Pink Onions (Pickled)

You are going to love these pickled pink onions! Pink onions are lovely bright pink and super easy to make in minutes with thinly sliced red onions, apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic cloves, and whole peppercorns. Let sit for at least 6 hours for the flavors to fully meld and you’ve got a delicious condiment for salads, pizza, tacos, burgers, Buddha bowls, and more.

Craving a little something extra on your plant-burger? These are the best sweet pickled onions with a stunning pink color! Yes, I know they are actually pickled red onions…I call them pink onions because that’s what my kids used to call them when they were young:)

These bright pink pickled onions are a little sweet, a little tangy, a little spicy, and a lot delicious! Make them in a few minutes, let them sit for a few hours, and you’ve got a tasty quick pickled onions recipe that will soon be your favorite condiment for sandwiches, salads, and more!

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Ingredients needed to make these tasty sweet pickled onions:

• red onions, sliced thinly
• apple cider vinegar
• red wine vinegar
• water
• granulated white sugar
• sea salt
• whole garlic cloves
• whole peppercorns

How to make pink pickled onions

It’s rediculously easy and only takes a few minutes to make these tasty quick pickled onions. It does take some patience though; becuase the longer they sit, the more the flavors will develop!

Step 1: PRepare the glass jars.

Do you need to use glass jars? Can you use plastic containers instead? I suppose…but why would you want to? The pink pickled onions are stunningly beautiful showcased in glass!

Use a one or two quart jar or three smaller jars. If you use a one-quart jar, the onions will be pretty tightly packed. They will be much looser in a two quart jar. I’ve done both.

Prepare your jars by washing in hot soapy water or in the dishwasher. You don’t want to introduce any bacteria in the jars because you will be storing the pink onions in the liquid for up to three weeks.

Step 2: slice the red onions

You will want to slice the red onions as thinly as possible. Either use a sharpe knive or a mandoline slicer. I peel and cut the red onions in half and slice so that I’ll get a half-moon shape for my thinly sliced onions.

Be very careful because the mandoline blade is very sharp! This particular mandoline slicer has safety features and there is NO WAY one can cut oneself….or is there?!? Well I wasn’t careful and I did…I can be a clumsy slicer and it is my fault for not taking the safety precautions!

Slice until you have two cups of thinly sliced onions. This will take about two small onions or one red onion. You don’t want to use more than the two cups, even if you have more onion to slice. This recipe is measured out just right so that the amount of liquid will cover the amount of red onions used.

Step 3: Make the hot pickling liquid

I use apple cider vinegar for it’s tangy sweet flavor and red wine vinegar for it’s rosey hugh. I also use water to add volume to my pickling brine without adding an overwhelming vinegar flavor.

Stir together the vinegars, water, sugar and salt in a medium-sized sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then turn to simmer and continue to cook for about three minutes. This will ensure the salt and sugar have completely dissolved.

Step 4: Add the onions to the jars

Place the onions in the the glass container or containers of choice. You can add the garlic cloves and peppercorns now or after you’ve poured in the hot liquid. It doesn’t really matter.

If you are using three small jars rather than one large jar, add an extra colve of garlic so that every jar will have one. Spinkle the peppercorns in the jars in even portions.

Step 5: Add the cooked vinegar mixture

Carefully pour the hot pickling liquid into the filled jar, making sure the onions are completely covered. If you are using more than one jar, ensure the liquid is evenly distributed.

Add the peppercorns and garilc clove if your haven’t already.

Final step: Refrigerate

Put the lids on and place the filled jars in the refrigerator for at least six hours. The flavors will continue to develope if you leave the jars in overnight.

Serving suggestions

These pretty pink onions are honestly tasty eaten with a fork! BUT be sure to add them to salads, use in salad dressing, top burgers, or tacos. Add them to grilled vegetables, a Buddah bowl or nourish bowl for a pop of flavor!

Some recipes from Veggie Fun Kitchen that would be perfect with these easy pink pickled onions:

• Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger
• Easy Sheet Pan Meal
• Roasted Veggie Potato Bake (coming soon)

• Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas (coming soon)
• Cauliflower Street Tacos
• Vegan Taco Meat with Lentils and Pecans

The Printable Recipe card for Pink Onions