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easy refrigerator pickled red onions on a fork

Easy Refrigerator Pickled Red Onions

Up the flavor of your tacos, salads, sandwiches, and more with these easy refrigerator pickled red onions. This is a simple "set it and forget it" recipe for pickled red onions with only 5 basic ingredients.
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 small red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 TBSP sugar or other sweetener
  • 1 tsp salt

Optional Add-Ins

  • peppercorns
  • dried bay leaves
  • fresh garlic cloves
  • dried peppers or pepper flakes
  • fresh or dried herbs

Instructions
 

  • Add thinly sliced onions to a clean glass jar.
  • Make the brine by adding water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a bowl or large cup and mixing well until sugar and salt dissolve.
  • Pour the brine into the jar of onions. Optionally, you can heat the brine before pouring over onions. If you do this, the brine does not need to boil, it just needs to be warm.
  • Add desired add-ins.
  • If you heated the brine, let the jar come to room temperature before covering. Cover the jar tightly and shake it up until all the red onions are covered with brine.
  • Leave in the refrigerator at least overnight before eating. Leave for 2-3 days to allow the brine to break down the onions.
  • Enjoy on tacos, salads, sandwiches, burgers, bowls, avocado toast, and so much more!