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This method for sweet and spicy pickled red onions is the best pickled onion recipe ever, and is the perfect recipe to try if you’ve never pickled vegetables before! These quick and easy pickled red onions are uniquely tangy, sweet, and crunchy, and make great sandwich toppers.
Try these onions on Southern sandwiches like my buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich or these King’s Hawaiian ham and cheese sliders.
Quick Look: Sweet & Spicy Pickled Red Onions Recipe
- ⏲️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- ⏲️ Cook Time: 5 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (including 1 hour of chilling time)
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 12 servings per 8 ounce jar
- 🌽 Cuisine & Heritage: Classic American & Southern
- 🍽️ Calories: 23 calories per serving (more nutritional info in recipe card)
- 🥦 Dietary Info: Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
- 🟢 Difficulty: Easy
- 🔥 Cooking Method: No cooking required!
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: The subtle spice of cinnamon balances with the crunch and bite of onions and tang of apple cider vinegar to make the perfect crisp, sour snack.
- 🔑 Top Tip: Slice the onions thinly (preferably with a mandolin) for the best texture.
- ❄️ Storage: These pickled red onions will keep in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Do not freeze.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Throw Together: This simple condiment is made with basic pantry stapes. In a matter of minutes, you can have a jar full of sweet and spicy deliciousness ready to add a bright crunch to salads, sandwiches, and dips!
- Ready to Eat in 1 Hour: Although you can enjoy these zesty pickled onions in less than an hour, they’re even better the longer they sit in the refrigerator. The cool temperatures allow the flavors to meld together, becoming more complex and tastier as time passes.
- Add Flavor to Many Dishes: Adding a pickled onion or ten to your burger, taco, or Poke bowl is like adding a little sliver of luxury to an otherwise plain weeknight dinner. If you think that cinnamon and onions can’t possibly go together, this recipe will prove you wrong!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Curious what ingredients you need to make these pickled onions? Grab these key ingredients, along with a few others, and you’ll be ready to start! These common ingredients come together to create a crisp and sour snack that’s truly more than the sum of its parts.
- Red Onion: Use fresh red onion that’s been halved and thinly sliced. The onion will pickle faster and be easier to eat if it’s thinly sliced.
- Spice Blend: I recommend using an aromatic blend of cloves, peppercorns, sugar, and salt, along with a touch of cinnamon (either sticks or ground) for a fun flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: You’ll need vinegar to bring some acidity and punch to the onions.
- Lime Juice: This adds extra tang and some citrus flavor.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Sweet & Spicy Pickled Onions
Scroll down for the full printable recipe or stick around for the step-by-step breakdown with photos to walk you through every delicious detail.
1
Blanch the Onions
Thinly slice the onions, preferably using a mandolin. Place them in a bowl and cover them with boiling water and let them sit for 45 seconds. Drain well, then stuff them into sterilized glass jars.
2
Make the Brine
In a small pan, combine the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and peppercorn. Cook over medium heat until fragrant. Add the vinegar, lime juice, sugar, and salt. Simmer the ingredients until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
3
Load the Jars
Transfer the cinnamon sticks to the jars before adding the brine. Use a kitchen funnel to accurately distribute the brine without spillage.
Leave the jars on the counter until cool. I place them directly on kitchen towels to absorb any drips or spills. Store the jars in the fridge.
4
Chill & Enjoy
Refrigerate the onions for at least 1 hour, then enjoy on sandwiches, with sweet and savory chicken salad, Southern chicken salad with pineapple, or as a side with oven baked BBQ ribs.
Recipe FAQs
While we use red onions for their vibrant color and mild flavor, you are more than welcome to use any kind of onion when pickling. All onions do a great job of absorbing the brining liquid, so you won’t notice much of a difference in the end.
If you don’t have vinegar, don’t worry! You can use a variety of other acidic liquids such as lemon or lime juice. While these liquids will leave you with a delicious pickled onion, the flavor will be much more citrusy and less snappy. I recommend using distilled white or apple cider vinegar for the best flavor and longest storage.
These zesty onions will absorb the spices and vinegar rather quickly. After they have been cooled, they should be stored in the fridge or they will go bad.
Keeping your pickled onions in a sealed mason jar in a cold environment helps increase their longevity. When stored this way, they will last for up to 3 weeks.
Serving Suggestions
Spicy sweet onions make a great addition to a variety of meals. If you are a fan of my smoked Carolina pulled pork sandwiches, you will love the flavor these will add!
These onions are the perfect additions to salads (like my Sweet Potato & Steak Salad) or as a side to barbecue (like my barbecued chicken drumsticks). Enjoy these on a sandwich like my crispy baked chicken sandwich or leftover beef tenderloin sandwiches for a zesty crunch.
Expert Tips
- Thinly slice the onions, preferably with a mandolin, for the quickest pickling and the best texture.
- Use sterilized, very clean jars to keep the onions fresh. Wash the jars with hot, soapy water or run them through the dishwasher before using.
- Experiment with different add-ins to change up the flavor.
Other Southern Condiments You’ll Love
Pickles & Pickled Vegetables
3 Ingredient Charleston Flash Pickles
Pickles & Pickled Vegetables
Pickled Sweet Peppers with Shallots & Thyme
Southern Classics
A Recipe for Charleston Pickled Spiced Shrimp
Pickles & Pickled Vegetables
Sweet Oven ‘Sun-Dried’ Tomatoes
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Pickled Red Onions
Equipment
- 8 ounce jar(s) with tight fitting lid(s)
- funnel
- kitchen towel(s)
Ingredients
For the Pickled Onions
- 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 stick cinnamon, (use 1 stick per jar)
- 12 whole cloves
- 12 black peppercorns
- 3 tablespoons sugar, add more to taste if necessary
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar with the mother, such as Bragg's
- ½ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
Optional Additional Ingredients
- star anise
- garlic cloves, smashed but left intact
- mustard seed
- bay leaf
- fresh ginger
- red pepper flakes
- cumin seeds
Instructions
Blanching the Onions
- Begin by slicing the onions very thin. If you have a mandolin, this is the perfect use for it.
- Add the sliced onions to a medium bowl. Pour enough boiling water over onions so that they are covered. Drain after 45 seconds. Stuff the onions to glass jars or a food safe glass container with lid.
Making the Brine
- Toast cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns (and any additional spices you desire) until fragrant in a small saucepan over medium heat, 3 to 5 minutes. Watch carefully and move the spices around in the pan, as the high heat will scorch them. Remove from the heat.
- Whisk in the vinegar, lime juice, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and salt, then add 1 cinnamon stick. (If you're making two or more jars, use one stick per jar.) Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar and salt have dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Taste for sweetness then add more sugar as needed. I used 5 tablespoons in my batch.
Loading the Jars
- Remove the cinnamon stick(s) from the brine. Using the handle of a spoon, poke a hole amidst the onions in the jar, then insert the cinnamon stick in the hole.
- Pour brine and spice mixture over the onions. Fill to the top of the jar(s). Tap to loosen any air bubbles trapped in the onions. Allow to stand at room temperature on a kitchen towel until cooled, about 25 to 35 minutes.
- Place lid on jar and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. The onions will keep tightly sealed in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
- Thinly slice the onions, preferably with a mandolin, for the quickest pickling and the best texture.
- Use sterilized, very clean jars to keep the onions fresh. Wash the jars with hot, soapy water or run them through the dishwasher before using.
- Experiment with different add-ins to change up the flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Bragg*
Noted and corrected; thank you!