These pickled red onions are easy to make, add a delicious zing to just about any dish, and are blood sugar friendly. One of the first things that I learned when I first began using a continuous glucose monitor, is that most pickled vegetables are made with tons of sugar! Both restaurant made and homemade pickled vegetables can be a sneaky source of sugar and “ruin” an otherwise healthy, blood sugar balanced meal.
This recipe was inspired by Zuni Café’s (a famous San Francisco restaurant) Red Onion Pickles. I love the balance of spices along with a hint of sweetness. The perfect combination of tangy and sweet to accompany a frittata, salmon, a breakfast sandwich, scrambled eggs and avocado or falafel and garlic hummus. However you enjoy pickled red onions, I hope you love my blood sugar friendly version.
If you like these pickled onions try one of these other recipes; Better Than Benihana Ginger Dressing, Oyster Mignonette ‘Salsa‘, or this Tahini Garlic and Herb Dressing.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Pickled Onions
These pickled red onions taste great and complement any number of dishes. Unlike traditional pickled onions, these onions are blood sugar friendly. Easy to make with a fairly long shelf life you can easily whip up a batch and enjoy it for a few weeks.
Ingredients To Make Pickled Red Onions
- Apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar – This helps with the pickling process.
- Allulose – Granulated allulose adds sweetness without the impact on blood sugar.
- Spices: I used a combination of cloves, allspice berries, black peppercorns, bay leaves, a cinnamon stick, star anise, and Aleppo pepper.
- Red onions – I used one pound of onions, sliced thin. Red onions look nice but any kind of white onions will also work.
Equipment
How To Make Pickled Onions
Make the brine
- Combine vinegar, allulose, cloves, allspice, peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, and Aleppo pepper in a 4-quart (or larger) non-reactive pot.
- Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Cover the pot, turn off heat and allow the spices to infuse for 10 minutes.
Prep the red onions
- While the brine is steeping, prep the red onions. Peel the onions, trim root and stem ends and slice the onions into 1/4 inch thick slices. Discard any green centers or leathery outer rings.
- Bring the brine back to a boil. Add the onions to the brine and turn off the heat. Stir well to coat and submerge the onions.
- Leave the onions and the brine to steep, covered, until the mixture cools.
- Pour the onions and the brine into mason jars and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.
- Enjoy with tacos, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, salads, or falafel and hummus.
Storage
These pickled red onions will last up to 3 weeks in the fridge. I do not recommend freezing them.
Pro Tips
Here are a few things you can do to make sure your pickled red onions work out well every time.
- Don’t compromise on the fermenting time. The onions need time to sit in the brine for the flavor to develop.
- Use a food processor, mandolin or other utensil to ensure the onion slices are thin.
- For a lighter onion flavor you can blanch the onions before fermenting them.
- Add some spice with sriracha or throw in a few cloves of garlic.
FAQs
Are pickled red onions good for you?
Pickled red onions can be part of a healthy diet. Adding fermented foods to your diet helps with a healthy gut.
Are pickled onions high in sugar?
Typically, pickled onion recipes contain a lot of sugar, in this recipe I have substituted allulose so the effect on blood sugar is minimal.
Did you make this recipe? If you did, please tag me and share on Instagram!
Pickled Red Onions -easy and blood sugar friendly
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups allulose granulated
- 3-5 cloves
- 3-5 allspice berries
- 3-5 black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick smashed
- 1 star anise
- 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
- 1 pound red onions sliced thin
Instructions
Make the brine
- Combine vinegar, allulose, cloves, allspice, peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, and Aleppo pepper in a 4-quart (or larger) non-reactive pot.
- Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Cover the pot, turn off heat and allow the spices to infuse for 10 minutes.
Prep the red onions
- While the brine is steeping, prep the red onions. Peel the onions, trim root and stem ends and slice the onions into 1/4 inch thick slices. Discard any green centers or leathery outer rings.
- Bring the brine back to a boil. Add the onions to the brine and turn off the heat. Stir well to coat and submerge the onions.
- Leave the onions and the brine to steep, covered, until the mixture cools.
- Pour the onions and the brine into mason jars and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.
- Enjoy with tacos, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, salads, or falafel and hummus.