These onion pickles are a flavour bomb—salty, sweet, sour, and bursting with umami. More than just tangy or salty, they deliver deep, complex richness in every bite. Enjoy them as a snack, side, or the perfect umami boost to elevate any dish.
Why Korean Onion Pickles Are Different (and Tastier!)
If you’ve dined at a Korean restaurant, you’ve likely enjoyed onion pickles as part of the banchan spread. Many of my non-Korean friends are surprised by how much they love these simple yet flavorful humble pickles!
Korean onion pickles balance sweet, tangy, and deep umami flavours, unlike ordinary pickles. Fermented in soy-based brine, they develop a rich, savoury depth that enhances any dish—whether as a crunchy side, a topping, or a flavour booster. Once you try them, there’s no going back!
Unlike typical vinegar-based pickles, Korean Jangajji (Korean pickles) swaps salt for soy sauce, infusing a deep umami richness while preserving the onions. This unique twist creates an irresistibly savoury and complex flavour.
How to Make Crunchy, Crispy Pickles?
Use Hot Pickling Liquid
You might wonder why hot brine works. Heating the brine slightly cooks the vegetables, firming up their cell walls. Just make sure it’s not boiling! Heat the brine until the sugar dissolves, then cool slightly before pouring it over the vegetables to keep them crispy.
Choose Fresh Firm Vegetables
For the crispiest pickles, use firmer vegetables like onions, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and cauliflower. Soft vegetables like zucchini are better suited for quick pickling, as they get mushy faster due to their weak cell walls.
Add Bay leaves
Ever wonder why bay leaves are used in pickling brines? Their tannin-rich properties help preserve the crunch by preventing pectin breakdown—keeping your pickles firm and fresh!
Cut Larger Vegetable Pieces
As you might expect, thinner slices soften quickly in pickling brine, while larger cuts—like thick onion slices—stay crisp for longer. If you can resist the temptation, they only get better over time!
Why you will love this pickle
Umami-bomb flavour
Unlike many store-bought pickles that tend to be too salty, sour, or sweet, this pickle strikes the perfect balance. It’s a harmonious mix of salty, sweet, sour, and—most importantly—umami that will leave your taste buds wanting more.
Versatile Side Dish
This pickle is the perfect side to salads, burgers, and rich, fatty meats—especially Asian dishes. It’s a quick and easy way to add a satisfying umami and tangy taste to any meal. Get creative!
Reuseable brine
Even after you’ve finished the pickles, the brine is reusable! Just use a clean utensil each time to avoid contamination and keep adding fresh vegetables for a new batch of flavorful pickles.
How to Make Soy Sauce Pickling Brine
The key to great pickles lies in the perfect balance of salty, sour, and sweet. Once you’ve mastered the brine, you can use it to pickle various vegetables like garlic, onions, chilli, radishes, cucumbers, cauliflower, and carrots—the possibilities are endless!
The basic ratio for Korean pickling brine (Jangajji) is a 1:1:1:1 mix of soy sauce, vinegar, water, and sugar. You can adjust this ratio to suit your taste.
I find this ratio too salty, so I modify it by doubling the water compared to soy sauce. Since soy sauce contains about 18% salt per litre, adding more water helps balance the flavour. For context, lacto-fermented brine typically requires at least 2% salt per litre of water.
Essential Ingredients for a Perfect Soy Sauce-Based Pickling Brine
☑️Soy Sauce
In this Korean-style pickle, soy sauce replaces salt, adding umami while also helping preserve the pickles, just like salt does in traditional pickling. For a gluten-free option, use light soy sauce or tamari. Avoid dark soy sauce, as it’s too intense for pickling.
☑️Vinegar:
Any type of vinegar works for pickling, each adding its unique flavour. However, you don’t need to use expensive vinegar like red wine vinegar. White vinegar or rice vinegar are great options for a balanced taste. I prefer apple cider vinegar for smaller batches. Since I make vinegar at home—like mango, pineapple, beer, red wine, apple and pear vinegar—cost isn’t a concern for me, and I use whatever I have on hand!
☑️Water:
Water can help dilute excessive saltiness, balancing the overall flavour without compromising the brine’s effectiveness.
☑️Sugar
Sugar is key to balancing the saltiness in pickles. Plain white sugar is ideal, as the brine is strong and salty, and more nuanced sugars won’t make a noticeable difference.
☑️Herbs & Spices
I didn’t use any spices or herbs for this recipe, but you can add bay leaves and black peppercorns. Bay leaves help keep pickles crispier due to their tannin content, which prevents the breakdown of pectin. Peppercorns add a subtle heat and complex flavour. to pickles. The spicy notes from peppercorns balance out the sweetness and acidity, giving the brine a more rounded taste. Plus, they enhance the overall aromatic experience, making your pickles more flavorful and intriguing!
Check out Other Recipes
☑️Crunchy Mild Tangy, Sweet Onion Pickles Recipe
Watch How to Make it
Ingredients
Pickling Liquid Ingredients (Yields 1 litre)
- Soy Sauce 1 cup (250 ml)
- Water 2 cups (500 ml)
- Vinegar 1 cup (250 ml)
- Sugar 1 cup (200g)
Onion Pickling Vegetables
- Onion 10 smalls
- Chilli 3
Spices and Herbs (optional)
- Bay leaves 1-2
- Black Peppercorns 5-10
Instructions
- Heat vinegar, water, soy sauce, and sugar in a pot until the sugar dissolves.
- Slice or cut onions and chillies, then place them in a sterilised jar.
- Pour the brine over the vegetables in the jar. (See note)
- Let cool, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
- Taste after 1-2 days to check the flavour.
Notes
- You can pour the hot brine over the vegetables right away. If it’s too hot, let it cool slightly before using.
- Hot pickling liquid helps make the pickles crispier.
- Good pickling vegetables include firmer vegetables such as cauliflower, carrot, garlic, and radish.
