4-Ingredient Pickled Onions
These 4-ingredient, Paleo pickled onions come together in no time at all and can add a healthy punch of flavor to endless meal combinations!
Confession: I made these pickled onions for a recipe post that I have planned for a few days from now (an epic breakfast hash). I HAD planned to just include this recipe with that post, but after this jar spent a week in my refrigerator and I kept finding ways to enjoy it with other meals, I knew it needed a dedicated post.
What do you eat with pickled onions, you ask? The options are endless! I personally love them over scrambled eggs, on top of an omelet, with chili, over BBQ, on nachos, over pizza, and over a roast. Really, they're great on anything that could use an extra punch of flavor! Unlike cheese or other dairy and unhealthy fat-based sauces, these onions are a nutritionally benign and healthy condiment (right next to mustard!). I put them in the category of “enjoy as often as you like.”
If the idea of pickling onions intimidates you at all, let me put your mind at ease: it's SIMPLE! You don't even need to heat anything up. All you need to do is simply chop up the onion (the thinner the better), pour the vinegar over top, add a few teaspoons of sea salt, and a teaspoon of peppercorns. Give it a shake to help the ingredients combine and refrigerate! I recommend letting them sit for a day for optimal pickle flavor. They'll keep for a couple weeks like this!
4-Ingredient Pickled Onions
- Yield: 20 servings
Ingredients
- 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups apple cider vinegar (may also use white or red wine vinegar)
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Instructions
- Place the sliced onions in a large wide-mouth mason jar.
- Pour the vinegar over the onions, adding more as needed to cover the top. Add the salt and peppercorns, seal, and shake the jar vigorously to combine.
- Refrigerate for at least one day before serving!
- Enjoy.
Howdy and thank you so much for being here! My name is Cassy Joy Garcia. I'm on a mission to empower healthy lifestyle transformations through clear nutrition science, delicious recipes, and healthy mindset tips. You can find over 500 of my healthy gluten-free and Paleo recipes on this website, my healthy living podcast "Fed+Fit" in iTunes, and my signature food + fitness monthly program "The Project" via the link to my left. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter (red box below) so you don't miss anything new!
Hi Cassy! I wanted to let you know that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this recipe! Thank you so much for posting it. The pickled onions are so easy to make and are absolutely delicious on eggs or even straight out of the jar. I am curious – can you follow the same method to pickle other vegetables (jalapenos, carrots, etc.)? Thanks!
I cannot wait to make this recipe! I adore onions + vinegar! This is the perfect match… Thanks for sharing Cassy 🙂
Hi! Just made these 🙂 Quick question…after they’ve been pickled (a couple hours, it seems like?), do you drain the ACV or leave them in liquid until they’re gone? Thank you!
I leave them until they’re gone! This way they stay fresh longer too and continue absorbing the flavor.
Would cumin seed be a good addition to the recipe?
Yes, a little bit of cumin seed would be great!
These are delicious!! How long do they keep in the refrigerator after the first time you open the container?
They should be good for about 4 weeks!