Enjoy marinated onions in minutes with this easy recipe using just 5 ingredients (including the salt!). Naturally sweetened with date syrup and made tangy from white distilled vinegar, these onions are perfect for adding flavor and texture to essentially any dish.
If you've tried this avocado toast, you don't need me to tell you what a difference marinated onions makes! Also referred to as quick-pickled onions, they add unbelievable flavor and yet take just minutes to prepare.
Onions are typically very strong and spicy when raw, and I don't always have the forethought to fully pickle them. With this method, I am able to soften them and cut down the bite so they are sweeter, more flavorful and gourmet.
They are perfect for adding to tacos, grain bowls, pasta, pizzas, salads... basically anything to awaken a dish. They provide that special something that people can't quite put their finger on. Someone recently described it to me as a "sweet, savory zing" which I think nails it exactly!
I'm a huge fan of caramelized onions too, but I don't always have an hour to get those cooking. Alternatively, marinated onions take just 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes to, well, marinate. Easy enough, right?
Marinated Onions vs. Caramelized Onions
The key difference between marinated and caramelized onions is that marinated onions are raw and caramelized onions are cooked.
For marinated onions, the olive oil, salt and vinegar help to break down the raw onion without the use of any heat. They maintain a hint of raw onion flavor but overall are sweet and tangy from the addition of date syrup (or maple syrup).
Caramelized onions are made by cooking raw onions down with just olive oil and salt. The natural sugars release during the cooking process, resulting in crispy golden brown onions bursting with sweet flavor.
Ingredients
This recipe uses basic ingredients from your pantry. All you need is an oil, vinegar and salt, but I also like to add date syrup as it adds a sweetness to balance out the pungent sourness of the vinegar. The date syrup is thick and dark and gives the marinade more of a balsamic vinegar vibe.
How to Make Quick Marinated Onions
1. Thinly slice the red onion. I highly recommend using a mandoline slicer (set to level 1) to slice them as thinly as possible. Otherwise, use a sharp knife to slice to about ⅛ of an inch. Thicker slices require more time for the liquid to seep into the wedges of the onion.
2. Marinate. Toss the sliced onions in a bowl with olive oil, white distilled vinegar, date syrup and salt. Allow the onions to sit in the marinade for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally if not fully submerged.
3. Serve! Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container to store at room temperature for 3-4 days (refrigerating is fine as well but the olive oil may solidify and require about 30 minutes at room temperature to return to its natural liquid state).
Recipe Tips
Repurpose the marinade as salad dressing. The marinade has all the components of a dressing (the basic formula of oil, vinegar and salt) and can be used as such. When adding the onions to a salad, I'll simply pour the marinade overtop. Otherwise, I'll store it in mason jar for later use.
Fully submerge the onions in the marinade for best results. Depending on the bowl you use, the marinade may only go halfway up the onions. Try to use a bowl where each onion slice is fully submerged. The longer they sit in the marinade, the sweeter and softer they become.
Serving Suggestions
I love adding elements to elevate dishes to the next level, like adding garlic confit to a slice of pizza or lemon herb tahini sauce to a bowl of rice and veggies. These marinated onions are no different - they can completely transform a dish, plus they add a pretty purple hue!
As a result, these onions have become a staple in many of my salad recipes as well as in sandwiches and wraps. I even formally added them to my roasted curried veggie bowl recipe!
I hope you enjoy this quick pickled onions recipe! The onions make for such a great condiment. I'd love to hear how you use them in the comments below!
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Quick Marinated Red Onions (Just 5 Ingredients!)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Enjoy marinated onions in minutes with this easy recipe using just 5 ingredients (including the salt!). Naturally sweetened with date syrup and made tangy from white distilled vinegar, these onions are perfect for adding flavor and texture to essentially any dish.
Ingredients
- 1 small red onion
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- 2 teaspoons date syrup
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Thinly slice the red onion. I highly recommend using a mandoline slicer (set to level 1) to slice them as thinly as possible. Otherwise, use a sharp knife to slice to about ⅛ of an inch.
- Marinate. Toss the sliced onions in a bowl with olive oil, white distilled vinegar, date syrup and salt. Allow the onions to sit in the marinade for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally if not fully submerged.
- Serve. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container to store at room temperature for 3-4 days (refrigerating is fine as well but the olive oil may solidify and require 30-45 minutes at room temperature to return to its natural state).
- Prep Time: 15
- Category: Condiment
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