This is one of my favorite copycat Panera recipes! It's so easy and good on everything from burgers to salads!
Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Made with basic ingredients you already have in your pantry.
- Quick pickled red onions taste bright, sweet, slightly tangy, and addictively crisp.
- Copycat recipes like this one are a great way to save money while still feeling like you're treating yourself to a gourmet meal.
It's easy to make your own quick pickled onions at home, just like the ones on your favorite Panera steak and white cheddar panini.
These Panera pickled onions elevate sandwiches, tacos, burgers, salads, and more—the options are endless!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions for this quick pickled onions recipe. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Stuff onion slices in a large jar, pushing down to get as many in as possible.
- Add the garlic cloves and black peppercorn to the mason jar.
- Pour the liquid pickling mixture (warm water, white vinegar, sugar, salt) over the raw onions.
- Chill the jar of onions for at least 30 minutes.
🥫 Storage
Make a big batch of these easy pickled onions because they last for up to two weeks refrigerated in an airtight container (like the mason jar!) Then you can grab a few whenever you need a crunchy pop of flavor with your meal.
This quick pickled onion recipe was formulated as just that—a "quick" pickle. For that reason, I don't recommend canning or saving these pickles any longer than two weeks.
📖 Variations
- You can make Panera pickled onions with a variety of different kinds of vinegar. Try mixing in whatever you have on hand or in your local grocery store, like:
- Red wine vinegar
- White wine vinegar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Rice vinegar
- For some extra heat, add some red pepper flakes, sliced jalapenos, or sliced haberneros to the pickling mixture.
- Add an herbal flavor by placing a bay leaf in with the boiling water.
- Change up the flavor by using different vinegars or adding whole herbs to the vinegar mixture.
- Natural sweeteners offer a nice alternative to white sugar. Try using maple syrup or honey instead.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: For the pickling mixture to fully soak into the onions, use a very sharp knife to create thin, even slices. You can also use a mandoline for an even finer slice, but be extremely careful—mandolines are super sharp!
- Panera pickled red onions will lighten in color when they're fully pickled, and turn from a purple shade to pretty pink.
- If you prefer thicker slices of onions, that's fine. However, they will take longer to pickle. In this case, consider prepping the pickled onions earlier in the day or even a day prior to serving.
- A little sugar helps balance the flavors but you can leave it out if you want.
- When the onions are gone you can reuse the vinegar mixture for a new batch.
👩🍳 FAQs
When boiling the vinegar, you may begin to smell it. That's okay! I recommend running your stove hood vent for a few minutes and the aroma will dissipate.
No, pickled onions don't freeze well. Thankfully, they taste good on almost everything, so you have lots of ways to use 'em up!
If you don't have red onions, you can quickly pickle white, yellow, or sweet onions. However, though they'll still taste good, just know that they won't taste exactly like your favorite Panera Bread red onions.
📚 Related recipes
- Copycat French's Fried Onions taste much better homemade: ultra-crisp and seasoned to Cajun perfection.
- Sweet, tangy, smoky, and—oh yeah— did I mention this Onion Jam has bacon, too?!
- Sweet and spicy Candied Jalapenos are nicknamed "Cowboy Candy," but whether you ride a horse or not, they'll make you say "yee-haw!"
🍽️ Serve with...
📞 The last word
Y'all'll want to have these in your fridge all summer long! They are delicious with so many things. Try them in this Italian green bean salad or put a few on top of the crack chicken chili just before serving.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Pickled Onions
Print Pin Recipe SaveIngredients
- 1 red onion, sliced thin
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoons peppercorns
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
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Instructions
- Stir together the water, vinegar, sugar, & salt in a pan.
- Cover and bring to a boil.
- Turn down heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until the sugar and salt crystals are dissolved.
- Let cool about 10 minutes.
- Pack the onion slices down in a jar.
- Add the garlic clove and the peppercorns.
- Pour the cooled pickling liquid over the top.
- Cover tightly.
- Shake a little to mix things up and refrigerate 30 minutes before using.
Notes
- For the pickling mixture to fully soak into the onions, use a very sharp knife to create thin, even slices.
- Panera pickled red onions will lighten in color when they're fully pickled, and turn from a purple shade to pretty pink.
- If you prefer thicker slices of onions, that's fine. However, they will take longer to pickle. In this case, consider prepping the pickled onions earlier in the day or even a day prior to serving.
- A little sugar helps balance the flavors but you can leave it out if you want.
- When the onions are gone you can reuse the vinegar mixture for a new batch.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Debbi Heide
This recipe brought back childhood memories 😊. During the summer, my mother would keep a glass container of pickled onions & cucumbers in the refrigerator (AKA the "icebox") refilling/refreshing until fall. I'm starting my jar tonight & will reminisce sitting at the table with my mother 🩷.
Thank you for taking me back...
PS... I'm a neighbor about 38miles north of you, in Wylie 🙂
Kelly Diamond
You didn't put complete instructions in your recipe. The step of adding the pickling liquid is left out. Do you not proofread before posting? Or even after posting? You're a professional? Ugh!
Marye
Kelly - thank you for pointing out my mistake. You missed that I also misspelled slices but I fixed it anyway. Had you looked at the step by step images at the top I think you could have figured it out... I do proofread before posting but sometimes I miss the glaringly obvious mistakes I make. You sound like you've had a really bad week, I'm so sorry. I hope it gets better.