple ingredients and kitchen items. Nothing fancy required!
The ingredients you need are super simple. A red onion, apple cider vinegar, fresh water, honey, salt and a bay leaf.
To prepare the red onion you will need a cutting board and a sharp knife or mandolin. We prefer a sharp knife. If you use a mandolin, make sure it is sharp and that you can cut to the thickness you like.
You will need a large bowl to rinse and soak the red onions. This is to get the raw flavor off. To drain the onions, a sieve is very useful, but if you don’t have one a collander or any other way of draining them will do. Ideally you want them to drip dry for a few minutes.
For the pickling juice all you need is a measuring jug, a teaspoon and a saucepan. Combine all the pickling juice items into the saucepan to warm them up and melt the honey. Stir with a whisk to help the honey dissolve.
The most important part is a container to store your pickled red onions. We like to use a mason jar or any jar with a lid that seals well.
How to make Quick Pickled Onions
The process of making AIP pickled red onions is super easy and simple!
Start by peeling your red onion and then slicing it into your desired thickness. Thinner slices will be softer once pickled, and will pickle faster. Thicker slices will be crunchier and will take a bit longer to pickle. There is no right or wrong.
Place the sliced red onion in a large bowl with fresh water and swirl them around, breaking the rings apart. Let them soak in the water while you prepare the pickling juice.
To prepare the pickling juice, measure out the apple cider vinegar, water, honey and salt into a saucepan. Over medium heat, warm up the pickling juice and stir until the honey has dissolved. Turn off the heat.
Drain the onions and let them drip dry for a minute or two. Then transfer the onions into your pickling jar.
Now you have two choices: You can pour the hot pickling juice over the onions, seal the jar and let it cool to room temperature before putting them in the refrigerator. This will soften the onions and will pickle the red onions a little bit faster. Depending on the thickness of the onions they may be ready in a few hours, or the next day.
Or you can let the pickling juice cool down and then pour it over the onions. This will keep your onions a bit more crisp and will pickle them a bit slower. Again, there is no right or wrong.
Store the sealed pickled red onions in the refrigerator and they should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.
What to eat Pickled Red Onions with:
Pickled red onions pair so well with many dishes. Be creative and you will find new way to enjoy these onions every day!
We love to pair them with the following:
As a salad topper – Add them to a chicken salad for a tangy, colorful boost.
On AIP burgers – Wrap your burger in lettuce and layer on some pickled beets or pickled cucumbers for flavor, moisture, and crunch. They pair beautifully with sweet potato fries and a dollop of chimichurri.
In tacos or wraps – Try them with AIP-friendly pulled pork in lettuce cups or cassava wraps.
Share your favorite way of enjoying Pickled Red Onions
I love getting inspiration and ideas from others! What is your fvorite way of enjoying pickled red onions? Snap a picture and share it on Instagram by tagging me (@thyme.and.balance).
You can also pin this recipe on Pinterest to keep it handy for your next batch of gut-loving goodness.
Pickled Red Onion Recipe
Equipment
- cutting board
- sharp kitchen knife
- jar with lid for storing (1 liter)
- bowl or measuring jug to mix the pickling juice
- measuring cups and spoons
- kitchen scale
- larke mixing bowl
- whisk
- saucepan
- sieve
Ingredients
- 1 large red onions
- 400 ml apple cider vinegar
- 200 ml water
- 100 grams honey
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 black pepper corns, crushed (ommit on AIP)
Instructions
- Remove the outer layer of the onion. With a sharp kitchen knife, or a mandolin set to very thin slices, slice the onion. Slice them as evenly as possible. Thinner slices allow for quicker pickling, thicker slices will stay crunchier.
- Fill a large bowl with fresh cold water and add the onions to the bowl. Swirl them around and let them sit while you prepare the pickling juice. This step helps remove a lot of the strong raw onion flavor.
- Measure out your water, apple cider vinegar, salt and honey into a saucepan. Over medium heat, warm up the pickling juice and stir until the honey and salt have dissolved.
- Add the bay leaf. Once dissolved. Turn the heat off.
- Drain the onions, and make sure that most of the water has dripped off.
- Place the onions into your jar.
- You can now pour the pickling juice over the onions. If you want softer onions, add the pickling juice while still hot. If you like your onions crunchier, let the juice cool down.
- Hotter liquid will pickle the onions quicker and they could be ready in a few hours. Coldpickling juice will take longer and the onions will be ready the next day.
- Make sure all the onions are covered with pickling juice and seal the jar. Once it has cooled down, place in the refrigerator.
- OPTIONAL: If you are on Paleo or have reintroduced and can tolerate black bepper, then you can add some black pepper to the pickling juice. Crush them with the side of your knife, and add them at the same time you add the bay leaf.
Notes
