Beef Free Orange-Garlic Quick-Pickled Red Onions
Quick-pickled red onions are one of those fridge staples that quietly elevate everything they touch — tacos, grain bowls, sandwiches, roasted vegetables, you name it. This version gets a citrusy twist from fresh orange juice and a strip of orange zest, which rounds out the sharpness of apple cider vinegar with something bright and a little floral. Smashed garlic and sliced fresh ginger add a gentle warmth to the brine, while a pinch of turmeric gives the whole jar a gorgeous golden tint if you choose to use it. The process is genuinely simple: warm the brine on the stovetop just long enough to dissolve the honey and salt, pour it over tightly packed onion slices, and let time do the rest. Within 45 minutes at room temperature, those raw onions transform into something tender, deeply pink, and completely irresistible. There's no animal product anywhere in this recipe, so it fits naturally into a wide range of eating styles without any substitutions or workarounds needed. Make a jar on Sunday and you'll find yourself reaching for it all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice (from about 1 medium orange)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 strip orange zest (about 2 inches long), pith removed
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pack the sliced red onions into a clean 16 oz glass jar, pressing them down gently so they fit snugly.
- 2
Combine the apple cider vinegar, orange juice, water, honey, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the honey and salt are fully dissolved, about 2–3 minutes. Do not boil.
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