Mexican Street Corn Dip (Elote Appetizer)
August 28, 2025Getting Pickled!
Quick Pickled Red Onions In Lime Juice
Side
I love to have a jar of picked red onions on hand to add zing and color to tacos, tortas, scrambled eggs, sandwiches or just eating out of the jar. There are many, many recipes and methods for pickled onions and I have tried my fair share, mostly with different vinegars and seasonings and once adding grenadine (Bobby Flay’s recipe). But my favorite is pickled in lime juice with a little salt and Mexican oregano. Shout out to our friend Xochitl for sharing her recipe which I think is the best way to make these!
Depending on how juicy the limes are, you will need five or six limes per medium onion. Press the lime firmly on the counter and roll it around a bit before juicing to squeeze the most juice out of each lime. The lime juice will not completely cover the onions and you don’t want it to or the result will be very, very limey. I know this because I tried making them with lime juice only (skipping the boiling water) and they gave me a bitter beer face! Not to mention, I had to squeeze a TON of limes to cover the onion.
Mexican oregano, which is a staple in Mexican cooking, has a different flavor profile (citrusy) and comes from an entirely different plant (it is a member of the verbena family) than Italian/Mediterranean oregano. Since I have discovered Mexican oregano, it has become one of my go-to favorite herbs.
Perfectly crunchy with just a hint of lime and oregano and a gorgeous deep pink hue to boot, these are muy delicioso!
Ingredients: (per onion)
1 medium red onion, peeled, halved and sliced as thin as possible
½ cup fresh squeezed lime juice (5-6 fresh limes per onion)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 cup boiling water (you may need more to completely cover the onions)
Directions:
If you are going to use the pickled onions the same day, you can make this in a glass bowl. Otherwise, make it in a wide mouth glass jar with a lid for easy storage. A non-reactive container is best as metal can react with the acid in the limes, and certain plastics may absorb flavors.
Place the onions, salt and oregano in your container. Squeeze the limes by hand or with a citrus juicer over the onion slices. The lime juice will not completely cover the onions, so add at least one cup of boiling water, you may need more to completely cover. Stir the onions to distribute the salt and oregano evenly. Let stand at room temperature, covered, until cooled, about 30 minutes.
Once the water is cooled, pour off enough liquid so the onions are just barely covered. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Store covered in the refrigerator. Better within ten days; although truth be told, I have had mine in the refrigerator for a much longer time. They are just tastier if eaten sooner than later.
