This Lightning-Fast Mexican Topping Is Made for Tacos—But Works on Anything

I’ve never met a pickled red onion I didn’t like. Tangy, tart, and vibrantly magenta, these tender alliums make a zippy topping for tacos, cheesy pizza, and even potato salad—worlds better than the harsh, pungent snap of raw onion. But the word “pickle” conjures images of lengthy pickling processes—even “quick” pickles, where a vinegary brine is poured hot over a vegetable and left to soak for several hours, require more time than I often have.

We’ve covered “rapid” pickled onions on Serious Eats before—Daniel has written about how effective a brief soak in vinegar can be and included them in many of his recipes over the years. This variant, which we learned from chef and food stylist Julian Hensarling, swaps the vinegar with lime juice for an even fresher, brighter pop of flavor. It’s a version he learned while living in La Paz, Mexico (where he ate his body weight in tacos). There, he noticed taquerias and street vendors assembling pickles with nothing more than sliced red onions, lime juice, and salt. He makes them constantly in his home kitchen now, throwing together a new batch every few weeks because he runs through them so quickly.

How to Make Cebollas Encurtidas (Lime-Pickled Onions)

Pickling onions is a relatively hands-off process, requiring only about 15 minutes for the onions to develop their bright magenta color and signature tang. Note that you can use yellow or white onions as well here, but red onions give the pickles their signature bright magenta color.

1. Slice the onions. Thinly slice the onions and place them in a food-grade glass, ceramic, or plastic container. A sharp knife matters here, creating clean slices and reducing cellular damage that triggers enzymatic reactions responsible for an onion’s pungent aroma and sharp flavor (and even helps prevent tears). Slice thickness matters, too: Thicker slices will take longer to pickle than thinner ones.
2. Add lime juice and salt. Squeeze the limes directly into the jar by hand or with a citrus squeezer. To extract more juice, microwave the limes until they are warm to the touch, 10 to 15 seconds, as warm citrus yields more juice. The quantity of salt used should be in proportion to the lime juice. Julian uses about one teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt for every three juiced limes and three small sliced red onions. The amount of liquid may seem scant at first—this is normal. The onions will soften and quickly release moisture through osmosis, expelling water from the onion’s cells; as this happens, the liquid volume will increase and the onions will collapse into a more dense pile, eventually becoming submerged in the brine.
3. Shake and wait. Close the container and give it a good shake, ensuring the salt is evenly distributed. Raw onions have a sharp bite, but after just 15 minutes, they will have softened into tart and tender pickles. The pickles will be ready to use at this point, but if you leave them for a few more hours, the flavors will further meld and deepen.
4. Save. Refrigerate until you’re ready to eat. For the best taste and texture, use the pickled onions within two weeks. They’ll keep longer since the brine slows spoilage, but the flavor and texture are best in the first two weeks. Avoid freezing, as they’ll become mushy when thawed.

How to Use Pickled Onions

Once prepared, pickled onions can brighten almost any dish that needs a punchy, acidic kick. Think of them as a squeeze of lime—but with texture and deeper flavor.

• Top tacos, tostadas, and chilaquiles for a classic pairing.
• Layer onto burgers, soups, pizza, sandwiches, grilled meats, salads, grain bowls, and even charcuterie boards. I like layering caramelized and pickled onions on a juicy, cheesy burger to capture the full range of allium flavor. The sweet mellowness of caramelized onions pairs beautifully with the bright, assertive bite of their pickled counterpart.
• Dice and fold into potato salad, hearty bean dishes, and creamy mac and cheese.

The Takeaway

Pickling onions doesn’t require much planning—or even vinegar. With just red onions, lime juice, and salt, you can make a vibrant, tangy pickle in about 15 minutes. Use them anywhere you’d want a hit of citrusy brightness and crunch—tacos, hot dogs, grilled meats, salads, and beyond.