Yucatan pickled onions are one of those great condiments. They can be used all over the place. Tacos – obviously. In sandwiches. On burgers. With grilled meats, poultry or fish. Pretty much anything that isn’t dessert.
And they’re super easy to make. Foolproof really. They keep well in the fridge. For weeks. Ready to brighten whatever you’re eating. I like to keep some on hand all summer long.
Yucatan pickles onions are a snap to make
Super easy to make might even be an understatement. Slice some onions. Combine all the ingredients except the onions in a little sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Toss the onions into the pan. Simmer for one minute. Cool. Eat. That easy. Nothing to it at all.
But they are so good. Once you have them in your fridge you’ll understand. Need a bit of extra flavour to make sandwich great. Check. Some zing to absolutely any kind of burger. Check. Need a snack staight out of the jar. Big check.
You can add some zing to Yucatan pickled onions if you want. Pickle a seeded jalapeño into them and it’s a whole different experience. A bit of habanero works too but make sure you devein it.
Unless you like screaming hot. But that would make them less of a condiment and more of a test. How tough are you? Can you handle these incendiary pickled onions. Kind of odd but whatever works for you…
You can also add some fresh lime juice. They’re pickles, not a chocolate souffle. You can mess with the recipe and it will turn out just fine.
This particular recipe yields pretty tender onions. If you want more crunch, bring all the ingredients except the onions to a boil. Put the onions in a bowl and pour the boiling liquid and seasonings over the onions. Let them stand at room temperature until cool.
Use them everywhere. Use them often. They will become a staple.
yucatan pickles onions
Ingredients
- 2 large red onions sliced about 1/8 inch thick
- 2 cloves garlic cut in half
- 1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 clove
- 5 allspice berries whole
- 1/4 tsp black peppercorns whole
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Bring all ingredients except the onions to a boil in a saucepan large enough to hold the onions.
- Add the onions and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
- Store in a sealed jar in the fridge.
- Let the onions stand for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving
I LOVE LOVE LOVE pickled onions, these look AMAZING. I always have jar of these on hands but you put so much more flavour it in! I have a use for my allspice berries now! I love this! I never thought to boil the liquid first as well! Great idea, melds the spices flavour more. (Is it weird I eat this stuff with a spoon out of the jar? haha :))
It’s a bit weird that you eat the stuff with a spoon, yes. Try it with a fork out of the jar. That’s what I do:-)
I have never tried to make pickled onions before, but I want to try now! Do you think I can substitute distilled white vinegar instead of using cider vinegar?
Yesssss!! I love pickled onions!! Love love LOVE! Did I say love yet? LOVE! They literally taste good on anything! Can’t wait to try your version! It looks delicious!
Alyssa, I hope you like them.
We frequently do pickled onions for our taco nights! It will be great to have a variation on our go-to recipe so that we can mix it up!
I love pickled anything and pickled onions are a fabulous garnish. I’m interested in the use of these whole spices – it seems like a really flavorful mix. And I always appreciate a recipe I can tinker with – thanks for the jalepeno idea!
That’s the beauty of pickles. You can really do anything you want and it almost always works.
Not gonna lie, I love anything pink! And I strongly believe onions and garlic should be in every recipe ever. Can’t wait to garnish everything with these pretty pickled onions!
They are addictive. I really do just eat them out of the jar.