15 Tasty Ways To Use Pickled Onions

You should always keep condiments on hand — and we're not just talking about your standard fridge staples like ketchup, mayo, and mustard. There are a whole host of flavorful options out there that will enhance both the flavor and texture of the foods you add them to. Enter: pickled onions. 

The flavor of pickled onions is a far cry from the sharp, stinging undertones of fresh onions. When onions are added to a brine made with vinegar, sugar, water, and seasonings, they become softer — both in flavor and texture, so don't even let an aversion to onions turn you off from pickling your own batch at home.

How should you put this unique condiment to good use? Luckily for you, we've curated a list of some of the best and tastiest ways to use pickled onions to enhance your favorite recipes. While red onions are the go-to onion for pickling — and a lion's share of these ideas keep their sharp, peppery undertones in mind — you can also pickle white, yellow, or sweet onions and use them for many of these applications as well. 

Burgers are a well-designed, portable, and filling meal tucked in a bun. But all too often, these classic American sandwiches tend to be especially rich and heavy. Not only do you have the gristly and greasy patty, but they're also often adorned with gooey melted cheese and sauces galore. Pickled onions are a great food to add to your burger because they can cut through that richness and bring balance to your bite, along with a unique crunch. Though you'll still get an oniony flavor, it's nothing near the sharp, tear-inducing flavor of freshly sliced red or white onions.

Pickled onions go well on every kind of burger — from beef to lighter poultry patties, like turkey and chicken. They are also an especially good complement to fish, veggie and bean-based patties.

Nachos are a crowd-pleaser, especially when they're adorned with a 50/50 topping-to-chip ratio. A squirt of lime juice, salsa, or guacamole can help lighten up the mouthfeel — but these don't hold a candle to pickled onions. 

Yes, pickled red onions are the tangy topping your nachos deserve, as they add both an extra crunch and touch of acid to every bite. You can double up on the tanginess by adding other pickled toppings, like pickled jalapeños, to your nachos. The tang will cut right through a dense and foreboding queso and balance out a particularly salty meat topping. 

If you like getting a little bit of every topping in your bite, consider slicing up your pickled onions into smaller pieces before sprinkling them atop your nachos. Pair the crunchy topping with beef or chicken nachos, or go the vegetarian or vegan route and top them with beans or seasoned textured vegetable protein.

Grilled cheese sandwiches can induce nostalgia, but isn't it about time for this sandwich to grow up and branch out to more adult flavors? We won't answer that question, but we will suggest one tasty addition to give your grilled cheese sandwich a sophisticated twist: pickled onions. Grilled cheese sandwiches are supposed to be rich, as they're made with melty cheese, crusty bread, and occasionally extra add-ins like meat and sauce. Pickled red onions will harmonize well with these sandwich components.

The key is to make sure you dry the pickled onions you plan to use. If you pull them straight from their brine and plop them on your sandwich, you risk the bread getting soggy. Simply dry them with a clean kitchen towel before tucking them inside of your sandwich. This flavorful sandwich addition also plays well with other grilled cheese add-ins, like sliced ham or turkey. 

Your breakfast sandwich deserves a bright pop of color and flavor, which is where pickled onions come in. Classic egg sandwiches or ones adorned with copious amounts of bacon and sausage can come off as one note and dense. Pickled onions elevate these sandwiches, and the subtle onion flavor will pair well with salty breakfast meats and cheese. And you don't need to use a ton of them to get the job done.

You can also add pickled onions to lighter breakfast sandwiches, like one stuffed with lox, capers, and dill. While this seafood-forward breakfast sandwich typically relies on fresh, thinly-sliced red onions for a punch of flavor, using pickled onions creates a more restrained taste that lets the natural brininess of the fish shine. You can also pile the onions on avocado toast for a bit of crunch — alongside other veggies like sprouts, thinly sliced cucumbers, or even a poached egg. 

Tacos tend to reply on the same familiar toppings — pico de gallo, avocado or guacamole, and occasionally lime crema. But if you truly want to make a big impact on the flavor of your tacos, you're going to want to add pickled onions to your Taco Tuesday rotation. The only thing more beautiful than the color of these onions is their flavor, especially when paired with succulent protein. Slow-cooked carnitas are a great match for pickled red onions because the onions' acidity will cut through the flavorful seasonings and complement the fatty pork. 

Pickled onions make an equally delicious topping for seafood tacos too. Pair the onions with deep-fried fish or marinated shrimp for a pop of acid and color. The onions also play well with others, so try pairing them with other taco toppings like sliced cabbage, lettuce, or avocado to let their piquant flavor shine. 

You can transform the sharpness of raw, overwhelming onions by dousing them in batter and popping into a deep fryer. When finished, you'll have a magical, greasy amalgamation of textures and flavors; however, you can make the best onion rings of your life with just one extra step: pickle the onions first.

You'll want to slice the onions about a ½-inch wide so they stay crunchy and have enough surface area for the batter to cling to. While sweet or yellow onions can be used for this trick, red onions will offer an unexpected, punchier bite and are worth trying. Dry your rings before running them through the batter and submerging them in hot oil. 

The pungent vinegar flavor will come through strong and help cut through the greasiness of the onion rings. You can pair them with any sauce that you would normally dip your onion rings into — whether that's cocktail sauce, ketchup, or a souped-up mayo. 

You probably already know that pickles pair so well with pizza, but what about pickled onions? Pickled and fermented foods, as a whole, are excellent topping for a pizza because they add acid to the richness of the melty cheese and relatively bland pizza crust. Plus, it always helps to have a crunchy bite after you've just sunk your teeth through a particularly thick crust and smooth sauce.

If you want the best crunch from your onions, you're going to want to add them to the pizza after it's finished cooking rather than before you put it in the oven. It also helps to chop up the alliums finely. This allows you to get a little bit in every single bite. Try pairing the pickled onions with your favorite pizza toppings, like seasoned chicken or pork, feta, olives, or garlic. 

When you think of the word "salad," what comes to mind? Your mind might go to a green salad, adorned with fresh veggies, dressings, and crunchy add-ins, or you might associate the word with heavy deli salads, made with ingredients like chicken, pasta, tuna, or hard-boiled eggs. As it turns out, pickled onions can be used for both salad taxonomies. The biting, pungent flavor and vinegar undertones can cut through a thick, mayonnaise-based dressing or bolster an acidic vinaigrette. And you can never have too much crunch going on in your salad. 

Pickled onions can hold their own in a creamy salad, but it always helps to pair them with something that can complement their acidic flavor, like Kalamata olives. A Mediterranean spin on chicken salad, a mixing of briny feta, cherry tomatoes, and sauteed chicken thighs pairs wonderfully with red or yellow pickled onions.

If you're picking through your fridge to find a topping for your sandwich, you may pull out the usual suspects, like mayonnaise, mustard, or Italian dressing. But you should really be reaching for that jar of pickled onions instead (or in addition to) these classic condiments. 

This condiment brings together the perfect amount of crunch and acidity and can be used to elevate your bologna sandwich or any other from the processed deli meat family, be it Spam, deli turkey, or even plant-based lunch meat. It's also worth adding a pinch of red onions to cooked sandwich fillings, including sloppy Joes. The tangy onions will complement the salty and savory tomato-based sauce and your protein base of choice. You can also pair this topping with other funky ferments, like bread and butter pickles, to introduce more sweetness and make a somewhat mushy sandwich a little more crunchy. 

It was not too long ago that hot dogs were adorned solely with ketchup, mustard, or a combination of both. Now, there are a whole host of gourmet wiener toppings on the scene that take this staple meal to a whole new level. One of them is, of course, pickled onions. 

If you've enjoyed a Chicago-style hot dog before, you know that onions are no stranger to hot dogs. However, this regional preparation utilized chopped white onions, which puts the strong flavor center stage. Pickled onions are a more mellow-flavored option that will still allow you to capitalize on the allium's crunchiness.

Alone, this unconventional topping can take your hot dog to the next level; however, you may also want to try zhuzhing up your hot dogs further with chimichurri, queso fresco, and crumbled chorizo. The chimichurri is the perfect herbaceous foil to the fatty hot dog and chorizo, while the pickled onions and queso fresco both offer a refreshing mouthfeel. 

Deviled eggs are a top-tier party appetizer — and for good reason. Their beauty is in their simplicity. All you need to make them is a little bit of mayonnaise, mustard, and seasoning — and a lot of hard-boiled eggs. That's not to say that you're confined to boring, run-of-the-mill deviled eggs though. If you want to spice up your deviled eggs, one ingredient worth looking at is pickled onions.

The pickling liquid is sweet and acidic, which is the perfect complement to the rich mayo and egg yolk filling. However, you don't want to just drop the onions into the mixture and call it a day. Not only would this make piping into the egg whites an absolute nightmare, but it would also disrupt the sublime creaminess of the filling. Instead, use the pickled onions as a garnish on top of your eggs. Red onions would be best for this recipe, as the color would be a beautiful contrast to the yellow filling. Still, you can also use white or yellow onions if you're after a softer flavor. If you want to amp up the acidity even more, consider adding a drizzle of the pickling liquid into the egg mixture — though not a ton, as you don't want to make it too watery. 

Charcuterie and grazing boards are a great way to serve a crowd. As long as you have a little bit of everything — including meats, cheeses, vegetables, and sweets — you can appease almost any type of eater. Folks can assemble bites that work for them, so there is little that you need to do on your part to make flavor combos "happen."

Pickled foods, including pickled cucumbers and onions, deserve a spot on your board. They can introduce the perfect level of acidity along with a nice crunch to contrast a particularly rich cheese or meaty bite. Not to mention, there are few items on a board that have the same, unmistakably pink color as red onions. 

If you're planning on adding pickled onions to your charcuterie board, there are some smart pairings that you may want to consider. Crisp cucumbers and tomatoes are the perfect crunchy complements to pickled red onions and rich cheeses, like aged cheddar, goat cheese, and Gruyére. Fatty meats, including pâté and prosciutto, are also worthy pairings for the piquant pickled allium. 

Baked potatoes are an incredibly versatile side dish — seeing as how you can either dress them up or down based on the occasion. If you're looking to put your spuds in their Sunday best, consider topping them with a generous portion of pickled onions. Typically, baked potato toppings are rich and fatty — think shredded cheese, butter, and sour cream — so they could use something to slice right through that one-dimensional flavor. That's where the pickled red onions come in. 

The onions can add a beautiful crunchiness and pop of flavor (and color) to an otherwise one-note and starchy potato. Their flavor is unique enough to stand alone as a topping, or they can be combined with other baked potato accoutrements. Think about combining the onions with a little dollop of sour cream or pat of melty butter. You can also use the onions to garnish a loaded baked potato, like one topped with chili and cheese. 

Pulled pork is no stranger to pickled red onions — and one can argue that the onions are actually its perfect match. The protein is rich, fatty, and deeply flavorful, especially when it's topped in a savory and tangy barbecue sauce. Pairing it with pickled onions will help dial back the sweetness of a particularly cloying barbecue sauce or help uplift one that is lacking on its vinegary component. You can add a little sprinkle of the onions to the top of your pulled pork pile, or consider chopping up the onions and mixing them into the meat so that you can ensure you get a little bit in every bite. In short, there's no wrong way to combine these flavors. 

You can also pair pickled onions with other pulled meat or meat alternatives, including chicken, jackfruit, or seitan. Every one of them will benefit from the tanginess and brightness of the onions, as well as their subtle crunch. 

One of our favorite things about pickled onions is that they transcend cuisines. While you'll often see them used in Mediterranean wraps — paired with grilled meats and light, acidic spreads — they can also work beautifully in Asian and Tex-Mex-inspired fare. Perhaps the best proof of their versatility is the grain bowls from around the world, many of which can be elevated with pickled onions.  

As the name suggests, all you need to create your bowl is a base of grains, like rice, quinoa, or farro, as well as toppings. Poke bowls are like sushi in a bowl, often topped with fresh fish, furikake, and fresh veggies. Pickled red onions pair well with seafood, be it tuna or crab, and complement a spicy mayo dressing quite well. You can also add a little sprinkle of the onions to your Mediterranean-inspired bowl, complete with quinoa, crumbled feta, hummus, thinly-shaved meat or falafel, and tahini. In both of these instances, the pickled onions add a restorative flavor to the bowls, alongside a crunchy texture and a bright pop of color.