Mustard Free Garlic-Herb Quick-Pickled Red Onions
Quick-pickled red onions are one of those fridge staples that quietly elevate everything they touch — tacos, grain bowls, sandwiches, cheese boards, you name it. This version leans into a garlic-and-herb brine made with apple cider vinegar, honey, fresh thyme, and rosemary, giving you something that tastes far more complex than the handful of ingredients suggests. The honey rounds out the vinegar's sharpness just enough, while the smashed garlic and woody herbs infuse every layer of those thin half-moon slices. Many store-bought pickled onions and condiment-adjacent products sneak in mustard seed or mustard-based preservatives, making label-reading a constant chore. Here, every single ingredient is straightforward and easy to verify, so you can make a big jar with total confidence. The process is genuinely simple — a quick stovetop brine, a pour, and a rest in the fridge — and within 30 minutes you have deeply pink, tangy, tender onions ready to go. They only get better over the next day as the flavors mellow and meld together.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Instructions
- 1
Pack the sliced red onion into a clean 16 oz glass jar, pressing gently so the slices fit snugly.
- 2
Tuck the smashed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprig down into the jar among the onion slices.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!