High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Quick Pickled Red Onions with Turmeric & Ginger
These vibrant pickled onions are the kind of condiment that quietly transforms everything they touch — tacos, grain bowls, sandwiches, grilled meats, you name it. The brine gets its gentle sweetness from a spoonful of honey rather than any processed sweetener, which is exactly what makes this recipe a clean, trustworthy choice when you're watching what goes into your food. Turmeric gives the onions a gorgeous golden-tinged hue while ginger adds a subtle warmth that plays beautifully against the tang of apple cider vinegar. Store-bought pickled onions are notorious for sneaking in corn syrup or mystery sweeteners, so making your own means you know every single thing in the jar. The process is almost embarrassingly simple — a quick warm brine, a 15-minute cool-down, and half an hour in the fridge before they're ready to pile onto anything you're eating. They keep mellowing and deepening in flavor over the next day, so a batch made on Sunday will be even better by Monday night's dinner.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 large red onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pack the sliced red onion into a clean 16 oz glass jar, pressing gently so the slices fit snugly.
- 2
Combine the apple cider vinegar, water, honey, salt, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) 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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