The Quick, 2-Ingredient Topping I Make Each Week for Salads, Tacos, and Extra

I’ve by no means met a pickled purple onion I did not like. Tangy, tart, and vibrantly magenta, these tender alliums make a zippy topping for tacos, tacky pizza, and even potato salad—worlds higher than the cruel, pungent snap of uncooked onion. However the phrase “pickle” conjures pictures of prolonged pickling processes—even “fast” pickles, the place a vinegary brine is poured scorching over a vegetable and left to soak for a number of hours, require extra time than I usually have.

We have coated “speedy” pickled onions on Critical Eats earlier than—Daniel has written about how efficient a quick soak in vinegar may be and included them in lots of his recipes over time. This variant, which we realized from chef and meals stylist Julian Hensarling, swaps the vinegar with lime juice for an excellent more energizing, brighter pop of taste. It is a model he realized whereas residing in La Paz, Mexico (the place he ate his physique weight in tacos). There, he observed taquerias and avenue distributors assembling pickles with nothing greater than sliced purple onions, lime juice, and salt. He makes them consistently in his house kitchen now, throwing collectively a brand new batch each few weeks as a result of he runs by them so shortly.

Make Cebollas Encurtidas (Lime-Pickled Onions)

Pickling onions is a comparatively hands-off course of, requiring solely about quarter-hour for the onions to develop their vibrant magenta colour and signature tang. Observe that you need to use yellow or white onions as properly right here, however purple onions give the pickles their signature vibrant magenta colour.

1. Slice the onions. Thinly slice the onions and place them in a food-grade glass, ceramic, or plastic container. A pointy knife issues right here, creating clear slices and lowering mobile injury that triggers enzymatic reactions answerable for an onion’s pungent aroma and sharp taste (and even helps forestall tears). Slice thickness issues, too: Thicker slices will take longer to pickle than thinner ones.
2. Add lime juice and salt. Squeeze the limes instantly into the jar by hand or with a citrus squeezer. To extract extra juice, microwave the limes till they’re heat to the contact, 10 to fifteen seconds, as heat citrus yields extra juice. The amount of salt used ought to be in proportion to the lime juice. Julian makes use of about one teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt for each three juiced limes and three small sliced purple onions. The quantity of liquid could seem scant at first—that is regular. The onions will soften and shortly launch moisture by osmosis, expelling water from the onion’s cells; as this occurs, the liquid quantity will enhance and the onions will collapse right into a extra dense pile, finally turning into submerged within the brine.
3. Shake and wait. Shut the container and provides it shake, guaranteeing the salt is evenly distributed. Uncooked onions have a pointy chew, however after simply quarter-hour, they may have softened into tart and tender pickles. The pickles can be prepared to make use of at this level, however for those who depart them for just a few extra hours, the flavors will additional meld and deepen.
4. Save. Refrigerate till you are able to eat. For the most effective style and texture, use the pickled onions inside two weeks. They’ll preserve longer because the brine slows spoilage, however the taste and texture are greatest within the first two weeks. Keep away from freezing, as they’re going to turn into mushy when thawed.

Use Pickled Onions

As soon as ready, pickled onions can brighten virtually any dish that wants a punchy, acidic kick. Consider them as a squeeze of lime—however with texture and deeper taste.

• Prime tacos, tostadas, and chilaquiles for a traditional pairing.
• Layer onto burgers, soups, pizza, sandwiches, grilled meats, salads, grain bowls, and even charcuterie boards. I like layering caramelized and pickled onions on a juicy, tacky burger to seize the complete vary of allium taste. The candy mellowness of caramelized onions pairs superbly with the brilliant, assertive chew of their pickled counterpart.
• Cube and fold into potato salad, hearty bean dishes, and creamy mac and cheese.

The Takeaway

Pickling onions does not require a lot planning—and even vinegar. With simply purple onions, lime juice, and salt, you can also make a vibrant, tangy pickle in about quarter-hour. Use them anyplace you’d desire a hit of citrusy brightness and crunch—tacos, scorching canine, grilled meats, salads, and past.

August, 2025