Cebollas en Escabeche or pickled onions are my favorite condiment when we go out for tacos. The amount that I pile on my plate verges on being embarrassing. But as I age, there isn’t much that embarrasses me anymore. I eat all the onions I want. Step back haters: I’m serving myself again.
Magical on Tacos
As magical as Cebollas en Excabeche are, you might think the recipe would be more complex, or require longer time to pickle, similar to sauerkraut. Yet, the recipe is easy, the pickling time is quick, and the ingredients are cheap. What is not to love?
Of course, you can make Cebollas en Escabeche with white onions, or sweet onions, or even shallots if you like. But red onions give you a feast for the eyes with their beautiful color.
These crunchy, sour pickled onions are excellent on salads or quesadillas. I think they really shine on traditional taco fillings such as barbacoa or pork carnitas. Rich red meat fillings are beautifully counterpointed with the delicate flavor of the pickled onion. That said, as a topping for fish tacos, these are incredible.
Make More, Because You Will Want More
Using apple cider vinegar gives the onions a fruiter flavor, but the color of the onions may be a bit dull. You can opt for using white vinegar which gives the onions a clear pink color. But making Cebollas en Escabeche fresh at home is way better than what is offered at the taco stand. So delicious!
This recipe can scale up easily to make more pickled onions. Simply keep the pickling liquid at a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water. If you want to make 2 lbs. of onions (1kg), use 1 cup of vinegar (240ml) and 1 cup of water (240ml). If you feel that you have too little pickling liquid, simply add more mixed at the same ratio.
For me, this is a modest sized recipe. I usually double it, so I can dig in.
Cebollas en Escabeche – Pickled Onion
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Pickling
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
1 lb. red onions, peeled and sliced (500g)
5 whole cloves
5 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh oregano
pinch salt
pinch sugar
Pickling liquid:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (120ml)
1/2 cup water (120ml)
Instructions
Place the sliced onions, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, oregano, salt and sugar in a glass container.
Prepare the pickling liquid by combining the vinegar and water in a saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil and then pour over the sliced onions. Cover and allow to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Turn the onions once or twice so that they pickle evenly. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
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