Mouthwatering pickled yellow onions add tangy flavor and crunch to any meal. I always keep a jar of quick pickled onions in my fridge to add to all my meals— the easy homemade pickle recipe is perfect for burgers, salads, and snacking. Try quick-pickled sumac onions for a more tangy flavor.
Key Ingredients
The quick pickled onions come together using simple pantry ingredients. Here’s everything you need to make them.
- Onions: Thinly slice regular yellow onions using a sharp knife or mandolin about ¼-inch thick.
- White Vinegar: I use distilled white vinegar to pickle yellow onions, but you can also use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar.
- Honey: Balance the flavor of the other ingredients using honey, or substitute it with white sugar, maple syrup, or monk fruit for a sugar-free alternative.
- Salt: Flavor the pickle brine with kosher salt or sea salt.
- Whole Spices: Flavor the pickled yellow onions with whole coriander seeds and black peppercorns.
Additions and Substitutions
- Tame the onions. Mellow the sharpness of raw yellow onions by blanching them briefly in boiling water before adding them to the glass jar for pickling.
- Spice things up. Include more whole spices like red pepper flakes, mustard seeds, and bay leaves.
- Experiment with onions. Try pickling red onions, white onions, or pearl onions instead.
How to Pickle Yellow Onions
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Warm water, white vinegar, honey, salt, coriander seeds, and black peppercorns in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer.
Step 2: Meanwhile, thinly slice the onions and pack them into the bottom of a glass jar like a mason jar. Set them aside.
Step 3: Remove the saucepan from heat and carefully pour the vinegar mixture over the sliced onions. Press the onions into the glass to remove any bubbles, and let them cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
- Select fresh, firm yellow onions for the best texture and flavor.
- Thinly slice the onions for quick pickling.
- Pour the hot brine over the raw onions, ensuring they are completely covered. Leave some space at the top of the jar to allow for expansion during the pickling process.
If you enjoy the tangy pickled yellow onions, pair them with one of these dinner recipes!
How to Use Pickled Yellow Onions
Use the pickles on everything from BBQ to sandwiches, tacos, and salads. You can also feature them on a charcuterie board in a cute bowl.
Pickled yellow onions are a perfect topping, and they add sweet and acidity flavor to tacos, sandwiches, potato salad, nachos, chicken sausages, hot dogs, and burgers, or use them as a topping for salad or pizza. You can also chop the onions finely and combine them with other ingredients to make homemade McDonald’s Big Mac sauce.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Storage: After the onions cool, transfer them to a glass jar or container. The easy pickled yellow onions will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best onions for pickling?
If you enjoy pickle onions, try a variety of onions, each with a different flavor. Some of my favorites to pickle are pearl onions, cipollini onions, red onions, sweet onions like Vidalia or Walla Walla, and yellow onions.
How long should pickled onions be left before eating?
Fresh pickles are ready to eat within 1-2 days. After 24-48 hours in the refrigerator, the flavors have had time to develop, making the onions even more delicious.
More Pickled Recipes:
Pickled Yellow Onions
- Glass Jar
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced, ¼-inch
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- Warm water, white vinegar, honey, salt, coriander seeds, and black peppercorns in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the onions and pack them into the bottom of a glass jar like a mason jar. Set them aside.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and carefully pour the vinegar mixture over the sliced onions. Press the onions into the glass to remove any bubbles, and let them cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
- Select fresh, firm yellow onions for the best texture and flavor.
- Thinly slice the onions for quick pickling.
- Pour the hot brine over the raw onions, ensuring they are completely covered. Leave some space at the top of the jar to allow for expansion during the pickling process.