Easy Sumac Onions (Marinated Turkish Onion Salad Recipe) (2024)

by: Anya·posted: Feb 21, 2024·updated: Feb 21, 2024·2 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Easy Sumac Onion Salad recipe is an easy way to add incredible flavor to any meal. This tangy condiment is excellent on top of grilled meats, in sandwiches and wraps, and over salads. Spice up your condiment game with this simple sumac onion recipe. Sumac onions are versatile, making them an excellent condiment for both everyday meals and special occasions.

Sumac is a spice commonly found in Middle Eastern cuisine. It's made from the dried and ground berries of the wild sumac flower that is predominantly grown across the Mediterranean basin, Europe, and Middle East. Appropriately, sumac onions are also known as Turkish onion salad.

Sumac adds a unique, tangy flavor to dishes and is often used as a seasoning or garnish. It has a bold, citrusy flavor but not as strong as fresh lemons. It's often used in rubs, dressings, marinades, and as a garnish, thanks to its beautiful red hue.

I first came across sumac many years ago when we discovered a local Middle Eastern kebab place that served all their meats with thinly sliced onions topped with fresh herbs and sumac.

So whether you're grilling, barbecuing, or simply looking for a delicious way to accompany your meal, sumac onion salad is the perfect condiment to elevate any meal.

Looking for more zesty condiments? Check out fermented jalapenos, fermented cherry tomatoes, and garlic yogurt sauce. 

Recipe Overview

• Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes to prep
• Cooking Method: No-cook
• Dietary Info: Low Carb/Keto, Paleo, WAPF
• Tools Needed: sharp knife, cutting board, and container
• Skill Level: Easy

Key Features & Benefits

• Flexible marinating time: These marinated sumac onions benefit from a longer time in the fridge but they're good to dig in immediately as well.
• Versatile serving options - Enjoy it over a robust cut of meat like air fryer lamb loin chops or tuck them into sandwiches or wraps.
• Delicious immune booster: Raw onions are a great source of antioxidants and vitamin C, which may help with overall immune health.
• Meal prep friendly - You can make a batch of these Turkish sumac onions up 2 weeks in advance and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve.

Ingredients for Sumac Onions

Learn how to make sumac onions recipe with 3 simple ingredients. This easy condiment can be made prepped in under 5 minutes.

• Onions: Use your favorite onions here. Red, white, or yellow onions all work. My favorite is white onions because they are considered sweet onions and add a subtle sweetness. You can use red onion to make red onion salad.
• Apple cider vinegar: The vinegar serves as a mild marinade, helping to soften the onions and infuse them with a tangy flavor.
• Fresh parsley: Adding a fresh, herbaceous note to this onion recipe, chopped parsley balances the acidity of the vinegar and the tartness of the sumac.
• Sumac: Sumac is a red spice with tangy, slightly lemony flavor. It's not spicy but adds a layer of depth and complexity, creating an excellent condiment that complements rich flavors like meats and roasts. You can find this at your local Middle Eastern grocery store or online.

See the recipe card for exact quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

• Try a different vinegar- Swap the apple cider vinegar with white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar. It has a milder flavor than ACV but will still work well in this recipe.
• Fresh herbs - Out of parsley? Sub in cilantro or fresh mint for that refreshing and aromatic flavor. It pairs well with the tangy and slightly fruity flavor of the sumac.
• Sumac swap - It's odd giving you a swap for sumac in sumac marinated onions recipe but in a pinch, you can replicate that flavor by using lemon juice and a pinch of paprika and cayenne.
• Add a cucumber - Add diced or thinly sliced cucumber to the mixture for a refreshing and crunchy texture. It's similar to this Asian Cucumber Salad, but the amounts are switched.
• Give it some heat - Throw in a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne for a fiery kick.

💭Make it Nutrient-Dense: Use unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with the "mother." Raw apple cider vinegar contains live enzymes and probiotic benefits. You can also add a tablespoon of the raw sauerkraut cabbage juice to give it that cultured tang. 

How to Make Sumac Onions

The complete printable recipe is below in the recipe card for your convenience. Follow these simple step-by-step instructions for the best Turkish onion salad.

Step 1. Chop

Slice the onions into half-moon shapes, lengthwise or crosswise, and place into a medium bowl. Add apple cider vinegar and toss to combine.

Step 2. Add

Finely chop parsley and add to the onions. Sprinkle sumac seasoning over the onions. Using your hands or a pair of tongs, toss to combine well.

Helpful Tips for Sumac Onion Recipe

1. Use a mandoline slicer. If you want ultra-thin onion slices that are uniform, use a mandoline slicer to guarantee smooth cuts.
2. Know your cuts: If you want a sweeter, milder flavor from the onions, cut them lengthwise (with the grain) rather than crosswise (against the grain), as that will give a sharper taste.
3. Soften the onions. Drizzle the vinegar over the onions and toss them with your hands, gently pressing and squeezing them to release their juices and soften them.
4. Marinate overnight. For maximum flavor, let the onions marinate overnight to allow them to soften by the vinegar and infused by sumac.

💭Meal Prep Suggestion: Sumac onions are great for meal prep. Make a batch at the beginning of the week and use them throughtout the week as a topping for salads, sandwiches, or wraps. 

Serving Suggestions

Sumac onions are considered a condiment and are excellent served as a topping to grilled and roasted meats. Serve sumac onion salad alongside a juicy steak or tender pieces of grilled chicken for a refreshing twist. But it's especially fantastic with robust and bold meats like air fryer lamb loin chops and air fryer duck.But this sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy topping is also great in sandwiches, wraps, and salads. Add this as a garnish to bacon cheese baked potatoes, pulled pork breakfast, or pumpkin chili with ground turkey. 

More sumac onion pairing suggestions:

Storage Instructions

How long do sumac onions last in the refrigerator?

To store: Store the sumac onions in an airtight container like a wide-mouth mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The onions will soften gradually and release juices but they will still be delicious and safe to consume.

Storage containers: These wide-mouth mason jars are great for leftover sumac onions but these Weck preserving jars are excellent too.

To freeze: I don't recommend freezing sumac onions as the texture will change upon thawing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Looking for more related recipes? Here are some ideas:

Did you make these Sumac Onions? Please leave a ⭐ recipe rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comments. Thank you!💚

Printable Recipe