These crunchy, savory and salty balsamic pickled onions are going to become your next favorite condiment.
The pungent flavor of red onions is perfectly balanced with the balsamic vinegar, which has a hint of sweetness.
Add them to your salads for a fun salty element or stuff them in your sandwiches and wraps- these quick pickled onions are super versatile.
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Onions have recently become an absolute favorite for me. I love experimenting with them, and trying out different ways to serve them.
My Mexican style grilled onions and Sumac onion salad were both big hits, but I really wanted to try out a recipe with onions that I could store for a longer time.
And that’s when I tried these pickled onions.
Jump to:
- What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Ingredients For the Balsamic Pickled Onions Recipe
- How to Make Balsamic Pickled Onions
- Substitutions & Variations
- 💭Top Tip
- Equipment
- How to Store the Pickled Red Onions
- Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- How to Use the Balsamic Pickled Red Onions
- FAQs
- Related Recipes
- Balsamic Pickled Onions
What's So Great About the Recipe?
My favorite part about these quick-pickled onions is that it is super easy to make.
They’re tangy, flavorful and can be tweaked and customized as per your taste preference too!
All you need is a few minutes of kitchen time to whip up a batch that you can jar and store for weeks!
Ingredients For the Balsamic Pickled Onions Recipe
Ready to try making these balsamic vinegar pickled onions? Here’s all you’ll need.
Red onions: You’ll need to start off with some thinly sliced red onions. While white onions are also a good option, I would highly recommend sticking to red onions for this recipe. Their sharp, pungent flavor balances the balsamic vinegar beautifully.
Balsamic vinegar: Balsamic vinegar is what lends these classic pickled onions a beautiful color and flavor, and is the base for the vinegar brine.
Italian seasoning: I also used some mixed Italian herbs to add a bit of extra flavor to the pickled onions.
Red pepper flakes: For a kick of heat, you can also add some red pepper flakes if you want to.
Black peppercorns: Whole black peppercorns add a gentle, subtle earthy and spicy flavor to the onions.
Other seasonings: I used only salt and sugar as the simple seasonings. Salt helps preserve the pickled onions and sugar helps bring some sweetness into the mix. I would recommend using granulated sugar, since it dissolves much easily.
Oil: You’ll also need a bit of oil, ideally olive oil to help preserve the pickled onions for a longer time.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Balsamic Pickled Onions
Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s what you’ll need to do to make these easy pickled red onions.
In a saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar, salt, sugar and some water on low heat until the sugar dissolves.
Slice the onions about ½ inch thick.
Add the sliced onions to a glass jar and add the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and black peppercorns.
Pour the vinegar mixture on the top such that the onions are able to submerge.
Let sit overnight or in the refrigerator for at least one hour before you use them.
Substitutions & Variations
- I used balsamic vinegar to make these refrigerator pickled onions, but you could also experiment and use other kinds of vinegar. White wine vinegar, red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar are all great options. You should also be able to find white balsamic vinegar.
- You can also try out this recipe by using a different kind of onion. Shallots are a great option. You can also use yellow onions.
- If you don’t have dried Italian herbs, you can use any other dried herbs of your choice. Dried oregano and thyme in specific, has flavors that work beautifully with these pickled onions.
- I used sugar as the sweetener, but you could use maple syrup or any other natural sweetener of your choice as well.
💭Top Tip
Remember not to overcook the balsamic vinegar mixture. As soon as it starts to simmer, turn the heat down and pour over the onions.
Equipment
How to Store the Pickled Red Onions
When stored correctly, these pickled onions last for up to 4 weeks, if not longer.
Remember to use a clean glass jar with a lid to store the balsamic pickled onions. Mason jars are a good option.
If you want them to last long, you might want to sterilize the jars too.
Remember to keep them refrigerated at all times. These pickled onions are a splendid make-ahead condiment that take just a few minutes to make, and end up with amazing flavors that actually intensify with time.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Remember that if you’re using a different kind of vinegar like white vinegar, you might need to add a bit more garnishes to make the pickled onions look beautiful.
- You can add fresh herbs like dill or some of your favorite aromatics like oregano and seeds like mustard seeds if you want to.
- Remember to let the onions marinate in the vinegar mixture for at least a day before you use them. This will help the onions soak up some of that acidity, and will be crunchy, yet soft.
- You don’t need to follow a set proportion for the vinegar and water for this recipe. Just make sure you use just enough of them so that when you pour the vinegar mixture over the onions, the onions are completely covered.
- If you want the onions to have a milder flavor, you can add more water to the pickling liquid.
- To get the perfect, thin slices, use a mandoline slicer.
How to Use the Balsamic Pickled Red Onions
With their nice tangy and zippy flavor, these pickled onions can be the perfect topping to go with your tacos, or with any of your favorite appetizers.
I love adding them to grain bowls and salads- the onion slices add a nice bit of texture to them!
You can also feature these on your charcuterie boards and many dishes, specifically holiday themed recipes.
I also love using these onions to make my upside down onion tarts. I simply skip adding the balsamic drizzle that the recipe calls for, and use these pickled onions instead.
With their insane balance of flavors and textures, these onions would pair wonderfully with burritos, nachos and enchiladas.
You can also use them to garnish your avocado toast or breakfast egg toast.
FAQs
If the mixture doesn’t seem to be enough to submerge the onions, wait for about 30 minutes and allow the onions to soften. Then, with the lid on, shake the jar a bit. The softened onions will most likely settle down and they’ll be submerged in the mixture.
You sure can! With most veggies, pickling is quite similar. You can also add other veggies like carrots, green beans, cauliflower, garlic and hot peppers too!
And if you’re into pickled foods, don’t forget to check out this recipe for Mexican pickled carrots too!
Your leftover balsamic mixture can actually turn into a beautiful salad dressing. Mix it together with some olive oil, minced garlic and seasonings of your choice and you’ve got yourself a total flavor bomb!
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Balsamic Pickled Onions
Ingredients
- 2 - 3 red onions medium, sliced very thinly
- ⅔ cup balsamic vinegar
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar, salt, sugar and some water and let it simmer on low heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Slice the onions about ½ inch thick.
- Add the sliced onions to a glass jar and add the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and black peppercorns.
- Pour the vinegar mixture on the top such that the onions are able to submerge.
- Let sit overnight or in the refrigerator for at least one hour before you use them.
Notes
- Remember to let the onions marinate in the vinegar mixture for at least a day before you use them. This will help the onions soak up some of that acidity, and will be crunchy, yet soft.
- To get the perfect, thin slices, use a mandoline slicer.
- Remember not to overcook the balsamic vinegar mixture. As soon as it starts to simmer, turn the heat down and pour over the onions.
- Your leftover balsamic mixture can actually turn into a beautiful salad dressing. Mix it together with some olive oil, minced garlic and seasonings of your choice and you’ve got yourself a total flavor bomb!
