Panera Pickled Red Onions Recipe (2024)

These copycat Panera Pickled Red Onions are tangy and sweet pickled red onions. No canning involved; these quick refrigerator pickled red onions are the best for salads, burgers, and pizzas and only take 15 minutes to make!

If you are a pickling newbie, run, don’t walk to make these scrumptious complimentary pickled red onions.

Try these refrigerator pickled onions on pizza, tacos, burgers and salads!

I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!

I really wanted to title this post, “Pickled Red Onions – For Dummies” because that would fit me, I’ve never canned or jarred or pickled…well, anything really.

I wasn’t raised on a farm, an orchard, or a ranch. Instead, I was raised in the San Fernando Valley (yup, I’m a true Valley Girl; like totally, for sure; gag me with a spoon!). Growing up in suburbia, there weren’t many opportunities to can green beans, fresh peaches or pickles, though we did boast a fine guava tree, several citrus trees along with an abundant apricot tree.

Pickled Red Onion Recipe

I thought it would pair perfectly with my Blackberry Balsamic Grilled Chicken Salad and I was right and if you are a Panera fan, you will love it on this Panera Green Goddess Salad!

Simple Ingredients Panera Pickled Red Onions

• Red Onions | With a little bite that turns sweet when adding a simple brine.
• Apple Cider Vinegar | I love using Bragg’s apple cider vinegar
• Red Wine Vinegar | Two vinegars give these Panera pickled red onions great flavor
• Granulated Sugar | I use organic cane sugar, but you could use white sugar too
• Spices | We will use kosher salt, ground allspice, and a shake or two of red pepper flakes.

Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.

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I must have ranch-hand/farm-girl roots somewhere; my grandmother grew up on a sugar beet farm in South Dakota. I love getting my hands dirty and growing things, and I adore the smell of fresh-cut hay, grass, and more.

Well all of that to say, I really enjoy others pickling skills but I have never tried it myself, until this past week. I love red onions on salads, on sandwiches, pizza, or calzones…but sometimes when they are raw they don’t quite like me. Know what I mean. You’ll want to give these a try!

How to Make Refrigerator Pickled Onions

Cutting the top and bottom off of the onion, cut in half and then peel away the top layer/skin, slice into thin slices, I wish I had used my mandoline actually to make them a little thinner and more uniform, next time.

Next pour your vinegars (I used Bragg’s unfiltered apple cider vinegar, not necessary to use barrel aged red wine vinegar, just what I happened to have) into a medium pot over medium-high heat, add in the sugar (I use all natural, unbleached cane sugar)…

…sea salt and bring to a boil, whisking or stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Remove pan from heat once sugar is dissolved and stir in allspice, and a shake of red pepper flakes.

Slide your sliced red onions into the pot carefully and stir until coated.

Allow to sit at room temperature, cooling completely in the pot. Once cooled, transfer the onions and pickling juice to a glass container.

I used a larger canning jar, which is the perfect size. They will also work just fine in a mason jar, glass storage container with a tight-fitting lid, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

Variations

• Spicy Pickled Red Onions by adding up to one teaspoon of red pepper flakes, or slice up a jalapeno and add it to the red onions when placed in the brine.
• Garlic | Add 2-3 cloves of garlic to the pickling mixture!
• Peppery | Add up to a teaspoon of peppercorns; black, mixed, or red peppercorns would be delish!
• Herbs | Add a few sprigs of your favorite herbs, such as dill, tarragon, oregano, or even bay leaves.
• Use different onions | White onions, Vidalia onions, sweet yellow onions would all be amazing!
• Change up your vinegar | Use rice wine, balsamic (I would mix this with another vinegar), white vinegar, white wine or any vinegar combination you’d like to try.

The onions will take on a brighter red hue about 24 hours after they are pickled!

Recipe adapted from The Farm Girl Dabble’s.

How to Store Refrigerator Pickled Onions

Pickled red onions will last up to a month when stored in an airtight container in the fridge! Make them often!

Ways to Use Refrigerator Pickled Onions

• Salads | Want to kick up your bagged salad big time? Toss some of these Panera-pickled red onions on your favorite salad! They’re also great on pasta salads.
• Pizzas | Whether it’s storebought pizza, adding to a delivery pizza, or making your own homemade pizza, these refrigerator pickled red onions will take it to the next level.
• Burgers & Sandwiches | Use them in place of caramelized onions on this bison burger, these Smash Burgers with Onions, or these roast beef sliders.
• Mexican | These sweet pickled red onions will add flavor to all of your Mexican cuisine, try these Chipotle Chicken bowls, this Layered Taco Salad or these easy Instant Pot Carnitas, Tamale Skillet Pie or these Authentic Chicken Fajitas.
• Asian Dishes | Talk about rocking your world, try on any stir-fry, add to recipes like this healthy Mongolian Beef, Honey Bourbon Chicken or this Blackstone Chicken Fried Rice.

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