Give your favorite meals a little something extra with these lime-pickled red onions! The first time I had these, my friend Justin made them, and I was hooked! They’re bright and tangy with just a touch of sweetness, adding more vibrance to just about any dish. With lime, the sharpness of onions is tempered just enough and provides a special zestiness that you’ll love bite after bite. Plus, it only takes 5 minutes to make this awesome upgrade you can top on tacos, black beans, and more!
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Table of Contents
How does quick pickling work?
Quick pickling uses an acidic brine, in this case, lime juice, to keep microbes from growing. There’s no fermentation here, so it has a shorter shelf life and needs to be stored in the fridge, but it’s a great way to upgrade your meals with a touch of extra zestiness. Unlike fermented foods, you don’t have to wait days or weeks – you can enjoy these lime pickled red onions after just 30 minutes!
Nutrition For Mental Health
Did you know that onions are about 89% water? They are mainly carbohydrates, fiber, and water. Onions contain vitamin C, folate, potassium, and vitamin B6. A meta-analysis found that vitamin C intake may have mood-elevating effects on patients with subclinical depression.
Ingredients + Notes
These simple ingredients are probably already in your kitchen, and if so, what are you waiting for? Grab them and in 5 minutes, you’ll have these amazing pickled onions to use on your lunch or dinner!
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions + Variations
Whether you dislike an ingredient or simply don’t have it on hand, you can use substitutions or variations to make it your way.
- Lemon juice: Lemon juice also has that acidity that you need to brighten up any dish, and it works beautifully if you’re out of limes.
How To Make 5-Minute Lime Pickled Red Onions
These simple steps take just 5 minutes to complete. Gather everything you need all together and you’ll have this pickling in your fridge in no time!
- Prepare red onion and place in a small jar. Add salt and pepper.
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- Squeeze lime juice over top so that the onion is just covered. Mix with a fork to evenly soak the onion. Cover with lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy on top of homemade tacos, bowls, or salads.
Servings Ideas
The sky is the limit for using these lime-pickled red onions. Try them on Chickpea Burgers, Cauliflower Lentil Tacos, Baked Falafel, Instant Pot Black Beans, and my Veggie Chili Recipe. You can also add them to vegan hotdogs and sausages, any vegan curry dish, bagels, sandwiches, or even on top of your hummus.
Storage Tips
Quick pickling allows these red onions to last a bit longer in your fridge, though you should make sure to finish them off within two weeks. Since they’re so quick and easy to make, you can put together another batch in a pinch!
FAQ
Pickled onions can be ready in just 30 minutes, though they get even better the longer you wait. If you give them several hours in the jar in your fridge, they’ll be even more delicious.
Onions are good for you and provide healthy support for your body through a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Pickling doesn’t change that, and adding that citrus to pickle them also gives you the benefits from citrus fruits.
Yes, and that’s exactly what my recipe does. You wind up with a really bright, zesty flavor profile that adds instant zippiness topped on your favorite foods.
If you tried this Lime Pickled Red Onion Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Lime Pickled Red Onion
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 large limes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare red onion and place in a small jar.
- Squeeze lime juice over top so that the onion is just covered. Add salt and pepper.
- Mix with a fork to evenly soak the onion. Cover with lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy on top of homemade tacos, bowls, or salads.
Notes
Nutrition
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Reference
Yosaee, S., Keshtkaran, Z., Abdollahi, S., Shidfar, F., Sarris, J., & Soltani, S. (2021). The effect of vitamin C supplementation on mood status in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. General hospital psychiatry, 71, 36–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2021.04.006
So good!