Artificial Food Coloring Free Classic Pickled Red Onions
That vivid magenta color you get from these pickled onions is entirely natural — it comes straight from the red onion itself reacting with the apple cider vinegar brine, no dyes or additives involved. Store-bought pickled onions and condiments are surprisingly common culprits for hidden artificial colorings, so making your own at home puts you fully in control of every single ingredient. The brine is nothing more than vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and a couple of spices, which means you know exactly what you're eating. Tangy, lightly sweet, and just a little spicy if you go for the red pepper flakes, these onions punch way above their weight as a topping. Pile them onto tacos, grain bowls, sandwiches, or avocado toast and watch the whole dish come alive. They soften just enough in the brine to lose that raw bite while still keeping a satisfying texture. Once you have a jar of these in the fridge, you'll find yourself reaching for them constantly.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 large red onion, very thinly sliced into rings or half-moons
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pack the sliced red onion into a clean 16 oz mason jar, pressing gently so the slices fit snugly without crushing them.
- 2
Combine the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and kosher salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat.
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