Pickled onions that are good for you! This No-Cook Pickled Onions Without Sugar recipe is made with spices high in antioxidants and other healthful nutrients that may promote longevity. Ready in 10 minutes, and they increase the absorption of iron and zinc when added to a meal!
I'm convinced this is the healthiest pickled onion recipe out there! I use red onions with the most antioxidants, but this recipe works with all onion varieties-white, sweet, yellow, or shallots!
Why These Pickled Red Onions Are Good For You
Each spice was chosen based on evidence-based research about its health-boosting properties. Cloves are amongst the most antioxidant-packed spices, ginger boasts anti-inflammatory properties, and cinnamon is a cheap food source of antioxidants.
Black cumin seeds may improve cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and blood sugar control. Black cumin powder reduced LDL cholesterol in postmenopausal women by 27 percent within two months, significantly better than a placebo. They may also help with menopausal symptoms. The side effects reported were lack of appetite and weight loss.
This quick Pickled Red Onion (no sugar) recipe was inspired by my Quick Pickled Carrots and Quick Pickled Cauliflower recipes on this site, as well as this 7-minute homemade Easy Chili Crisp.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Vinegar (apple cider, white, red, or white wine vinegar)
- Onion (red, yellow, or white)
- Optional spices (cinnamon, cloves, anise, black seeds, freeze-dried ginger, cloves, black peppercorn)
- Red chili pepper (optional)
Find all the longevity ingredients here. See the recipe card for quantities.
🧅 Substitutions
- Onion - Red onions have the most antioxidants, followed by yellow and white, but all onions work in this pickled onion recipe.
- Red chili pepper - omit for less spicy
- Spices - mustard seeds, whole cloves, cumin seeds, anise, Ceylon cinnamon sticks, ginger, garlic, and black peppercorns are my go-to spices for their studied health benefits but most spices are suitable
- Vinegar- Use white, apple cider, red or white wine vinegar, or a mixture.
- Sweetener - to lightly sweeten pickled onions, add about 2 teaspoons of agave or maple syrup
Enjoy these (no-cook and no-sugar) Pickled Red Onions with my 5-minute vegan Edamame Guacamole with plant-based protein! For more healthy toppings, visit my Vegan Condiment Recipes page.
📖 How to Make Pickled Onions That Are Good for You
For the full recipe with quantities, scroll down to the bottom of the post. This is an overview.
Step 1. Transfer the vinegar to a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Once the vinegar is simmering, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cloves, star anise, ginger, cinnamon, seeds, and black peppercorns. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Step 2. Remove the papery skin from the onion and no additional layers. These outer layers are highest in antioxidants.
Step 3. Meanwhile, slice the red onion with the grain using a sharp chef’s knife or mandolin. Slicing the onion with the grain, instead of against the grain, results in the least bitterness.
Step 4. If using red chili pepper, slice roughly and remove the seeds, or include the seeds for more spice.
Step 5. Place the onion and red chili pepper into a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Add the vinegar and spices.
Step 6. Add 1 cup water, plus more as needed to cover the onion.
✔️ Expert Tips
- How to peel onions: Only remove the papery skin. Do not remove the first few layers of the onion. These have more than 10 times more antioxidants than the core.
- To decrease the sharpness of red onions, cut them into thin slices and cover them with boiling water. Set aside covered for about 30 minutes. Drain. Boiling reduces the health benefits only slightly.
- These No-Cook Pickled Red Onions can be used immediately but taste best after being refrigerated overnight.
- For more flavor let the spices simmer in the vinegar for 5 minutes. Yet, placing the spices in the warm vinegar and refrigerating overnight allows the flavors to concentrate further over time. I chose not to simmer and to wait overnight as simmering the spices may destroy some benefits.
- Enjoy the vinegar in dressings and consume the spices with the onions! Nothing should go to waste.
- Storage: Refrigerate Quick Pickled Onions (no sugar) in an airtight container for up to 7 days. I used this container and it works very well as you can flip it over and easily remove the onion. (This is a paid affiliate link but not sponsored.) The capacity of the half that stores the pickles is 700ml/23.7 ounces, so use one around that size.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Compounds naturally derived from plants like onions can inhibit the enzyme Target of Rapamycin (TOR), sometimes called the 'engine-of-aging.' TOR regulates cellular growth and proliferation within the human body. Elevated TOR expression has been observed in breast cancer tumors.
Alliums, such as onions, garlic, and leeks, stand out as excellent choices for cancer prevention among vegetables. Plus, they boast anti-blood clotting abilities, increase the absorption of iron and zinc when added to a meal, and so much more! (Note: The antiplatelet activity in onions is lost with cooking.)
In addition, a mere tablespoon of raw red onion daily might reduce dioxin toxicity by fifty percent. However, it's crucial to sustain the immune-boosting benefits of these phytonutrients by incorporating foods rich in them into our daily diet.
Raw red onions have been shown to lower blood sugar in people consuming sugar almost as much as with an anti-diabetic drug, but research is limited.
🍽️ Related Recipes
🥙 Pairing
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📖 Recipe
No-Cook Pickled Onions Without Sugar
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups white vinegar or apple cider, red wine, or white wine vinegar
- 5 whole cloves
- 1 star anise
- 1 teaspoon freeze-dried ginger or 3 slices fresh ginger
- ½ Ceylon cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon black cumin seeds or mustard seeds
- 7 black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons agave or maple syrup (optional)
- 2 small-medium red onion
- ½ red chili pepper
- 1 cup water plus more as needed
Instructions
- Transfer the vinegar to a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.
- Once the vinegar is simmering, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cloves, star anise, ginger, cinnamon, seeds, black peppercorns, and agave if using. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice the red onion with the grain using a sharp chef’s knife or mandolin.
- If using red chili pepper, slice roughly and remove the seeds, or include the seeds for more spice.
- Place the onion and red chili into a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Pour the vinegar and spices over the onion.
- Add 1 cup water, plus more as needed to cover the onion.
- Refrigerate. These No-Cook Pickled Red Onions can be used immediately but taste best after being refrigerated overnight.
Notes
-
- To decrease the sharpness of red onions, onion into thin slices and cover them with boiling water. Set aside covered for about 30 minutes. Drain.
- For more flavor let the spices simmer in the vinegar for 5 minutes. Yet, refrigerating the vinegar allows the flavors to concentrate further over time.
- Enjoy the vinegar in dressings and consume the spices with the onions!
- Storage: Refrigerate Quick Pickled Onions (no sugar) in an airtight container for up to 7 days. I used this container and it works very well as you can flip it over and easily remove the onion. (This is a paid affiliate link but not sponsored.)
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Saffron Sam says
Hi Nisha, Made these the other day and my husband is loving them. Can I ask why these pickles are only good for up to 7 days in the fridge? Given the amount of vinegar, shouldn't they be ok to eat for a few weeks at least?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. They might be good for longer but I always play it extra safe and end up using the vinegar to make a dressing.
Candace says
This is a wonderful recipe. So much flavor and texture, and so satisfying. I have never made pickled onions, but will definitely give them a try. Thank you for all the great recipes. This one is one of y favorites
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed them! Thank you. Have a great week.
Mary says
I’m just wondering how you grind the black cumin seeds for the most health benefits
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. I use a pepper mill grinder.
Tish says
I love this recipe! I'm sodium sensitive and this is delicious! I have made it several times and love the special jar or easy serving!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I do not eat much sodium either and this really does not need it! I'm so glad you like this alternative. The jar is awesome! Thanks for commenting.
Ava says
Hi Nisha! Would ground spices work as well? I don’t have any whole spices but I do have ground/dried ginger, cinnamon, pepper, and turmeric i was thinking of adding. I’m not sure how they’d alternate the nutrition/taste of the onions, so I was just curious! Thanks 😊
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I feel ground spices might might give the vinegar and weird consistency and give it a powdery taste. If you try it, let me know.
Tash says
Oh newbie here just discovered you. Could you do the same recipe but substitute onion for ginger? I love pickled ginger. Could eat it daily. I will still give this recipe a try. Not such a fan of onions but maybe pickled might be different.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I have a new recipe without onions coming out later today!
Casey Dillahay says
I’ve never made pickled onions before and honestly never thought I would want to! This recipe is so good. It elevates whatever I put it on…salads, soups, tacos, sandwiches, by itself! I could go on and on. Make these, you won’t be disappointed!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Awww so glad. To be honest, I never really enjoyed making pickles before this one either!
Tish says
I love this recipe. Pickling is usually too salty for me, I'm sodium sensitive. I made it with a large red onion some time ago. Still crunchy and delicious. Bought the special jar for easy use. My grandmother had a wooden barrel of salty garlic pickles all winter.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yay! I'm so glad you liked these. I do not like salty food either so these are the only types of pickles I make.
Hulda Freyja says
Hey Nisha! What a absolute pleasure it is to go through all these great recipes and find it difficult to choose which one to try first. I was wondering if one could use honey instead of maple syrup or agave?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. Welcome! Yes you can use honey instead.
Sarah says
I found this recipe simple to prepare, especially using the jar shown, too, so thank you for sharing both! Can you tell me how long after making I have to leave them before eating, please? Also, once this first batch is gone, can I reuse the vinegar spice liquid, or do I have to prepare everything from scratch?
I adore your videos and recipes! Thank you!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. I typically wait for about 4 hours to use it but it tastes best after one day. You can reuse the vinegar to make more quick pickles for up to one week. Or add it to dressings. I hope this helps.
Alana Buscher says
Is the chili pepper optional? I am guessing it’s a spicy pepper and I can’t do spicy/hot.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes. It is entirely optional!
Deborah Weisblatt says
Looks easy and fast! I don't like cloves or anise - will they be just as yummy if I leave those two out? Thanks!!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes you can totally leave those out!
Gg says
Just made them today looking forward to tomorrow’s sandwich and BBQ in a couple of days. I put fresh ginger.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
They taste even better the next day! Enjoy:)
Marie Vallee says
Made it, loved it and put it on everything! What would you suggest to make it a littlest sweet.
Thanks,
Marie
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad you like it. Add a little agave for sweetness.
Nancee says
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Kristina says
I see you say black cumin seeds are very healthy, but you don't say to add them to this recipe. Have you added them? How much? Thank you.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
They are listed in the recipe card. There is a choice of mustard seeds or black cumin seeds (1/2 tsp). I just switched the order so it is more visible.
Jasson says
Very nice recipe chef 👍👌👏. I don't think they will last for a week. Thank you for your effort 🌞😎.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thanks you. I ate them quickly too!!!
Julie says
I would like the spice of the red chili pepper, but my area doesn't get these as fresh produce, only mini sweet red peppers. Is there a substitute for the red chili pepper if I would want the spice and equivalent nutritional or longevity value of the fresh red chili pepper?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
How about jalapeño?
JoAnn says
What size pickle jar do you use? Cant wait to make these❤️
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I used this container. (https://amzn.to/3UjyQVQ). The capacity of the half that stores the pickles is 700ml/23.7 ounces so use one around that size.