When I began blogging just over a year ago, Alex kept asking when I would write about “those onions.” At the time I hesitated—though these pickled onions live in our fridge constantly, I didn’t think they deserved a whole post. Still, they were too good not to share.
For a while I planned to feature them as one element of another recipe: on a spinach salad, inside a grilled cheese, or piled into veggie tacos. But the more I made them, the more it became clear that these tangy, spicy, herb-scented onions simply stand on their own.
These pickled onions are brightened with red wine vinegar, given a hit of heat from hot sauce like Tabasco, and aromatized with fresh rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. They’re lively, versatile, and bold enough to be enjoyed straight from the jar—Alex frequently eats them with a fork right out of the jar—and they also make a wonderful garnish or condiment.
Use them wherever you want a sharp, tangy bite: scattered over salads, folded into scrambled eggs, added to lettuce wraps, layered into grain bowls, or tucked into sandwiches. They tend to disappear fast—when I add them to a salad, everyone inevitably pokes around looking for more.
This version was inspired by Anne Burrell’s pickled red onions. Over the years I’ve adapted the recipe to suit our tastes. You can switch up the herbs depending on what you have on hand and adjust the amount of hot sauce to make them milder or hotter.
Herb and Hot Sauce Pickled Onions
Ingredients
-
1
large red onion -
3/4
cup
red wine vinegar -
3/4
cup
cold water -
1
tablespoon
kosher salt -
1
tablespoon
granulated sugar -
1
teaspoon
hot sauce
such as Tabasco -
Small handful of fresh herbs
I used rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves
Instructions
-
Peel the onion and cut it in half lengthwise. Slice each half crosswise into thin half-moons. Place the slices in a lidded container—a quart-sized mason jar or Tupperware works well. Add the red wine vinegar, cold water, kosher salt, granulated sugar, hot sauce, and fresh herbs. Seal the container and shake well to combine. Refrigerate and let the onions marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, to develop their flavor. They will keep in the refrigerator for about one month.
