Episode #16 of our podcast included a quick audio-recipe for Mexican pickled onions. I figured I’d document it here as well since I don’t want to give you any excuses for not having a jar of this stuff in your fridge at all times. It’s super quick and tasty.

Ingredients

1 large red onion, peeled

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

~10 black peppercorns

2 cloves

1” cinnamon stick

1 small bay leaf

1 chile de arbol, whole

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Directions

Cut the onion in half, then slice it 1/4” thick.

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring near a boil, then immediately remove from heat. Pour into a wide-mouth jar. Leave on a cooling rack until it’s down to room temperature, then put the lid on and refrigerate.

They’ll be ready to eat in 30 minutes, but they’re best after a day or two. They’ll keep for at least a month, after which they may go a bit limp. Enjoy on tacos, or with any savory, salty food in need of some acidic brightening.

Notes

This calls for whole spices instead of ground, as is always the case with pickling. Ground spices will make your pickle brine muddy and gritty.

This should fill a 24 oz jar, the kind pickles often come in. If your liquid doesn’t cover the onion completely, add a bit more water and vinegar.

Feel free to experiment with herbs and spices. This is my favorite combination, but you can do anything from skipping all of them to also adding star anise and oregano. Let your tastebuds guide you.