These quick pickled beets are flavored with cumin, star anise, cinnamon, and more. They need a day in the refrigerator to pickle, but the wait is worth it!
Making homemade pickles is surprisingly easy if you skip the canning process and opt to make quick pickles instead. But while many people know to make pickles out of cucumbers, they often forget that almost any vegetable can be pickled. Carrots, baby corn, onions, cauliflower — whatever veggies you have on hand can probably be pickled.
For this refrigerator pickle recipe, we’ve chosen to make quick pickled beets. Pickled beets are incredibly versatile and delicious. The sweetness of the beets offsets the briny pickle juice, and the onions in the jar add even more flavor. If you’ve never made refrigerator pickled beets before, don’t fret; it’s so easy!
Quick Pickled Beets Ingredients
For this homemade pickle recipe, you’ll need the following:
- Beets
- Onion
- Water
- Rice Vinegar
- Brown sugar
- Sukhi’s Paulo Rice Complete Spice Mix
- Kosher salt
- A cinnamon stick
- Whole star anise
How to Make Quick Pickled Beets
You’ll first need to peel and thinly slice the beets and onion — try to slice them as thinly as possible to speed up the pickling process. Pack the veggies into a large jar, leaving room at the very top so the pickling brine can fully cover them.
Then, add the water, sugar, and vinegar to a saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer to dissolve the water. Stir in the spices, and pour into the jar to cover the sliced veggies. Let the mixture cool to room temperature on your countertop before refrigerating it.
The quick pickled beets will need to sit in the fridge for at least a day before you can eat them. If you try to eat the beets earlier than that, they likely won’t be fully pickled yet.
Ways to Enjoy Pickled Beets
Pickled beets can be eaten with so many different dishes. A few of our favorite ways to enjoy these refrigerator pickled beets are:
- On salads — Roughly chop the beets and sprinkle atop a salad. You can even use some of the pickling brine in the salad dressing!
- Alongside meats — Grilled and roasted meats, like chicken and beef, pair nicely with the tangy beets.
- On sandwiches and burgers — Pickled beets can be eaten exactly like the traditional pickles you buy at the store.
- Straight from the jar — Pickled beets are a refreshing snack during the warmer months, in particular.
- …and more! — You can eat quick pickled beets really however you like!
Tips for the Best Pickled Beets
- Slice the onion and beets with a mandoline, if you have one. This makes the prep work so much easier and will make the veggies ultra thin.
- Double check that the rice vinegar you’re using is unseasoned.
- You want to use a wide-mouthed jar, if possible. A wider mouth makes it easy to pack the sliced veggies in tightly.
More Easy Indian Recipes:
- Mixed Vegetable Pakora
- Paneer Tikka Masala with Bell Peppers
- Spiced Dal Soup (Indian Lentil Soup)
- Grilled Tandori Chicken
- Bun Samosa

Indian-Spiced Quick Pickled Beets
These quick pickled beets are flavored with cumin, star anise, cinnamon, and more. They need a day in the refrigerator to pickle, but the wait is worth it!
Ingredients
- 3 small beets (about 12 ounces), peeled, trimmed, sliced paper thin, preferably using a mandoline
- 1 small onion , peeled and sliced paper thin, preferably using a mandoline
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 (.25-ounce) packet Pulao Rice Complete Spice Mix
- 1 1/2 tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 whole star anise
Instructions
-
Place beet and onion slices in a clean 1-quart jar, leaving about an inch of room at top of jar.
-
Add water, vinegar, and sugar into a saucepan. Whisk to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer to dissolve the sugar, then stir in salt, cinnamon, and star anise.
-
Pour hot mixture over beets and onions, making sure to cover completely with liquid but leaving space at the very top of jar. Let cool to room temperature.
-
Cover with tight-fitting lid; turn jar upside down a few times to distribute spices and refrigerate right-side up at least 1 day before eating.
Recipe Notes
- Use a wide-mouthed jar, is possible, as it makes stuffing the jar with beets and onion easier.
- These pickled beets can be stored up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
No comments yet.