If you’re looking for a way to shake up your Taco Tuesday menu, this recipe is for you! These Quick and Easy 10-minute Pickled Onions are so good, you’ll want to put them on everything from tacos to power bowls. I even caught my husband just eating them out of the jar the other night as a snack, so the fact you can whip up a batch in just 10 minutes is a real bonus.
Jump to RecipeSo, what goes with these Quick and Easy 10-Minute Pickled Onions? What doesn’t?
My husband and I have been trying to eat healthier. I’m a food blogger who focuses on baking, so needless to say, it’s often easier said than done. But we’ve been married for 30 years and I have it in my head we’ll grow old together, do some traveling, have adventures, so I’m kinda “all in” at this point.
I’m also dedicated to flavor and texture. Food has to be delicious and satisfying. I’m just not that pious when it comes to food and neither is my husband. I recently placed a Mexican-style power bowl in front of my husband (a true carnivore) that was topped with a touch of Super Simple 5-Minute Avocado Buttermilk Dressing and this recipe for Quick and Easy 10-Minute Pickled Onions. He absolutely loved it.
I knew I had a winner when I found him eating these pickled onions straight out of the jar as a snack later that night.
So besides tacos and power bowls, what else could this pickled onions recipe possibly go with? That is really up to you. Because they have such a light, sweet and sour, neutral flavor profile, they make a flexible condiment. They are delicious served over grilled sausages and burgers, tossed in with your favorite potato salad or eaten straight out of the jar. I even like them in a lettuce wrap with carrots, sprouts and grilled chicken in a peanut sauce.
You also have complete control over the heat. If you like your picked onions a little hotter, include all the seeds and pith of the jalapeño. But if you like a milder pickle, rinse the pepper under cold water and strain out some of the seeds.
A pickled onion by another name.
I’ve said before that I ate well growing up. With a Mexican father and a Sicilian mother, how could I not? My parents had a strong influence over my taste buds and attitudes toward food.
I remember my dad bringing home tamales, conchas and other traditional Mexican dishes from his childhood neighborhood restaurants and bakeries. My mother made her pasta sauce from scratch. Pizzelles and other Italian sweets were always present during the holidays. And when there were foods that had overarching similarities, it usually sparked a discussion on who came up with it first – as if it mattered in some way.
I grew up knowing pickled vegetables by two names. When my dad was in the room (and when it consisted of onions and jalapeños) it was Escabeche. However, when my mom was present and the onions were joined by carrots, bell pepper and other vegetables, it was Giardiniera. What really baked my noodle as a kid was the first time I tasted Southern Chow Chow. The vegetables were chopped much finer, but I could taste the similarities even then.
One of the things I love about food is how you can easily find the common threads between cultures. Every culture has its version of chicken soup for the soul, flat breads, dumplings or pickled vegetables.
As for this recipe, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you call it. Whether it’s escabeche, giardiniera or quick and easy 10-minute pickled onions – it’s all delicious!
If you want to learn more about pickling, canning and fermentation, the Spruce Eats has a great post on pickling you may find interesting as well. Check them out!
Onions gone? Don’t throw out that brine just yet!
The first time I made this recipe, the onions were gone within 24 hours. Like I said, they were a hit in my house. However, I had all this beautiful brine left over but I didn’t want to waste it.
Don’t be tempted to pour the brine down the drain. Instead, you can make a quick cucumber salad by adding slices of cucumber (with or without some fresh onions) to the leftover brine. Allow the cucumbers to sit for 10 minutes, after which you’ll have a deliciously crisp and clean cucumber salad.
Quick and Easy 10-Minute Pickled Onions
Course: SidesCuisine: Mexican AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
minutes10
minutesOne jar will serve approximately 8 people as a condiment.
Ingredients
1 large white onion sliced thin (approximately 2 cups)
1 large red onion sliced thin (approximately 2 cups)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 large jalapeño pepper, sliced into thin circles
1 cup of water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
Directions
- Clean and prepare either one 1-quart jar or two 1-pint jars.
- In a small sauce pan, combine the water, vinegar, salt and sugar and bring to the boil. As soon as the pickling mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and let stand until all the sugar crystals have dissolved – approximately 10 minutes.
- While the pickling mixture is simmering, slice the onions and pack them into the jars. Add the jalapeño slices and garlic. If you are using two smaller jars, divide the jalapeño slices evenly between the jars and add one garlic clove to each jar.
- When the pickling liquid is done simmering, carefully pour it into the jars until the liquid covers the top of the onions. Allow to cool to room temperature uncovered.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
