Mexican Pickled Onions jazz up tacos, salads, sandwiches and more! Tangy and sweet with just the right amount of heat, these pickles add a perfect layer of flavor and texture to your meal.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Are you looking to spruce up your taco night with a flavorful, zesty condiment? Mexican pickled red onions are the perfect addition! This traditional topping is full of bold and tangy flavor that will take your tacos, carnitas bowls, and other Mexican dishes to the next level.
Mexican pickled onions are a great way to add some extra acidity to your meals, which can help to balance out the richness of fatty foods like carnitas, pulled pork, or barbacoa.
Ingredients You'll Need
These quick and easy pickled red onions are made with just a few simple ingredients, but they add a huge big flavor punch. They're tangy, sweet, and crunchy, and they're the perfect addition to any Mexican meal.
- Red Onions - Sliced super thin, a mandoline really helps.
- Sugar - Regular white granulated sugar.
- Vinegar - White distilled vinegar.
- Dried Red Chile - Optional, dried whole, broken, or use red pepper flakes.
- Allspice berries - Whole, the secret flavor ingredient!
- Water
- Sea salt - Or, Kosher flake salt.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Pickled Mexican Onions
Mexican pickled onions are made with simple ingredients like red onions, vinegar, spices, and salt. The onions are sliced thinly and then soaked in the pickling liquid for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
This process softens the onions and infuses them with the flavors of the pickling liquid. The result is a delicious relish that's delicious on its own, or topping your favorite Mexican food.
Prepare The Red Onions
- Slice the red onions thin and place in a large, deep bowl. You can use a knife, but a mandoline makes it faster and easier.
- Add the vinegar, water, spices, sugar, and salt to a sauce pan and heat to boiling, then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Pour the hot pickling brine over the bowl of sliced red onions.
Marinate In The Pickling Brine
- Cover the bowl loosely with some plastic wrap, letting it dip down to reach the brine surface.
- Place a small saucer plate or canning weights (they look like clear round hockey pucks!) on top of the plastic wrap to submerge the onions into the brine completely.
- Let the onions marinate in the pickling brine for an 30 minutes. You can also let them sit overnight.
Pack In Jars
- Pack the onions into clean, sanitized jars up to 1" from the top.
- Wipe the rims and place the sealing discs and screw caps on the jars.
Chill To Develop Flavor
- Refrigerate the pink pickled onions until cold before serving. For the best flavor, chill for 24 hours.
Serving Suggestions
Mexican pickled onions are a great condiment or relish to make any time of year. If you Water Bath Process some jars though, than there also a great way to add some freshness and flavor to meals during the winter when fresh produce is in shorter supply.
The tangy, sweet, and crunchy onions are the perfect complement to any Mexican or Latin dish.
Related Recipes
- Bread and Butter Refrigerator Pickles
- Quick Pickled Jalapenos
- Mexican Pickled Carrots
- Vegetable Escabeche (Mexican Pickled Vegetables)
- Mexican Spiced Hot Chocolate
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few substitutions and variations using this Mexican pickled red onion recipe:
- You can use apple cider vinegar if you don't have white vinegar.
- Substitute white onions if you don't have red onions, they will be a little stronger flavored though.
- Add a few cloves of garlic or fresh oregano leaves to the brine for even more flavor!
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making or canning Mexican pickled red onions.
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Storage Options
- Mexican pickled onions can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- They can also be canned for longer term storage using the Water Bath Canning Process, but this is not necessary for short-term storage.
Tips for Success
- For a more intense flavor, let the onions pickle in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
- You can also use different types of onions, such as yellow onions or Vidalia onions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use other types of onions, such as yellow onions or Vidalia onions. You just won't get that beautiful magenta pink color.
You can! Some great additions are: oregano, cumin, or garlic.
More Delish Ideas
Mexican Pickled Red Onions
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large Red Onions Sliced super thin, a mandoline helps.
- 1½ cup Vinegar
- ¾ cup Water
- ½ cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- 6 Allspice berries whole
- 1 Dried Red Chile
Instructions
- Slice the red onions thin and place in a large, deep bowl. You can use a knife, but a mandoline makes it faster and easier.3 large Red Onions
- Add the vinegar, water, spices, sugar, and salt to a sauce pan and heat to boiling, then simmer for 5 minutes.1½ cup Vinegar, ¾ cup Water, ½ cup Sugar, 1 teaspoon Sea salt, 6 Allspice berries, 1 Dried Red Chile
- Pour the hot pickling brine over the bowl of sliced red onions.
- Cover the bowl loosely with some plastic wrap, letting it dip down to reach the brine surface.
- Place a small saucer plate or canning weights (they look like clear round hockey pucks!) on top of the plastic wrap to submerge the onions into the brine completely.
- Let the onions marinate in the pickling brine for an 30 minutes. You can also let them sit overnight.
- Pack the onions into clean, sanitized jars up to 1" from the top.
- Wipe the rims and place the sealing discs and screw caps on the jars.
- Refrigerate the pink pickled onions until cold before serving. For the best flavor, chill for 24 hours.
Notes
- For a more intense flavor, let the onions pickle in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
- You can also use different types of onions, such as yellow onions or Vidalia onions.
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