Pickled red onions (cebollas encurtidas)
Bright pink, tangy sliced red onions pickled with lime and oregano. A ready in an hour topping for tacos, bowls and sandwiches.
Make this once, then cook it into 150 different dishes.
- Time1 hr 10
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.10 a head
- Makesabout 300 g of pickled onions, a small jar, enough for 3 to 4 dishes
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Bring a kettle or pan of water to the boil. Put the sliced onions in a sieve in the sink and pour the boiling water over them (or blanch in a pan for 30 seconds). Drain well, then rinse under cold water.
0 min 30 s - 2
In a bowl, whisk the lime juice, vinegar, water, oregano and salt until the salt dissolves.
- 3
Pack the onions into a clean jar or heatproof container with the peppercorns and bay leaf. Pour over the liquid so all the onions are submerged, pressing down with a spoon.
- 4
Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes to start the pickling, then chill for at least 30 minutes more. They turn bright pink and are ready after about an hour.
60 min - 5
Taste a slice. It should be tangy, a little sweet and still crisp. Add a pinch more salt or a squeeze of lime if needed. Use in the dish recipes that call for your ready made pickled red onions.
About pickled red onions (cebollas encurtidas)
Pickled red onions, or cebollas encurtidas, are thinly sliced red onions quickly pickled in lime juice, vinegar and oregano until they turn bright pink and lose their raw bite. In the Yucatan they are known as cebolla curtida and are the classic topping for cochinita pibil and panuchos.
They taste tangy, lightly sweet and crisp, and they cut through rich, fatty or spicy food. A few slices over tacos, tostadas, grilled meat, fish, beans, eggs, rice bowls or burgers add colour, crunch and acidity without any cooking beyond a 30 second blanch.
They are ready to eat after about an hour and are best within the first few days, though they keep for two weeks in the fridge. The pink colour comes from the natural pigments in red onion reacting with the acid.
Tips
- Slice the onions as thinly as you can, about 2 to 3 mm, with a sharp knife or a mandoline. Thin slices pickle quickly and stay tender.
- Blanching the slices in boiling water for 30 seconds is the Yucatecan way to soften the harsh onion bite. Drain well and rinse under cold water before pickling.
- Make sure all the onion is submerged in the liquid. Press it down with a spoon; any onion above the surface will brown and spoil.
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice. Bottled juice tastes flat and can turn bitter.
- For heat, add a few slices of habanero or a pinch of chilli flakes. For a sweeter version add 1 tsp sugar, though it is not traditional.
Storing and freezing
Keep in a clean jar in the fridge with the onions fully covered by the liquid, for up to 2 weeks. Do not freeze, as the onions turn soft. Use a clean fork each time.
Dishes you can make with pickled red onions (cebollas encurtidas)
Torta Ahogada (Guadalajara Drowned Pork Sandwich)
NFTacos de Camarón al Ajillo (Garlic Prawn Tacos)
GFDFEFPanuchos Yucatecos (Yucatan Stuffed Fried Tortillas)
DFEFNFChuletas de Cerdo Rancheras (Ranch Style Pork Chops)
DFEFNFTortas Ahogadas de Carnitas (Drowned Pork Sandwiches)
DFEFNFTacos de Champiñones al Ajillo con Salsa Macha (Garlic Mushroom Tacos)
DFEFNFTacos de Hongos al Chipotle (Chipotle Mushroom Tacos)
GFDFEFTostadas de Atun con Chipotle (Chipotle Tuna Tostadas)
GFNFPoc Chuc (Yucatecan Grilled Pork with Sour Orange)
DFEFNFPanuchos Yucatecos (Stuffed Fried Tortillas with Chicken)
DFEFNFTikin Xic (Yucatecan Achiote Grilled Fish)
DFEFNFTacos de Hongos al Ajillo con Habanero (Garlic Mushroom Tacos)
DFEFNFQuestions
How long do quick pickled red onions last?
Up to 2 weeks in the fridge in a clean jar, as long as the onions stay completely submerged in the liquid. They are crunchiest in the first 4 or 5 days and soften gradually.
Why did my pickled onions not turn pink?
Pink needs enough acid and a little time. Make sure there is plenty of lime juice and vinegar, and leave them at least 30 to 60 minutes. Use red onions, not white, and blanch them briefly, which helps the colour come out.
Can I use something other than lime juice?
Yes. Use 160 ml of white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in total, and a little orange juice for the traditional sour orange flavour. Lime gives the freshest result.
Are pickled red onions vegan and gluten free?
Yes. They are only onions, lime juice, vinegar, oregano, pepper and salt, so they are vegan, gluten free, dairy free, egg free and nut free.
Can I reuse the pickling liquid?
You can use it once more for a fresh batch of onions within a week, but it gets weaker and cloudy. Do not reuse it for a long time, and always keep it in the fridge.
More base recipes
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.