Quick Homemade Pickled Red Onions with Vinegar

An Easy Homemade Pickled Onion Recipe 

Pickled onions are the unsung hero of weeknight meals.  Bright, punchy, and surprisingly easy to make, this quick version gets a subtle fruit-forward twist thanks to our naturally fermented persimmon vinegar, made from organic, California-grown fruit. With just four ingredients, this recipe comes together in minutes and instantly upgrades just about everything. This one comes to us from Ojai-based chef and outdoor cooking queen Diana Yen, whose new cookbook Firepit Feast is all about bold flavors over open flame. We love her work, and we’re honored to share her recipe with a regenerative upgrade.

How to Make Pickled Onions Without Boiling

Looking for a pickled onions recipe that’s easy and good for you? Our quick method skips the stovetop entirely. This one hits all the marks—no heat needed, a few minutes of prep, and a short wait time. If you’re wondering how to make pickled onions with minimal effort, this is the recipe for you! Simple, bold, and fridge-friendly for up to two weeks. 

Here’s how to make homemade pickled red onions, no boiling required:

Ingredients:

• ½ red onion, thinly sliced

• ½ cup Figure Ate persimmon vinegar

• 1 tsp sugar

• ½ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl or jar.

2. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

3. Enjoy on tacos, sandwiches, eggs, or grain bowls.

Meet the Recipe Creator: Diana Yen

Diana Yen is an Ojai-based chef, creator, and food stylist known for her flavor-forward take on live-fire cooking. Her newest cookbook, Firepit Feast, brings together recipes that combine big outdoor energy with bold ingredients—like miso-butter gnocchi, salmon with crushed olives, and Japanese sweet potatoes with chili butter. 

This pickled onion recipe was made to top some of her favorite dishes – like her Cauliflower Chickpea Tacos – and is a perfect example of how Diana layers simple ingredients for standout flavor. Her recipes invite us to play more with our food, explore seasonal cooking, and spend more time around the fire (or under the stars). Check out her cookbook here and follow her on Instagram for more outdoor cooking inspiration.

Are Pickled Onions Good for You? Let’s Talk Benefits

In short: yes. Pickled onions are a flavorful way to get in more alliums (hi, antioxidants!) and can help promote digestion thanks to the vinegar – especially if your vinegar is fermented. Quick pickled onions support digestion, add micronutrients, and make meals more exciting—without a single artificial ingredient. 

With Figure Ate persimmon vinegar, you get both the benefits of fermentation, alongside an eco-friendly product made from organic persimmons that were grown with soil health and biodiversity in mind. From soil to shelf, our vinegar is part of a bigger mission: to grow food that gives back to the land. Every purchase supports our nonprofit parent company, White Buffalo Land Trust, where we’re working to expand regenerative agriculture and train land stewards.

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