These copycat Panera Pickled Red Onions are so simple and easy to make. They add a tangy satisfying crunch to a variety of dishes.
Pickled red onions are one of my favorite condiments. They taste amazing on salads, burgers, casseroles, tacos, pizza, and more!
They are also a key ingredient in one of my favorite Panera dishes green goddess cobb salad.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This quick pickled onions recipe is made with basic ingredients that are probably already in your pantry. There are also several easy ingredient swaps you can make in case you are missing one of the ingredients.
- There also really simple to make. If you can boil water you can pickle onions.
- Like other quick pickles, there is no canning involved. These pickled red onions are stored in the refrigerator.
- Pickled onions are a great way to add bright bursts of flavor to a variety of dishes.
Ingredients
Writing a copycat recipe is pretty fun and feels like I am a detective trying to solve a case.
My first step is always to go to the Panera Bread website and take a look at the list of ingredients for that item. With the first piece of the puzzle solved, the next step is to decide on the quantities and process.
Here is the exact list of ingredients from panerabread.com: Red Onions, Sugar, Water, White Wine Vinegar, Distilled Vinegar, Calcium Chloride, and Sea Salt
Luckily the ingredients list is pretty short without too many unusual or hard-to-find ingredients.
Red Onions: Pickling red onions mellows their flavor and makes them sweeter. You will need one large red onion or two small red onions.
Tip: One way to minimize tears when slicing onions is to use a very sharp knife. A sharp knife will minimize cell damage when slicing onions and release less allinase which is the compound that irritates your eyes and makes them water.
Calcium Chloride: This ingredient is optional but will help keep the onions crisp. There are two popular canning brands that sell food-grade calcium chloride; Ball Pickle Crips Granules and Mrs. Wages Xtra Crunch.
White Wine Vinegar and Distilled White Vinegar: Using white wine vinegar adds a little extra flavor. Distilled white vinegar is cheaper and helps increase the volume of vinegar.
Water: Adding water to pickling recipes helps to increase the volume of the pickling liquid so that all of the ingredients are fully submerged without creating an overwhelmingly strong vinegar flavor. A good rule of thumb when pickling is to have at least a one-to-one ratio of vinegar to water.
Sugar: I prefer granulate white sugar because it has a purer flavor. If you prefer a less refined sugar you can substitute an equal amount of honey or maple syrup.
Salt: When pickling I use pickling or canning salt because it has a fine texture and no additives. If you don't have pickling salt you can substitute kosher salt. The best and easiest way to accurately measure the salt is to use a kitchen scale.
This is my favorite kitchen scale because the display pulls out making it easy to see when using a large bowl.
You will want to use 6 grams of salt which is approximately equal to 1 teaspoon of pickling salt, 1 teaspoon of Morton Kosher Salt, or because it has larger granules 2 teaspoons of Diamond Kosher Salt.
I don't use table salt because of the added flavor from the iodine as well as the added anti-clumping agents. If you do decide to use table salt I recommend using 1 teaspoon since it has a similar texture to pickling salt.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Directions
Slice off the top of the onion and cut it in half through the root end. Peel the onion and then slice it into thin slices. For really thin even slices you can use a mandoline.
Stuff the sliced raw onions into a glass jar and sprinkle with the calcium chloride.
I prefer using a wide-mouth quart-sized mason jar.
Tip: When using a mandoline, I like to wear this kevlar glove to protect my hand while slicing ingredients.
Add both types of vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a small saucepan. Heat the vinegar mixture over medium-high heat until it begins to simmer and the sugar and salt have dissolved.
Pour the pickling mixture into the jar with the onion slices and cover with a lid. I prefer to use these reusable plastic lids that fit perfectly on a wide-mouth pint jar.
Allow the onions to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.
For the best flavor, refrigerate the quick pickled red onions for at least 4 hours but preferably 24 hours before serving.
Substitutions
Onions: If you don't have red onions you could also use yellow or white onions. Using different onions will change the flavor.
Vinegar: If you don't have white wine vinegar you could also use rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar.
Sweetener: Try using honey or maple syrup instead of white sugar.
Salt: When pickling I use pickling or canning salt because it has a fine texture and no additives. If you don't have pickling salt you can substitute kosher salt. The best and easiest way to accurately measure the salt is to use a kitchen scale.
This is my favorite kitchen scale because the display pulls out making it easy to see when using a large bowl.
You will want to use 6 grams of salt which is approximately equal to 1 teaspoon of pickling salt, 1 teaspoon of Morton Kosher Salt, or because it has larger granules 2 teaspoons of Diamond Kosher Salt.
Variations
There are several ways you can customize this pickled red onion recipe.
- Spicy: To make spicy pickled onions add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or whole peppercorns to the jar.
- Flavor: To add some additional flavor try adding some fresh herbs, dry bay leaf, or garlic to the jar.
- Spices: Change up the flavor even more by adding a variety of spices. Some of my favorites include nutmeg and allspice.
Serving Suggestions
These are my favorite dishes to serve with these Panera pickled red onions:
How Long Do Pickled Onions Last?
When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator these pickled red onions will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope, bringing it just to a simmer is fine. It only needs to be hot enough to dissolve the sugar and salt.
Yes because we are not processing them in a hot water canning bath they must be refrigerated to keep them from spoiling.
Unfortunately no, freezing the onions makes them mushy.
I don't reuse the brine to pickle more onions. Usually, there isn't enough to fully cover a new batch of onions and I don't want to mess up the ratios between the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt by randomly adding additional ingredients.
The best use for the leftover brine is to make your own salad dressing using the brine in place of the vinegar in the recipe.
Tips
- Look for fresh, firm red onions that are crisp and have a vibrant color. This will ensure the best results in terms of taste and texture.
- If you prefer thicker slices of onions, remember they will take longer to pickle.
- It is not necessary to fully boil the brine. Bring it just to a simmer long enough to dissolve the sugar and salt.
- For the best flavor, refrigerate the pickled onions for at least a few hours or overnight before consuming. This will allow the flavors to develop and the onions to fully pickle.
Related
Panera Bread or St. Louis Bread Co for my fellow St. Louis natives is one of my favorite restaurants, but it can get a bit pricy eating there all the time so I have been busy creating other Panera copycat recipes so that I can save money and enjoy my favorite treats at home.
Pickled red onions can be used in various dishes like salads, sandwiches, tacos, hot dogs, burgers, or as a garnish for grilled meats. They add a delightful tangy flavor and a vibrant pop of color to any dish.
📖 Recipe
Panera Pickled Red Onions
Equipment
- small saucepan
- mandolin or sharp knife
- storage container
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion or 2 small red onions
- ⅛ teaspoon calcium chloride Ball Pickle Crips Granules or Mrs. Wages Xtra Crunch
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon pickling salt 1 teaspoon of Morton Kosher salt, or 2 teaspoons of Diamond Kosher salt
Instructions
- Slice off the top of the 1 large red onion and cut it in half through the root end. Peel the onion and then slice it into thin slices. For really thin even slices you can use a mandoline.
- Stuff the sliced raw onions into a glass jar and sprinkle with the ⅛ teaspoon calcium chloride. I prefer using a wide-mouth quart-sized mason jar.
- Add ½ cup distilled white vinegar, ¼ cup white wine vinegar, ¼ cup water, 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar, and 1 teaspoon pickling salt to a small saucepan. Heat the vinegar mixture over medium-high heat until it begins to simmer and the sugar and salt have dissolved.
- Pour the pickling mixture into the jar with the onion slices and cover with a lid. Allow the onions to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.
- For the best flavor, refrigerate the quick pickled red onions for at least 4 hours but preferably 24 hours before serving.
Notes
- If you prefer thicker slices of onions, remember they will take longer to pickle.
Nutrition
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