Pickled red onions are a great zesty addition to almost any meal. Add a few to tacos, potato salad, hamburgers, salsa, corn salad, or even deviled eggs. Honestly, they go great on, or in just, about anything. And, when you add in a healthy dose of freshly ground black pepper, these quick pickled red onions definitely pack a lot of peppery extra zestiness.
Last year, I made these Lime & Beer Pickled Red Onions. And, while they were amazing, I did have one issue with those lil’ suckers. It was seriously annoying to have to pick out all of the black peppercorns before using them in a recipe. Now, was it an end of the world, of my goodness gracious, we’re all gonna die situation? Certainly not, however, it was a little bit tedious to pick all of those lil’ suckers out each time that I went to use them.
So, this time around, I decided to simplify the recipe as well as my life, by using freshly ground black pepper instead. And, to be quite honest with y’all, I was surprised by the peppery kick these red onions were given from making the switch. At first, I was like dang, that’s a whole lot of pepper. However, after using them on, and in, a few different recipes, I quickly became a fan. I may never go back to using whole black peppercorns again.
Ingredients:
- 1 Medium Red Onion
- 1/2 Cup Cold Water
- 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Directions:
- Remove the peel and outer layer of the red onion. Slice the onion in half. Cut each half of the onion into thin slices.
- Separate the onion slices and place them in a glass jar or container.
- Place the water, vinegar, sugar, black pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes into a non-reactive metal saucepan over high heat. Stir constantly until the mixture begins to boil and all of the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Pour the mixture over the sliced red onion.
- Allow the pickled red onion slices to come to room temperature, add a lid to the glass jar or container, and then refrigerate until use.
Suggestions:
- Make sure to use a non-reactive metal saucepan, such as stainless steel, for this recipe.
- Using a glass jar or glass container for these pickled red onions is advised.
- You can use these pickled red onions as soon as they have cooled, however, I feel that they taste best after at least 4 hours of refrigeration.
- These pickled red onions will last up to 2 weeks when refrigerated.
Improvements:
- Replace the granulated sugar with light brown sugar.
- Use these pickled red onions to make these Black Pepper & Pickled Red Onion Deviled Eggs.
- Add a tablespoon of yellow mustard seeds to the pickling brine.
- If you like these pickled red onions, you should also try these Lime & Beer Pickled Red Onions.
Ingredients:
- 1 Medium Red Onion
- 1/2 Cup Cold Water
- 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Directions:
- Remove the peel and outer layer of the red onion. Slice the onion in half. Cut each half of the onion into thin slices.
- Separate the onion slices and place them in a glass jar or container.
- Place the water, vinegar, sugar, black pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes into a non-reactive metal saucepan over high heat. Stir constantly until the mixture begins to boil and all of the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Pour the mixture over the sliced red onion.
- Allow the pickled red onion slices to come to room temperature, add a lid to the glass jar or container, and then refrigerate until use.
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Make these Black Pepper & Pickled Red Onion Deviled Eggs with these Black Pepper Quick Pickled Red Onions. What happens when you add pickled red onions to a traditional deviled egg recipe? The result is a delicious deviled egg with a sweet, tangy, and bright oniony flavor. These deviled eggs are a must-try, especially if you’re the type of person who tends to avoid recipes calling for uncooked onions. I’m fairly certain that these black pepper and pickled red onion-filled deviled eggs will most definitely win your taste buds over. CLICK HERE for the recipe.