Pickled Red Onions a la Yucateca
Cebollas Encurtidas Yucatecas
Recipe Yield
2 cups
Cooking time
40 minutes
Rate this recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup bitter orange juice or its substitute
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 banana pepper or jalapeño roasted, broiled, or charred
To Prepare
- Place the bitter orange juice in a mixing bowl along with the black pepper, allspice and salt; mix well. Stir in the red onions and bay leaves.
- Char or broil the pepper under the broiler, on the grill, on a hot comal, or in a dry skillet set over medium heat, turning once or twice, until the skin is lightly charred, 3 to 6 minutes.
- Add the pepper, without removing the charred skin, to the onion mixture and toss well to combine. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes to 2 hours, then store, covered, in the refrigerator.
Comments
73comments inPickled Red Onions a la Yucateca
Louise L.
Jan 28
Delicious.
Takes time to do it right with fresh Ingredients.
Pati Jinich
Jan 30
Happy you liked this recipe Louise!
Paul
Oct 27
Hello Pati,
What is your best alternative for bitter orange juice? Maybe a couple of suggestions? Thank you.
Pati Jinich
Nov 03
Hey Paul, check out this blog entry on bitter orange 😉 https://patijinich.com/bitter_orange/
Carmen Lemus
Aug 23
Thanks for the recipe for pickled onions
Pati Jinich
Sep 04
My pleasure Carmen!
George
Mar 13
Hi Pati!
Can I omit the jalapeño pepper? My wife is allergic.
BTW she loves your tops! Anytime she sees one like yours in a boutique she calls it a “Pati Top” and has started wearing them as well!
Thanks!
Pati Jinich
Mar 15
Absolutely, leave the jalapeno out. If you want a bit of heat add some habanero, but no peppers at all works just fine. Give my love to your wife, if she is interested, I buy some of them at Anthropologie and at Joie 🙂
George
Mar 16
Gracias Pati! I will 🙂
Krista Maria Oleson
Dec 07
I have made these pickled onions many times now. I just wanted you to know how much we love them. Your recipe is perfect!! Thank you Pati!!
Pati Jinich
Dec 28
Gracias Krista, so glad you like them 😉
Teresa
Apr 30
Do you slice or chop the pepper or put it in whole?
Love your show!
Pati Jinich
Apr 30
I add it whole Teresa, just for flavor, enjoy!
Anonymous
Mar 15
I have been making this since I first saw it on T.V. , I don’t know how long ago !!!!!! Have shared it (& the recipe) with a lot of friends & family !! They all loved it . I use it on sooo many different recipes !!!!! THANK YOU , THANK YOU !!!!
Pati Jinich
Mar 20
And THANKS to you for spreading the love, yay!!!!!
Lunn
May 17
Will the pickles last if canned like you can do regular pickles?
Pati Jinich
May 20
These pickled onions last for a long time Lunn, I don’t now if forever like regular pickles but for a good amount of time 😉
Beth
May 10
I made your pickled onions with the substitute bitter orange juice recipe that you provided and they were absolutely fantastic! I’ve tried a few others that required just vinegar, sugar, and some spices but nothing is even close to the Pickled Red Onions a la Yucateca. It is worth the effort to make the bitter orange substitute. I find myself putting these pickled onions on everything! or just eating them straight out of the jar. 😉 I would love to try the recipe with bitter orange but I have yet to find them up here in Alaska.
Pati Jinich
May 11
Thanks for the feedback Beth, glad to hear these onions are a favorite now!
Nicole
May 03
Saw this on your show, Pati, and tried it the next day. (Along with the avocado crema!!) I think this is the new staple for my kitchen! Thank you for sharing!
Pati Jinich
May 03
Thank you for trying these recipes Nicole, love you hear you liked them!
Celeste
May 11
Once they have sat at room temp can you use them right away or should you wait 24 hours after refrigerating?
Pati Jinich
May 16
Yes, you can start eating them after they have marinated for at least 30 minutes at room temp. Enjoy them, Celeste.
Lori Love, Fairbanks Alaska
Apr 17
I made this for my family and used it for fish tacos and oh my goodness! It’s so delicious! I plan on keeping a jar at all times for everything :). I appreciate you so much, thank you for sharing all the food love you do! I make time to watch your show every time it’s on Create. Lots of hugs!
Pati Jinich
Apr 18
Oh I always have a jar in the fridge too, Lori. And thank YOU for tuning in!
L J Q
Mar 05
absolutely Loved this recipe!!! very similar to my Abbeys. there are tons of version of this. sub ground cinnamon, nutmeg and clove for allspice. not to believed!! THANKS FOR REMINDING ME THIS EXISTS. ALSO GOOD WITH With quince
Pati
Mar 06
So glad you enjoyed it!
Terrie DeFord KCMO
Jan 20
can you do this with whole pearl onions?
Pati
Jan 21
Go for it, Terrie!
Tina Talbot, Central Lake Public Schools mi.
Oct 15
I have used this recipe at home and loved it. Now not only am I making this for the school I work at but, I add cucumbers to it. A parent said they did not like cucumbers but, they were good in the recipe!!
Hope you feel proud and happy Pati for using this in a school!
Thank you
Pati
Oct 18
Awesome! So happy to hear this, Tina!
Yvonne
Oct 15
I want to make this recipe but I’m confused. You say you can keep it in the refrigerator for a month but the recipe for the substitute says good for a week?????
Pati
Nov 01
Oh the pickled onions can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks, Yvonne. Hope you love them!
Annabelle
Aug 14
Made 2 jars today soooo easy and tasty!
Pati
Aug 14
Super, Annabelle! Enjoy your two jars.
Seanae Perez
Jul 29
I thought Vietnamese pickles were the best but this is amazing ! It’s odd for me not to use any sugar but it’s definitely good without still. I love it , the smell, the colors, the taste!
Pati
Jul 30
So glad you enjoy the pickled onions, Seanae!
Kathy Siggins
Apr 04
Do you have any ideas on how to serve these on top of an appetizer? I was thinking of chopping up pieces of chicharones, putting them on a mini tostada, and then topping with the red onion. Appreciate your help.
Pati
Apr 06
Oh so many options! They would be great on the tostadas you mentioned, and also guacamole, mini sandwiches, tacos, quesadillas, eggs, and much more.
Oscar Castillon
Jun 16
Do you leave the onions in the liquid after the 30 minutes or 2hours or do you throw away the liquid?
Pati
Jul 06
Keep it in the liquid, it will keep getting better and better.
Hermelindagomez
May 22
I made pickle red onions.It was very good.
Pati
May 22
That’s fantastic…so happy you liked them!
Priscilla Fuentes
May 14
can i pickle radishes, carrots or jalapenos with this recipe instead of using the red onions?
Pati
May 15
Of course! Or you can also try http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/recipe/pickling_jalapenos/
Stephi
May 12
Ok I’ve seen you use this recipe a hundred times so I’m going first thing in the morning to make this and the chicken pibil sloppy Joe. I can’t wait since my mouth is watering now!
Love the show and love when your boys help out! Such a sweet family <3
Pati
May 13
Gracias, Stephi! I love it when my boys help out too…
Patti C
May 10
Lived your show tonight.
Pati
May 11
Thank you Patti!
Hermelindagomez
May 10
Hi Pati,I watch for show and I finally got the recipe for pickled red onion I make it it’s so good and I love watching your show you have a lot of good recipes my husband is from Yucatan.
Pati
May 12
Thank you so much for tuning in and for trying the recipes. I hope you and your husband enjoy them!
Annette R.
Apr 13
Pati – this recipe sounds and looks sooo yummy all of our family loves onions so I will be making your recipe for Easter dinner to eat with carnitas soft tacos, can hardly wait. saw your Yucatan trip show tonight and you made me wish I could go there with my family, maybe some day. It will be on my bucket list. love all you recipes they are so different and easy will be trying more
thanks Pati –
Annette
Pati
Apr 21
Thank you so much Annette! I hope you get to go to the Yucatan soon…
Peggy
Apr 12
I saw your show for the first time tonight. I can’t wait to try this recipe. I will be sure to watch for more great recipes on future shows
Pati
Apr 21
Peggy thank you for watching! Hope you enjoy this and many more recipes.
Angie
Apr 06
Can you add carrots to this. I once had Pickled carrots and onions but I thought they used vinegar.
Pati
Apr 07
Yes! And you can also try this recipe: http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/recipe/pickling_jalapenos/
Susie Hermosillo
Apr 04
When I lived in Mexico I would make Cochinita Pibil for our friends and served it with pickled red onions. I like your recipe better. These are SO GOOD! I’ll be using your recipe for now on. Thanks Pati!
Pati
Apr 07
Oh thank you so much Susie!
Angi
Mar 11
How long can you keep these?
Pati
Mar 13
Angi, you can keep them up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Linda
Mar 10
Are they hot with the pepper and or just spicy.
Pati
Mar 13
No they aren’t too spicy! Just a pleasant hint of heat.
Maureen M.
Mar 10
These are so good…I eat them like candy! I love your travels, your family and your recipes…thank you Pati!
Pati
Mar 13
Thank you Maureen!
Maureen
Mar 10
I love your show, your family, and your recipes…you make everything look so easy and delicious! Will try these soon! Yummy! Thank you Pati!
Pati
Mar 13
?
Ann
Mar 10
What would be the substitute for bitter orange juice?
Pati
Mar 13
Hi Ann, You can use a mix of citrus juices and vinegar: http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/recipe/bitter-orange-juice-substitute/
Jason I
Feb 17
I had something similar to this in Costa Rica. I have struggled to recreate what I tasted while sitting on that small porch by the sea. This is not the same flavor profile, but I like it soooo much better!
I followed your recipe to the letter and it is so delicious.
Thanks Pati! ?
Pati
Feb 23
So glad you liked it Jason…I hope you are eating them by the sea…that sounds amazing.
Marie
Feb 09
Seriously I’ve made this twice and my daughter and I just sit around literally eating onions out of a jar. Just snacking ?
Pati
Feb 09
They are a perfect snack…I’m so happy you and your daughter like them 🙂