Mexican Pink Onion or Cebollas Rosadas is a traditional condiment in Mexico. It adds a little acidity and brightness to any dish. These onions are a great addition to street tacos, Rellenos, Posole, and we used it to bake a Mayan inspired whole fish.

This recipe is naturally gluten free, vegetarian and low cholesterol.

Watch a Video

Here is a video of 2 Cooks in the Kitchen making Cebollas Rosadas:

Ingredients For Mexican Pink Onion

• 1 Red Onion
• 1/2 C Simple Syrup
• 1/3 C Lime Juice
• 1/3 C Orange Juice
• 1/3 C Apple Cider Vinegar
• 10 Black Peppercorns
• 1 tsp Mexican Oregano
• 1 Serrano or Habañero Chile, chopped into very small pieces

Peel and Slice the Onion

We start by peeling the onion and then slicing it very thinly. We need a red onion for this dish or it just won’t have the same flair or flavor. You can use a mandolin to slice, especially if you are making a large quantity. We found it okay to just use a sharp knife.

Put Onion In a Bowl With Simple Syrup

Put the onion in a bowl and add the simple syrup. If you don’t have simple syrup around, you can make some by boiling equal parts sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved and then letting it cool.

Add Citrus Fruit

Next we want to add our fruit. You can really use any citrus that suits your taste here. We want some acidity and tartness but different fruit will deliver a different flavor in the final product. Bitter Orange, Lime, Mandarin and Orange would all be acceptable here. We like a mix of Lime and Mandarin for this recipe.

Add Vinegar

We also need to add vinegar. Apple Cider Vinegar is common in Mexican cooking. We like to use that but you can substitute whatever vinegar you have on hand.

Mexican Oregano and Black Peppercorns

That is all of our liquid ingredients. Now we add the Mexican Oregano, Black Peppercorns.

Add the Hot Chile

And then we’ll add the Serrano. How much Serrano you use is up to you. Use more if you like it spicier, less if you don’t. You can leave it out altogether if you want. We like to use a red Serrano but this is also fantastic with some red or yellow Habañero, which would be more traditional for the Yucatan. Whatever chile you use, chop it very fine.

Stir Well

Stir everything together well, cover and then let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours or better yet, overnight.

We used this condiment on tacos and to make our Mayan Inspired Baked Whole Fish. It’s also good on salads or sandwiches.

Here are some other Mexican side dish recipes you can make:

• Tostones (Crispy Fried Plantains)
• Esquites (Mexican Street Corn)
• Corn Salsa
• Pico de Gallo
• Mexican Rice
• Guacamolé

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