Mexican Pickled Onions

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Mexican Pickled Onions | My easy pickled onions recipe replicates my favorite Mexican-inspired condiment. Made with lime juice, vinegar, Mexican oregano, and sliced red onions, these are great toppings for so many dishes. Try them on everything from Yucatecan Panuchos to savory burgers, tacos, sandwiches, hummus toast, grain bowls, or on top of a bowl of curry.

Pink pickled red onions in a white bowl.

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How do you pickle onions quickly?
Ingredients
Substitutions
How to Make Pickled Red Onions
Tips for making
How to serve pickled red onions
How do you store pickled red onions?
Recipe

I've spent the winter months in Yucatan, Mexico for the past few years and it's introduced me to new ingredients, dishes, and ideas when it comes to cooking. Pickled red onions seem to be served with almost everything in Yucatan. In Spanish pickled onions are called cebollas curtidas.

During my winters living in Mexico, I've learned how to make some versatile recipes like using masa dough for different recipes, salsas, and sauces out of fresh ingredients and dried peppers, and these bright pink pickled onions.

For this recipe, you'll take the humble red onion, add simple ingredients like vinegar and spices, and the results are beautiful bright pink slivers of tangy, punchy onions.

How do you pickle onions quickly?

Heating vinegar and lime juice allows the spices to really mix well and jump-starts the pickling process.

These onions are a 'quick pickle' and not a canning recipe, so there's nothing more to do than mix everything together and let the ingredients do their job.

It takes about 30 minutes for the onions to start pickling and change color.

Ingredients

See the recipe card below for exact amounts.

the onions: I use red onions. You can either cut them into a large dice or slice them into slivers. I like them either way. They're a bit easier to eat when they're diced but I think they look so pretty sliced and they stay better in sandwiches and burgers when cut into rings.
the pickling ingredients: you'll need vinegar and lime juice. I use white vinegar, sometimes a mix of white vinegar and apple cider vinegar.
balance: Sugar and salt help balance the sour vinegar and lime.
the flavors: I like to add peppercorns and sometimes a few bay leaves. I also always add either dried oregano leaves or dried epazote leaves (depending if I've been to Mexico recently or not). Epazote is not typical in this recipe, but I like it here. It is very strong, so I only use a bit.

Substitutions

Mexican oregano: if you don't have Mexican oregano or dried Epazote you can try Italian oregano or simply skip it.
vinegar: I usually use white vinegar, you can substitute some of it for apple cider vinegar. You can also use more lime juice and less vinegar if you'd like to.

How to Make Pickled Red Onions

Prep Tips

slice the onion. You can cut them in rings, half moon slices, or dice them.
prepare a jar with a lid to store the onions in

How to cut onions for pickling

Use either a knife and a cutting board, or a mandoline to cut the onions. A mandoline is a kitchen tool that cuts thin even slices out of your ingredients, including onions. If you use a mandoline be careful and use the cutting guard! These are super sharp.

You can cut onions into different shapes for pickling depending on your preference. I like rings for things like burgers and sandwiches because they stay in place better. For salad and tacos, it's easier to eat the onions in slices or diced.

Rings. Cut the onion into rings for use on sandwiches or burgers. To do this, peel the onion and cut the top off and discard it. Slice the onion into thin rings until you reach the root. Discard the root. Gently separate the rings for pickling. It's better to use a large jar for this shape.
Slices. Cut the onions into slices or half moons for use on tacos, panuchos, and pizzas. To do this, peel the onion and cut it in half from the top to the root. Lay the onion on its flat side and cut the top part of the onion off. Discard it and then keep slicing the onion into thin slices until you reach the root. Discard the root.
Diced. Cut the onions into a large dice for use on tacos, pizza, curry, and salad. To do this peel the onion and cut it n half from the top to the root. Lay the onion on its flat side and cut into the onto with the tip of your knife pointing toward the root end. Cut slices into the onto from one side to the other. Turn your knife the other way and cut through the slices to create little squares or a "diced" cut.

Adding the pickling liquid to the onions

To make the onions, you'll warm the vinegar and lime juice and add everything to a jar and then let it sit.

Pouring vinegar into a jar with red onion slices in it.

Add the onions to the jar and then add the vinegar.

Pouring lime juice into a jar with red onion slices in it.

Pour in the lime juice.

Pouring sugar into a jar with red onion slices in it.

Add the sugar and salt.

Oregano and black peppercorns on top of sliced red onion in a jar.

Next, add oregano if using, and black peppercorns. Add the lid and gently shake the jar to mix everything well.

How long does it take onions to pickle?

Let the onions sit at room temperature in the pickling liquid.

Bright pink pickled onions in a jar of liquid.

After 30 minutes the onions will have turned pink. Store them in the fridge until needed. I keep mine in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

Tips for making

Heat: Heating the vinegar and lime juice jumpstarts the pickling process meaning you'll have your pickled onions even quicker. I use a microwave for this and do about 30 seconds, twice. If you don't have a microwave you can use a small pot on the stovetop. It's not necessary to boil the liquid, just heat it.
Acid: the vinegar and lime juice are key to breaking down and pickling the onion. You can change up the ratios however you want and use mostly lime juice if you want to. I use whichever I have handy.
Shape: Cutting the onions into different shapes is helpful for different dishes. Rings stay still on burgers and sandwiches better than diced onions. Sliced or diced pickled onions are great on salads or Avocado Toast.
Flavor: I like to make my pickled onions with Mexican oregano. You can skip this as well as the peppercorns if you want to.

How to serve pickled red onions

I will put these on just about anything, including burgers, sandwiches, my Crispy Chicken Wrap recipe, and my Mexican Inspired Chopped Salad. They're good on top of pizza, empanadas, chicken tacos, potato tacos, tacos fries, and grain bowls.

How do you store pickled red onions?

How long do pickled red onions last in the fridge?

Pickled onions in vinegar and lime juice last 1-2 weeks in the fridge.

What is a quick pickle?

Quick pickles or refrigerator pickles are made without the canning process. Heated pickling liquid like vinegar and lime juice is poured onto the vegetable and then left to pickle over the next half hour to a couple of hours. This is much quicker than the canning process which can take weeks for the pickles to be ready.

Do you need canning equipment for pickled red onion?

This is not a canning recipe, it's a quick pickle recipe. You won't be canning or boiling jars for this recipe. The onions are quick pickled and then stored in the fridge for a week or two.

Can you make pickled red onions without a mandoline?

You can slice the onions with a kitchen knife instead of using a mandoline. Try to cut even thin slices.

Do you need to boil the onions?

You don't need to boil onions when making quick pickled onions. The acid in the vinegar and lime juice is enough to pickle and soften the onions.

Recipe

Mexican Pickled Onions

Jacqueline Piper

5 from 3 votes

Pickled onions take only minutes to make and can be ready in half an hour. Great on everything from burgers to sandwiches, to tacos and pizza.

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Prep Time 5

Resting Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings

Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 1 medium red onion
▢ ½ cup white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
▢ 2 tablespoons lime juice (fresh)
▢ ½ teaspoon sea salt
▢ ½ teaspoon granulated white sugar
▢ ¼ teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional)

Instructions

Peel and cut the onion into your preferred shape: rings, slices, or diced.
Combine vinegar and lime juice and heat them in the microwave for about a minute until hot.
Add the onions to a jar. Pour in the vinegar and lime juice. Add the salt, sugar, peppercorns, and oregano if using. Stir or add the lid and gently shake the jar.
Let sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before using. Store in the fridge.

Video

Notes

Use whichever vinegar you like. I like a combination of white vinegar or apple cider and lime juice. You can use more lime juice than vinegar if you prefer it.

Cut the onions into whatever shape you like. I think rings are better for burgers and sandwiches because they stay in place better. Slices or dices are good on tacos, pizza, or salad.

The onions will last for a week or two in the fridge.