This is a collection of recipes for pickled onions, all of them from the America's Test Kitchen family. I also have a separate recipe for pickled cocktail onions, like the ones used in some mixed drinks.:
Pickled Red Onions
Pickled red onions are the swiss army knife of garnishes. Don’t know how to garnish your shrimp dish? Throw some pickled reds on it. Need a little zing on your burger? Pickled reds. Want to spice up your life? Pickled reds. W’ve had these onions on everything. Part of it is that these guys hit those sweet, sour, and salty checkboxes so well. They’re like vibrant pink onion candy, and they’re great.
Ingredients
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 red onions, halved and sliced thin through root end
Instructions
1. Whisk vinegar, water, sugar, and salt together in medium saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Cook, whisking frequently, until sugar and salt dissolve, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, transfer onions to large jar or bowl. Pour hot pickling liquid over onions and let cool for 20 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until onions turn pink and are seasoned throughout, at least 8 hours. Strain onions and serve. (Onions can be refrigerated in pickling liquid for up to 2 weeks.)
Quick Pickled Red Onions
This recipe is very similar to the one above. It just pickles one onion, removes the water and changes amounts of ingredients, and the onion can be used immediately (as opposed to waiting 8 hours).
Ingredients
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 2 teaspoons salt
1 red onion, halved and sliced thin through root end
Instructions
Bring vinegar, sugar, and salt to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Off heat, stir in onion, cover, and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Serve. (Pickled onions can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 1 week.)
Pickled Onion
This is pictured with a white onion (maybe yellow) and adds oregano. It looks interesting.
Ingredients
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
5 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoons salt
1 small onions, halved and sliced thin
Instructions
Place onion in medium bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar, oregano, and salt to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Pour vinegar mixture over onion, cover loosely, and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Sweet and Spicy Pickled Onion
Includes jalapeno.
Ingredients
1 medium red onion, sliced thin (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar, for brining
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut into thin rings
1/4 teaspoon table salt
Instructions
Place onions in medium heat-resistant bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar, jalapeños, and salt to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Pour vinegar mixture over onions, cover loosely, and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Once cool, drain and discard liquid. The pickled onions can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
