Pickled Sweet Vidalia Onions
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These Pickled Sweet Vidalia Onions are crisp, tangy, and perfectly sweet with thin strips of Vidalia onion and little bites of red bell pepper soaked in an easy homemade vinegar brine. If you love Mt. Olive Pickled Vidalia Onion Strips but can’t find them at your grocery store, this simple homemade version is a great substitute.
Easy Homemade Pickled Vidalia Onions
We first started using pickled Vidalia onions to make our Slow Cooker Georgia Pot Roast. The sweet and tangy onions are such a good match for rich, tender beef that they quickly became one of those ingredients we wanted to keep around for other meals too.
Mt. Olive makes Pickled Vidalia Onion Strips that are perfect for the recipe, but depending on where you live, they aren’t always easy to find. That’s why we decided to make our own version using fresh sweet onions, red bell pepper, and a simple sweet vinegar brine.
These homemade pickled onions have that same sweet-and-tangy flavor we were looking for, and they’re incredibly easy to make. There’s no complicated canning process and no special equipment. Slice the onions, pack them into jars, pour warm brine over them, and let the refrigerator do the rest.
After about 24 hours, the onions soften slightly while still keeping a little crunch. They soak up the sweet vinegar brine and become a delicious condiment for pot roast, burgers, sandwiches, barbecue, salads, tacos, hot dogs, and just about anything that could use something bright and tangy.
If you’ve made quick pickled red onions before, the process will feel familiar. The big difference is the flavor. Vidalia onions naturally have a much milder, sweeter taste, which makes them especially good for a sweet pickled onions recipe like this one.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There are plenty of reasons to keep a jar of these quick pickled Vidalia onions in the refrigerator.
- They’re incredibly easy. You only need a handful of ingredients and about 15 minutes of hands-on work before the onions go into the refrigerator.
- No canning is required. These are refrigerator pickles, so there is no water-bath processing or special canning equipment involved.
- They’re sweet and tangy. Sugar softens the sharp bite of the white vinegar while highlighting the natural sweetness of the onions.
- They’re a homemade alternative to Mt. Olive. If you can’t find Mt. Olive Pickled Vidalia Onion Strips locally, you can make a similar sweet pickled onion right at home.
- They go with almost everything. Use them with roast beef, pulled pork, sandwiches, burgers, salads, tacos, hot dogs, or a Southern-style plate of beans and cornbread.
- You can make them ahead. In fact, they’re better after they’ve had time to sit in the refrigerator and absorb the brine.
I especially love recipes like this because a few minutes of prep gives you something you can reach for all week. A forkful of these onions can make a basic sandwich, burger, or leftover roast taste completely different.
More Easy Pickled Vegetable Recipes
You can pickle any vegetable and fruit! Cauliflower, cucumber, asparagus, okra, green beans, jalapenos, onions, cabbage, squash, zucchini, radish, carrots, pineapples, peaches, and the list goes on. You name it and it can be pickled!
Check out our guide on How to Make Quick Pickled Vegetables, including all of the recipes below.
What Makes Vidalia Onions So Sweet?
A true Vidalia onion isn’t simply any sweet yellow onion. Vidalia onions are grown in a specific region of Georgia, where the soil is naturally low in sulfur. That growing environment helps give them the mild, sweet flavor they’re known for.
According to the Vidalia Onion Committee, onions sold as Vidalias must come from a designated 20-county production area in Georgia. That natural sweetness is exactly what makes them so good for this recipe. Instead of starting with a strongly pungent onion and trying to mellow it with vinegar and sugar, you’re starting with an onion that’s already mild and sweet.
That doesn’t mean you have to skip this recipe when Vidalia onions aren’t available. Other sweet onions work very well. Just keep in mind that the finished flavor may be slightly different.
For more information about what makes an authentic Vidalia onion unique, visit the official Vidalia Onion Committee guide to Vidalia onions.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these refrigerator pickled onions.
- Turmeric – You only need a pinch. Turmeric adds a subtle warm color to the brine without making the onions taste strongly of turmeric.
- Vidalia or sweet onions – Vidalia onions are our first choice because their mild, naturally sweet flavor is perfect for this recipe. When they aren’t in season, another variety of sweet onion will work.
- Red bell pepper – Finely diced red bell pepper adds little pops of color and subtle sweetness throughout the jars. It also helps give these homemade onions the look and flavor we were going for.
- White vinegar – Distilled white vinegar gives the onions their clean, bright, tangy flavor. Its neutral taste lets the sweetness of the onions come through.
- Water – Water dilutes the vinegar enough to keep the brine pleasantly tangy rather than harsh.
- Sugar – Sugar is important in this recipe because these are meant to be sweet pickled onions. It balances the vinegar and complements the natural sweetness of the Vidalias.
- Kosher salt – Salt seasons the onions and rounds out the sweet-and-sour flavor of the brine.
Can I Use Another Kind of Onion?
Absolutely. Vidalia onions give you the best combination of mild flavor and natural sweetness, but this recipe is still delicious with another sweet onion.
Walla Walla, Maui, Texas Sweet, or another grocery-store sweet onion can all work. Even a standard yellow onion can be pickled this way, although its flavor will usually be sharper.
I wouldn’t recommend substituting red onion if your goal is to recreate the flavor and appearance of the Mt. Olive-style onions. Red onions make fantastic quick pickles—we have a separate Pickled Red Onions recipe for that—but they have a stronger flavor and will turn the brine pink.
If Vidalias are in season, use them. If they aren’t, buy the sweetest yellow onion you can find and don’t overthink it.
How to Make Pickled Sweet Vidalia Onions
Making pickled Vidalia onions at home couldn’t be much easier. The most important things are slicing the onions thinly, dissolving the sugar and salt completely, and giving the onions enough time to sit in the brine before serving.
Step 1 – Prep the onions and pepper. Peel the Vidalia onions and slice them into long, thin strips or cut into thin slices and then chop. Try to keep the pieces fairly even so they pickle at the same rate. Finely dice the red bell pepper.
If you prefer, you can use a mandoline to slice the onions. It makes it easy to get very thin, consistent pieces. Just be careful because mandoline blades are extremely sharp.
Step 2 – Pack the jars. Place the sliced onions and diced red pepper into clean glass mason jars. Pack them in fairly tightly, gently pressing the onions down as you go.
The onions will soften and settle a little once the warm brine is added, so it’s okay if the jars look very full at first.
Step 3 – Make the vinegar brine. Add the white vinegar, water, sugar, kosher salt, and turmeric to a small saucepan. Heat the mixture, stirring occasionally, just until the sugar and salt have completely dissolved.
You don’t need to cook the brine for a long time. Once everything is dissolved, remove the saucepan from the heat.
Step 4 – Pour the brine over the onions. Carefully pour the warm vinegar brine into the jars until the onions and peppers are fully covered.
Press down any onions sticking above the liquid. If necessary, divide everything between two smaller jars so all the vegetables can stay submerged.
Step 5 – Cool and refrigerate. Place the lids on the jars and let them cool on the counter. Once cooled, transfer the jars to the refrigerator.
Step 6 – Let the onions pickle. Refrigerate the onions for at least 24 hours before serving. Giving them a full day allows the sweet-and-tangy brine to penetrate the onion slices and develop the flavor we’re looking for.
You may be tempted to taste them early—and you certainly can—but they’re much better the next day.
How Thin Should You Slice Vidalia Onions for Pickling?
Aim for thin strips approximately 1/8 inch thick.
Thin slices absorb the brine more quickly and are easier to pile onto a sandwich or serve with a roast. However, you don’t want them so paper-thin that they completely lose their texture.
For the Mt. Olive-style look, slice the onion from top to bottom into narrow strips rather than cutting it crosswise into rings.
A sharp chef’s knife works perfectly well, but a mandoline is useful if you want very consistent pieces.
If your onions end up slightly thicker, that’s okay. Give them additional time in the refrigerator and they will continue to soften and absorb the brine.
Depending on how you want to use these, you can also chop the onion up after you slice it, as you see in the pictures here. This is great for adding to potato salad or tuna salad, topping your hot dogs, or adding to a charcuterie board.
Why Do You Heat the Pickling Brine?
Heating the brine serves two purposes.
First, it dissolves the sugar and kosher salt so they’re evenly distributed throughout the liquid. Second, the warm brine starts to soften the raw onion just enough for it to absorb the vinegar mixture more easily.
You don’t need to vigorously boil the onions themselves. In fact, we don’t cook them in the saucepan at all. The warm liquid is poured over the raw onions in the jars.
That method helps the onions keep some crisp texture while still becoming pleasantly tender as they pickle.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Give them the full 24 hours. The flavor gets noticeably better as the sweet onions sit in the brine overnight.
- Slice the onions evenly. Thin, similarly sized strips pickle more consistently and are easier to serve.
- Keep the onions submerged. Make sure the brine covers the onion strips before refrigerating them so everything pickles evenly.
How to Use Pickled Vidalia Onions
Once you have a jar in the refrigerator, you’ll probably start finding excuses to add these onions to everything.
Our favorite reason for making them is Georgia Pot Roast. We use pickled Vidalia onions with the tender beef to add sweetness, acidity, and a little texture. The tanginess is especially good with a rich slow-cooked roast because it cuts through some of that richness and wakes up the whole dish.
They’re also fantastic piled onto pulled pork or barbecue sandwiches. Sweet onion and barbecue are already a great combination, and the vinegar in the pickled onions balances a sweet, smoky barbecue sauce.
Try them on cheeseburgers in place of raw onion. They still give you plenty of onion flavor but without the sharp bite of a raw yellow onion.
You can also use them with:
- Grilled chicken
- Hot dogs and brats
- Pulled pork sandwiches
- Roast beef sandwiches
- Tacos
- Burrito bowls
- Grain bowls
- Salads
- Deviled eggs
- Charcuterie boards
- Beans and cornbread
- Grilled sausages
- Fried chicken sandwiches
- Potato salad
- Tuna salad
- Chicken salad
You can even chop the onions into smaller pieces and stir them into creamy salads or use them like a relish.
Don’t throw away that flavorful brine when you’re nearing the end of the jar, either. A spoonful can add sweet acidity to salad dressings, sauces, or creamy sandwich spreads.
Variations & Customizations
Once you’ve made the original version, it’s easy to experiment with the brine.
- Add pickling spices. Mustard seeds or celery seeds can give the onions a more traditional pickle flavor.
- Make them spicy. Add a few thin jalapeño slices or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to each jar.
- Add black pepper. A few whole black peppercorns add a subtle peppery bite without overpowering the sweet onion flavor.
- Try apple cider vinegar. Substitute apple cider vinegar for the white vinegar for a fruitier, slightly softer vinegar flavor.
- Add garlic. Place a lightly crushed garlic clove in the jar for a savory garlic note.
For the closest flavor to the version we use with our Georgia Pot Roast, though, I recommend making the recipe exactly as written first.
Serving Suggestions
For a simple Southern-style dinner, serve these Southern pickled onions alongside slow-cooked beef, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Their sweet acidity gives the plate a bright contrast to rich comfort food.
For barbecue, place a small bowl of onions on the table and let everyone add them to pulled pork, brisket, burgers, or grilled sausage.
They also make a great addition to a sandwich board or summer cookout spread. Add a jar beside sliced tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, pickles, mustard, and mayonnaise so guests can build their own burgers and sandwiches.
If you’re serving tacos or bowls, drain a forkful of onions and add them right before serving. You’ll get plenty of tangy flavor without adding too much liquid to the dish.
Are These the Same as Mt. Olive Pickled Vidalia Onion Strips?
This recipe was created as a homemade alternative for times when we couldn’t find the Mt. Olive Pickled Vidalia Onion Strips we wanted to use.
It’s not intended to be an exact copy of Mt. Olive’s commercial recipe. Commercial pickled products are made using processes and formulations designed for large-scale production and shelf stability.
Instead, our recipe recreates the qualities we wanted for cooking at home: thin strips of sweet onion, a sweet-and-tangy vinegar brine, a little red pepper, and that lightly golden pickled appearance.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, we recommend refrigerating the onions for at least 24 hours before serving. They begin absorbing the brine sooner, but the sweet-and-tangy flavor is much better after they’ve had time to sit overnight.
Yes. Apple cider vinegar works well in homemade pickled onions, but it changes the flavor. White vinegar gives this recipe a cleaner, sharper pickle flavor, while apple cider vinegar adds a fruity note.
A small pinch of turmeric adds a light golden color to the brine and onions. Because the amount is so small, it shouldn’t give the recipe a strong turmeric flavor.
Because these are refrigerator pickles rather than shelf-stable canned pickles, you aren’t processing them for long-term pantry storage. Start with clean jars and lids and always keep the finished onions refrigerated.
This recipe is written specifically as a refrigerator pickled onions recipe and has not been developed or tested as a shelf-stable canning recipe. Don’t use these directions for water-bath canning.
If you want to can onions for shelf storage, use a recipe and processing method from a reliable tested canning source rather than converting this refrigerator recipe.
For the best and most consistent result, make a fresh batch of brine for each new batch of onions. Vegetables release water into the liquid as they pickle, changing the concentration of the original brine.
Storage & Reheating
These quick pickled Vidalia onions should always be stored in the refrigerator in a clean jar or airtight glass container.
Keep the onion strips submerged in the brine as much as possible and use a clean fork or utensil each time you remove some from the jar.
For the best quality, I recommend enjoying homemade refrigerator pickles within about 2 to 3 weeks. If you ever notice an unusual smell, mold, bubbling, or another sign of spoilage, discard them.
There’s no need to reheat pickled onions. They’re designed to be served chilled or at refrigerator temperature.
If you’re adding them to something warm, such as Georgia Pot Roast, simply drain the amount you need and add the onions to the warm dish. The heat from the food will take the chill off without cooking away their texture.
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Pickled Sweet Vidalia onions
Ingredients
- 3 Large Vidalia or Sweet Onions, thinly sliced or finely diced
- ½ Red bell pepper, finely diced
- ½ cup White Vinegar
- ½ cup Water
- ½ cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- A pinch of Turmeric
Instructions
- Peel your onions and slice them into long, thin strips. Dice the red bell pepper into small pieces.
- Stuff the onion and red bell pepper into clean glass mason jars. Push them down gently to fit as many as possible.
- In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and turmeric. Heat it on the stove just until the sugar and salt have completely melted, then remove from the heat.
- Pour the warm brine over the onions in your jar until they are fully covered. Put a lid on the jar and let it cool on the counter. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours so the flavors soak in.
Nutrition
