Easy Quick Pickled Shallots in just 5 minutes! Tangy, delicious, and simple to make. They add a punch of flavor to elevate tacos, salads, sandwiches, soups, burgers and beyond. Keep a jar in the fridge for instant flavor magic that lasts weeks! (Vegan, Gluten Free).
If you love easy ways to add flavor, Quick Pickled Shallots are a game-changer. These tangy, no-cook pickled shallots are a breeze to make and keep for weeks. Since shallots are smaller than red onions, you can make just the right amount. But, given how delicious they are, you'll probably want to make extra!
Quick pickled vegetables are a fast and easy way to spruce up your meals. Try my recipes for Quick Pickled Red Cabbage, Easy Pickled Red Onions, or Quick Pickled Green Beans next!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy: These quick pickled shallots take only 5 minutes to make. And this method requires no cooking!
- Delicious: Pickled shallots are bright, tangy, and add a pop of flavor to elevate your meal. You'll be surprised by the difference they make.
- Versatile: You'll want to use these on pretty much everything! Pickled shallots are delicious scattered on tacos, rice bowls, sandwiches, salads, and more.
- Keeps for Weeks: Pickled shallots keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. But they'll probably disappear well before then!
Ingredients (and substitutes)
This no cook Quick Pickled Shallots recipe has just 5 ingredients:
- Shallots: Shallots are part of the onion and garlic family. But, shallots' flavor isn't as intense. So, it adds delicate and enjoyable pop of flavor to your dish. Shallots come in a variety of sizes. A large shallot usually yields about ½ cup chopped. A medium shallot is closer to ¼ cup.
- Rice Vinegar: This mild tasting vinegar is extremely versatile. Use unseasoned (plain/regular) rice vinegar. Some rice vinegar is "seasoned" with sugar and salt. But it's better to add the seasonings yourself, if and when you need it. You can substitute Red wine vinegar or Apple cider vinegar in this recipe.
- Salt: Sea salt, kosher salt, or pickling salt all work. Make sure your salt doesn't have any additives. Use a fine-grain salt (not coarse), so that it dissolves quickly in the hot water. This is especially important since the brine isn't simmered on the stove.
- Sugar: Helps balance out the acidity from the vinegar. Use granulated sugar or cane sugar. A little goes a long way. If you avoid added sugar, you can leave it out. But, do know that you're not actually consuming much of it anyways since it's in the brine.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
How to make (step-by-step photos)
It's so easy to make pickled shallots! My method involves no cooking or stove, which saves on time and dishes. Here's how to make this recipe:
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Tips
- Slice shallots evenly: This way, the slides will pickle and soften in the same amount of time.
- Thinner slices pickle faster: If you're in a hurry to eat the pickled shallots, then slice them as thin as possible. They'll soften faster this way. You can use a sharp chef's knife or a mandolin.
- Temper your glass jars: Use a heatproof container, like a Mason jar or Pyrex, which can handle high temperatures. Before adding the boiling water, temper the glass by running it under hot tap water. This warms the glass in advance and prevents it from being shocked by the sudden heat. Sudden temperature changes ("thermal shock") can cause glass to crack.
- Keep for up to 2 weeks: Quick pickling is considered a short-term preservation technique—unlike canning. Most food safety sources recommend using within 2 weeks (see here and here).
- Use clean utensils: When you're scooping the pickled shallots out of the jar, make sure to use a clean utensil. This will help your pickled shallots keep longer, because you won't add food crumbs or bacteria to the jar.
Serving Suggestions
These are the top 4 recipes that I've been adding quick pickled shallots to lately:
Looking for more pairing ideas? Try adding quick pickled shallots to:
- Salads: Use pickled shallots instead of red onions in my Butter Bean Salad with Feta, Black Lentil Salad, Halloumi Couscous Salad with Lemon.
- Burgers and Sandwiches: Like these delicious vegan Chipotle Black Bean Burgers or Roasted Veggie Sandwiches.
- Soups: Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili and Vegan Golden Chickpea Soup are even better with a bit of tang from the pickled shallots.
- Tacos: Crispy Avocado Tacos and Portobello Mushroom Tacos are a must-make. You can even add Smoky Stewed Beans for extra protein. And don't forget the best guacamole!
Recipe FAQs
How are quick pickled shallots different than quick pickled onions?
Quick pickled shallots taste a bit milder than quick pickled onions. And,
quick pickled shallots will have a lighter color than quick pickled red onions.
Because shallots grow in thinner layers, they often pickle faster too. But both are delicious and can often be used interchangably.
How to pickle shallots quickly?
To encourage your shallots to pickle faster, make sure to slice them very thin. Quick pickled shallots can be ready in about 30 minutes, but will soften and absorb more flavor with time.
How long do quick pickled shallots last?
Quick pickled onions are good for about 2 weeks in the fridge.
Other quick pickle recipes:
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📖 Recipe
Quick Pickled Shallots (No Cook)
Easy Quick Pickled Shallots in just 5 minutes! Tangy, delicious, and simple to make. They add a punch of flavor to elevate tacos, salads, sandwiches, soups, burgers and beyond. Keep a jar in the fridge for instant flavor magic that lasts weeks! (Vegan, Gluten Free).
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (or cane sugar)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (see note 1)
- ½ cup hot water (see note 2)
- ½ cup rice vinegar (or red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar)
- 1 cup thinly sliced shallots (see note 3)
Instructions
- Make brine: Add 2 teaspoons granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt to a medium heatproof jar or container (see note 4). Pour in ½ cup hot water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour in ½ cup rice vinegar and stir.
- Combine: Submerge 1 cup thinly sliced shallots in the brine. Cover and let sit on the counter to cool (about 30 minutes). Use immediately or store in the fridge (see note 5).
Notes
- Salt: Fine sea salt, fine kosher salt, or pickling salt.
- Hot water: I use a kettle to boil the water. But, you could use the stove instead.
- Shallots: Shallots vary in size. A medium shallot yields about ¼ cup sliced. A large shallot yields about ½ cup sliced. Thinner slices will pickle faster.
- Container: For 1x batch of this recipe, the container should have a minimum capacity of 2 cups (475ml). Use a heatproof container (like a mason jar or Pyrex or similar). For safety, temper the glass before using it by running the container under hot tap water. This helps prevent "thermal shock" of extreme temperature changes, which can cause cracking (unlikely, but can happen).
- Storage: Quick pickled shallots can be enjoyed in as little as 30 minutes. They'll soften and absorb more flavor the longer they sit. Keep refrigerated. Use within 2 weeks.
- Nutrition facts are a rough estimate. It's based on eating all the recipe ingredients. But, you won't actually consume much of the brine (which contains the salt, sugar, vinegar).
Nutrition
Calories: 23kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.02g | Saturated Fat: 0.003g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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