Mexican Pickled Onions Easy Recipe - Adriana's Best Recipes (2024)

Mexican Pickled Onions Easy Recipe - Adriana's Best Recipes (1)

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Mexican Pickled Onions Easy Recipe - Adriana's Best Recipes (2)

In Mexican cuisine, we like to use garnishes like Mexican pickled onions. This can be made with white onion or with purple onion. You can also find them with habanero peppers or with chopped serrano peppers. Or just plain with no spice but with a lot of flavor.

Mexican Pickled Onions Easy Recipe - Adriana's Best Recipes (3)

Mexican Pickled Onions Two Ways. One Pink and one Spicy Habanero.

Making the Mexican pickled onions is very easy. The hardest part is slicing the onions, as you will need to slice thinly and use 2-3 onions. Sometimes more, depending on the number of guests sitting at the table. Everyone loves the pickled onions, so we need to make sure to have enough for everyone.

Mexican Pickled Onions Easy Recipe - Adriana's Best Recipes (4)

The pickled onions are the perfect garnish for dishes like the Yucatan Pork Loin Pibil. Any pibil dish includes a side of pickled onions as it provides another layer of flavor to brighten up the bite. Yucatan cuisine is diverse, and pickling is part of the techniques they use to add flavor and preserve.

Watch the videos to see how easy it is to make these pickled onions!

When making pork tacos or pibil is important to know how to make the pickled onions to give an authentic experience. A pibil dish with no pickled onions is just not complete.

Pickled onions when adding habaneros or serrano peppers are also a great pairing for other dishes. Such as grilled meat tacos, tostadas, salmon, white fish, shrimp, and so much more. That is why today I am showing you both options.

The pink pickled onions get that color naturally as the main ingredients are purple onions. These pink onions add a nice presentation while adding flavor and balancing a dish. Pickled garnishes help to brighten up the meal too. And help cut through any heaviness. That is why they are added to fatty meats to make the bite more pleasant and light.

I invite you to try my recipe for pickled onions, simple and ready in no time. Everyone has their own technique. I am making them following my mom’s recipe.

Mexican Pickled Onions Easy Recipe - Adriana's Best Recipes (5)

Mexican Pickled Onions Easy Recipe - Adriana's Best Recipes (6)

Mexican Pickled Onions

Mexican Pickled Onions Easy Recipe - Adriana's Best Recipes (7)Chef Adriana Martin

The Mexican pickled onions are perfect garnish for dishes like the Yucatan Pork Loin Pibil. And a must have in the Yucatecan cuisine. The onions can be made pink or spicy.

4.91 from 11 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican Cuisine

Servings 4 cups

Calories 30 kcal

Ingredients

For the Pink Pickled Onions

  • 1 purple onion sliced thinly
  • 1 teaspoon pink salt
  • 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon sazon latino has cumin, salt, and oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1/3 cup white vinegar

For the white onion habanero version

  • 1 white onion sliced thinly
  • 1 habanero chopped and seeded
  • 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt or pickling salt
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1/3 cup white vinegar white or for pickling

Instructions

  • Cut the onions thinly and add to a bowl.

  • Season with the lime juice and the spices.

  • Add the vinegar and the warm water. Allow steeping in that solution for at least 30 minutes.

  • Place inside a mason jar and keep refrigerated. These pickled onions will last for 8-10 days when properly sealed and stored.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 2gCalories: 30kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 778mgPotassium: 76mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 16IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @adrianasbestrecipes or tag #abrecipes on Instagram

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Chef Adriana Martin

Adriana Martin is a home chef and founder of adrianasbestrecipes.com. She is a Latina food writer specializing in recipe development influenced by Mexico's culinary culture and European cuisine. Her grandmother taught her how to cook, and now her mission is to inspire others to make homemade meals. Adriana teaches online cooking classes, is a trained food stylist and photographer, and has published thousands of recipes online. She is the author of "The Best of Mexican Cooking – 75 Authentic Home-Style Recipes for Beginners", "The Super Easy Taco Cookbook," and "Taco Obsession." LATISM has recognized Adriana as one of the Top 100 most influential Latina bloggers, and Telemundo awarded Adriana the TECLA Awards under the category of best food creator.

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Mexican Pickled Onions Easy Recipe - Adriana's Best Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What's the best vinegar to pickle onions? ›

I particularly like a mix of white wine and rice vinegar, and apple cider vinegar and white vinegar are a fun tangy combination. These variations are great, but they're totally optional; your quick pickled onions will be delicious even if you stick to the basic recipe!

How does Bobby Flay make pickled onions? ›

Preparation. Bring the vinegar, ¼ cup water, the sugar and the salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Put the onion in a medium bowl, pour the vinegar over, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days before serving.

Why do you soak onions in salt water before pickling? ›

I always like to salt and soak the onions before pickling. This gets rid of the harsh 'bite' that often makes raw-onions unappetizing. Soaking them for a short time in hot water softens the onions slightly, priming them for quicker, more thorough absorption of the vinegar brine.

Do you have to brine onions before pickling? ›

Brining your onions before pickling might seem like a bit of a palaver, but don't skip this step. As well as seasoning them nicely, the brine draws out moisture from the onions to keep them nice and crisp.

Is white vinegar or apple cider vinegar better for pickling? ›

Because apple cider vinegar is made from apples rather than barley, corn rice or wine, it gives pickles a mellower taste. Using a white distilled vinegar, for example, will create a harsher flavour. But as well as being gentler on your palate, using apple cider vinegar also adds health benefits to pickles.

What does soaking onions in vinegar do? ›

You can get rid of the strong taste by soaking sliced onions in ice water for 20 to 30 minutes or by sprinkling them with an acid such as vinegar. Onions soaked in ice water will get very crisp while those sprinkled with vinegar will soften a bit, but they will lose the strong taste and become sweeter.

How long will homemade pickled onions last? ›

How Long Do Quick Pickled Onions Last in the Refrigerator? Pickled onions can last in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. I like them best during the first week because they are the most crisp, but they're still yummy later on.

Is it healthy to eat pickled onions? ›

Are pickled red onions good for you? Pickled red onions can be part of a healthy diet. Adding fermented foods to your diet helps with a healthy gut.

Why boil vinegar before pickling? ›

Quick pickling, or refrigerator pickling, involves a simple boil-and-pour method of pickling. You take all of your ingredients, apart from the product that is being pickled, and bring them to a boil. The heating process helps activate the flavors in the brine and marry them together.

Can you reuse pickle juice to pickle onions? ›

Pickling doesn't have to be a long process involving canning and special supplies. If you have vegetables that would be good pickled, like onions, garlic, carrots or green beans, toss them in the jar of leftover pickle juice, and see what happens. They'll make a nice addition to a charcuterie platter or Blood Mary.

What is the season for pickling onions? ›

The British onion season for pickling onions starts in September and runs through until Christmas. The onions are harvested, cured and then placed in controlled atmosphere buildings to maximise quality throughout the storage period.

Do you let brine cool before pickling? ›

Then, after letting your brine cool slightly for ~10 minutes, pour it into the jar with your veggies, seal it and place it in the fridge. Now you can enjoy your pickled veggies in a few hours, or in a few months. More Tips on Pickling: Many folks like to roast or dry vegetables before pickling them.

Why are my pickled onions slimy? ›

if your pickled red onions are slimy and limp then you May be cutting them the wrong way. we have two primary ways to slice onions pole to pole or orbital.

Is sugar necessary for pickling? ›

Sugar in pickling is used to balance the tartness of the vinegar. Although the sugar can be eliminated from pickle recipes, the pickles are likely to be too sour. Note: Under no circ*mstances should the amount of vinegar be decreased or diluted to compensate for less sugar.

Which is the best vinegar for pickling? ›

Most pickle recipes call for distilled white vinegar. This is the clear, colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. It has a mellow aroma, tart acid flavor and does not affect the color of light-colored vegetables or fruits.

What is the best acidity vinegar for pickling? ›

Vinegars come in various acidity levels. Vinegar used for pickling must at least 5% acidity. Look at the label to be sure that the vinegar you are using is 5% acidity.

Are onions pickled in vinegar good for you? ›

Pickled red onions can be part of a healthy diet. Adding fermented foods to your diet helps with a healthy gut.

Is distilled white vinegar the same as white wine vinegar? ›

Both of these types of vinegar have "white" in their name, but their flavor is very different. Distilled white vinegar is very strong and can easily overpower foods if you use too much. White wine vinegar is milder than distilled vinegar and has more culinary uses because of its complex flavor.

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