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–+ servings
a jar of pickled onions with a red onion and a lime sitting next to it
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5 from 1 vote

Mexican Pickled Onions (Cebollas Encurtidas)

Learn how to make quick and easy Mexican Pickled Onions using red onions cured in lime juice and vinegar. Perfect on tacos, salads, tortas and more!
Prep Time5 minutes
Pickling Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 16 ounces
Calories: 9kcal
Author: Eden Westbrook

Equipment

  • Mandoline this one is finger-friendly
  • 16 ounce Mason Jar (or other glass jar with a lid)

Ingredients

  • 1 large red onion peeled and halved
  • ½ teaspoon lime zest
  • 1 sprig fresh oregano
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • ⅓ cup lime juice
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

Instructions

  • Use your mandoline or a very sharp chef knife to thinly slice your red onion into half moons.
    1 large red onion
  • Put the red onions, lime zest, oregano, salt, sugar, and black pepper into your mason jar. Pour over the lime juice and vinegar.
    ½ tsp lime zest, 1 sprig fresh oregano, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt, ⅓ cup lime juice, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ tsp black pepper
  • Twist the lid on finger-tight and shake everything together. Set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before use.
  • Serve the pickled onions on tacos, tortas, nachos, salads, or anything that you want to add a bright crunchy topping to.
  • Keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks (it'll start tasting a little stronger after that but it keeps for up to 90 days before the onions get soft, in my experience).

Notes

Variations and Pro Tips

  • Make it spicy - add in sliced habanero or jalapeno peppers to give your onions some heat. Or use a pinch of red pepper flakes to make it only a little spicy.
  • Lime Pickled Mexican Onions - The tart citrus juice has enough acidity to cure the onions on its own. Swap out the vinegar for all lime juice.
  • Quick Pickled Red Onions - the onions take on flavor as quickly as 30 minutes, you don't have to pickle them overnight if you don't want to wait.
  • The onions will shrink a bit as it sits in the fridge, this is totally normal and expected!

Storage Instructions

You want to use a very clean glass jar with a lid (i.e. a Mason jar) as the container for this recipe. Do not use metal or plastic to store your pickled onions.
If you are looking to can your pickled onions for long term storage, try this recipe instead.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ounce | Calories: 9kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.02g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.1mg