Best Pickled Red Onions (No Cook Lime Pickled Red Onions)
These pickled red onions are bright, punchy, and beautifully pink, made the no-cook way by marinating thin-sliced onions in fresh lime juice (aka lime pickled onions) for a tangy topping that levels up tacos, bowls, salads, and more.
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Equipment
- 1 airtight storage jar
- 1 fermentation weight or small bowl/dish to keep onions submerged
- 1 knife & cutting board or mandoline slicer
- 1 heat-proof bowl for soaking onions
Ingredients
- 250 g lime juice 1 cup, from 6 medium limes
- 195 g red onion about 2 cups, from one medium onion, sliced thinly
- 2 g garlic 1 small whole clove, peeled
- 8 g salt 2 tsp, for brine
- hot water about 4 cups, for soaking onions
- 4 g salt 1 tsp, for pickling solution
- 10 g agave 2 tsp
- black pepper 3-5 peppercorns
- ¼ tsp oregano up to 1/2 tsp
Instructions
- Prep onions. Peel and slice your onions as evenly and thinly as you can. Use a mandoline for even slices if needed (don’t forget to use a cutting glove for safety!).195 g red onion
- Soak + brine onions. Add 2 tsp of salt to hot water, then soak your onions in the hot salt water brine for 15-20 minutes.hot water, 8 g salt
- Juice limes. While the onions soak, slice and juice your limes. It’ll take about 5-8 limes to get a cup of juice, depending on the size of your limes.250 g lime juice
- Drain onions. After soaking, drain your onions from the salt brine and place them into a jar or shallow container with a lid.
- Season + marinate. Add your desired spices, agave syrup, and any other additions like garlic, black pepper, and oregano. Place your limes in the fridge to marinate for up to 24 hours. The color will intensify overnight!2 g garlic, 4 g salt, 10 g agave, black pepper, 1/4 tsp oregano
- Drain + store. While you can store your onions in the lime juice long term, I find that the flavor tends to become a bit too bitter after 72 hours, so I like to drain them before storing longer term. Your onions will keep fresh for up to a month, though they will become more soft with time.
Notes
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- keep the onions covered - for the first few hours - days, make sure that ALL of the onions are fully submerged under lime juice. You can use something like a fermenting weight or a small glass bowl/dish for this.
- too bitter - lime juice is super acidic! If your pickling solution is too bitter, you can add a bit more salt, agave, or both to balance the flavor out. Additionally, be sure to take them out of the lime juice after about 3-4 days max to help control the flavor better.
- not bright enough - the color will deepen the most overnight, so if you have only marinated them for a few hours, give them a bit more time!
- too sharp or overpowering - do NOT skip the saltwater brine! This helps to break down the onions a bit while also helping to lessen their harsh flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 9kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 0.2gFat: 0.02gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.005gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.003gSodium: 233mgPotassium: 30mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 7IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.04mg
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Keyword: brine, pickle, spring, The Intrigue, The Pop, The Wow, Mom!, winter