TheseQuick Pickled Cucumberswith green onion are made in the refrigerator for a simple summer snack or quick side dish!

The most delicious quick pickled cucumbers recipe on the web, all in one place including easy refrigerated pickles, cucumber salad, green Detox juice and more!

My grandma was a wiz in the kitchen and always created the most incredible recipes for her family of 13 kids (11 of whom were boys!). Igot this recipe for quick pickled cucumbers from her. She is an incredible woman, and thinking about her makes me happy. She’dcreate a simple brine and throw anything from the garden in—not just cucumbers, butonions, bell peppers, and whole cherry tomatoes.

It tasteslike summer in a jar,andwhether you’re an avid gardener or more of a grocery store frequenter,anyone can make these easy refrigerator pickles in no time.

Why You’ll Love This Quick Pickled Cucumbers Recipe

Quick & Easy:One of the best things about Refrigerator Pickles is that you canmake them quicklyand then let them sit in the fridge.
No Special Equipment:Unlike traditional canning,this recipe doesn’t require any special equipment.
Garden Abundance:If you have an abundance of fresh cucumbers,this recipe is a fantastic way to preservethem and enjoy them longer.
Versatile Recipe:I love tossing in other veggies just like my Grandma did. Use whatever onions you have, add garlic or peppers, and whatever fresh or dried herbs and seasonings to get the flavor of pickles your family likes best. There’s no wrong way to do it!

🥒 For maximum use of the flavored liquid, reuse it a time or two! Justadd more cucumbers or other vegetablesto the brine!

Recipe Ingredients

Vinegar—Apple cider, white, and rice wine are all good options.
Sugar —This is optional, but it takes a little of the “bite” out of the vinegar.
Garden Cucumbers— Kirby cucumbers or a similar thick-skinned variety is best!
Onion or Green Onion

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Refrigerator Pickles

Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Add the cucumber and onion, cut into slices.
Cover all the vegetables with the brine.
Place in the refrigerator until ready to eat!

Recipe FAQs

What is the best vinegar for pickles?

Most recipes call for distilled white vinegar — it’s clear, colorless, and has a mellow aroma and tart acidic flavor. But you can really use whatever vinegar you like and have on hand, like apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar. This recipe is flexible!

What can I pickle at home?

If you ask my grandma, you can pickle any vegetables you like! A few common ones to pickle are cucumbers (of course!), radishes, carrots, red onions, asparagus, jalapeños, cauliflower, and green beans. The recipe will work for any of these veggies!

How do you pickle something quickly?

To pickle something, you must soak the vegetables in a vinegar brine. My brine calls for water, vinegar, sugar (optional), and salt. You let the cucumbers rest in the brine in the fridge until you’re ready to eat them. Letting them sit longer helps the flavors develop more, so an overnight soak is ideal, but they’re also okay to eat right away!

What is the best pickling cucumbers?

You want to choose a cucumber with thicker skin, like Kirby cucumbers as the thick skin helps the cucumber stay crunchy. Stay away from the English cucumber, like Persian cucumbers, as the skin is too thin.

A white bowl brimming with quick pickled cucumbers and sliced green onions in a clear liquid. Fresh green onions, roots intact, lay beside the bowl on a wooden surface.

Expert Tips

Vinegar Options:White vinegar is the traditional vinegar for this recipe and a great place to start. Apple cider or rice wine vinegar are also good.
Spice It Up:Want to add a little spice? Toss in a jalapeño cut in half (delicious!) or add some red pepper flakes.
Pickle Jars:I love theseglass containers with lidsto have things like this in my fridge.I also use a mason jar and one of thesereusable lidsreally often.
Other Seasoning Options:If you love dill pickles, add some fresh dill, or even dried, to get that classic flavor! You can also add mustard seeds or garlic cloves to kick up the flavor.

A white bowl filled with quick pickled cucumbers and green onion slices in clear liquid rests on a wooden surface. Fresh green onions and a glass jar are in the background.

The Best Jars For Pickles

Whether you’re making quick refrigerator pickles like in this recipe or water-bath canning your garden’s bumper crop harvest of cucumbers into pickles, the jars I always recommend are still the classicBall Wide Mouth Mason Jars.

Available in a pack of 12, they’re affordable and top-quality thanks to the extra tight lids and durable glass. The 32-ounce size also holds plenty of cucumbers, and you can also use them for other recipes like my and my hot water bath canned .