Mexican Pickled Onions

Name: Mexican Pickled Onions
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 large red onion ((sliced thinly - see notes)); 4 limes ((juiced)); 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; .50 teaspoon salt

Last updated on June 16, 2020. Originally posted on July 8, 2019 By Elaine 34 Comments

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This Mexican pickled onions recipe makes the perfect condiment. You can dollop the onions on salads, tacos, fajitas, sandwiches and so many other yummy foods! The list is endless.

It’s no surprise that my favorite cuisine is Mexican. The love affair started when I worked at a Mexican restaurant right out of college. Before that, I never thought anything would usurp the number one place in my heart reserved for Italian food. How wrong I was!

These days, I could eat Mexican once a week and often do. I would make my recipes as spicy as all get out if Christopher could take spice. But alas, he can’t.

These Mexican pickled onions aren’t spicy though, so he can eat them. And the recipe is easy to make. The hardest part is waiting the four days for the onions to marinate and become delicious!

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Helpful tips

If you aren’t fond of red onion, use a Vidalia onion, which is sweeter. Just know that it won’t turn red as it pickles.
Use a large onion or a few medium onions.
Slice the onion as thinly as you can. Unless you are a whizz with the knife, that means using a mandolin or a food processor.
Don’t be alarmed that the onion will fill the jar but the liquid will NOT cover the onion. The onion shrinks and is marinated as it sits in the fridge.
You can store pickled onions in the fridge for at least a month.

How to make Mexican pickled onions

Step one

Gather the ingredients – red or Vidalia onion, lime, apple cider vinegar and salt.

Overhead view of the onions, lime juice, apple cider vinegar and salt

Step two

Slice the onion as thinly as possible (see tips above). Also, take out a large jar.

Sliced onions in a bowl and a jar behind it

Step three

Stuff the onion in the jar.

Step four

Add lime juice, apple cider vinegar and salt in the jar. Cap it and turn the jar upside down. Leave it on the counter for 30 minutes.

All the ingredients for the pickled onions in a jar tipped upside down on the lid

Notice that the liquid doesn’t cover the onions. Don’t fret.

Step five

Turn the jar right-side up for 30 minutes.

Step six

Turn the jar on its side for 30 minutes.

Place in the refrigerator for four days.

Here’s what it looks like after the four days. Look how much the onions shrank.

Jar of pink pickled onions after 5 days in the fridge

Transfer to a smaller more appropriate jar.

That’s it! Now, all that’s left to do is drape the Mexican pickled onions on some tacos or something equally as delicious! Woohoo!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe.

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love the know what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!