Pickled Red Onion
Pickled onions give a few simple, tasty health benefits:
Aid digestion: Fermented pickles add probiotics and softer fibers; apple cider vinegar also helps break down food.
Support immunity: High in vitamin C and antioxidants that reduce inflammation.
Help heart health: Red onions have folate and antioxidants that may protect the heart and lower stroke risk.
Regulate blood sugar: Compounds in raw red onions can help lower blood sugar.
Improve mineral absorption: Eating them with meals can boost iron and zinc uptake.
Low calorie, full of flavor — a guilt-free condiment.
Add tangy crunch to tacos, salads, sandwiches and burgers.
Contain antioxidants that may slow some aging processes.
For best probiotics, make quick pickled onion at home with unpasteurized apple cider vinegar or naturally ferment them.
Pickled Red Onion Recipe
By Zosia Culinary Adventures | Date: February 20, 2026
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 1 day
Yield: 6 servings (as a condiment)
Ingredients:
1 large fresh red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 slice of fresh red beet
1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar plus extra if needed
Instructions:
Halve the red onion and slice it very thinly. Place sliced onion in the glass bowl and sprinkle with sea salt.
Stir in the salt and let the onion sit for about 30 minutes, or until it becomes limp. Add the beet slice, then pour enough apple cider vinegar to fully cover the sliced onion and beet. Let the mixture rest at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring gently every 10–15 minutes.
Pour the marinated onion into a small glass jar — you may discard the beet slice if you prefer, though I like to keep it to deepen the onion’s pink-red hue. Tuck the onion neatly inside, seal the jar tightly, and set it in the refrigerator to chill and continue developing flavor.
Pickled onions keep ~1 month in the fridge, growing prettier and more flavorful as they absorb beet color and apple‑cider tang.
The pickled onion is perfect for serving with cold meats, open faced sandwiches, hamburgers or hot dogs, or with hot roast beef.
Serve with Krebinetter Meat Patties as an option.
