Nitrate & Nitrite Free Quick Pickled Red Onions with Turmeric & Ginger
Bright, tangy, and faintly golden from turmeric, these quick pickled red onions are the kind of condiment that makes everything on the plate taste more alive. The brine comes together in minutes on the stovetop — just apple cider vinegar, water, honey, and a warm lineup of spices — so you're never far from a jar of something genuinely special. For anyone avoiding cured or processed foods, store-bought pickled onions can be a minefield of hidden preservatives, but every single ingredient here is clean and easy to verify. The turmeric and ginger don't just add color and warmth; they give the onions a complexity that goes way beyond a basic vinegar soak. After just 30 minutes in the fridge the onions turn tender and that gorgeous deep pink, though they keep mellowing and improving over the next day if you can wait. Pile them onto tacos, grain bowls, sandwiches, or grilled fish — honestly, it's hard to think of a savory dish they wouldn't improve.
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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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