Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (2024)

Published: by Shadi HasanzadeNemati · This post may contain affiliate links .

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Turkish sumac onions are ready in 10 minutes and make an ideal companion to a wide variety of dishes. Crispy red onions are marinated with lemon juice, sumac and herbs - all you need to add a lot of bright flavors to any dish!

Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (1)

If you love Turkish recipes, today's take on red onion salad is for you! You can enjoy these crispy marinated onions in sandwiches, on salads or with grilled meat. Just like ezme, gavurdagi (Turkish tomato salad with walnuts) and piyaz (Turkish white bean salad), this marinated onion recipe is easy yet packed with tons of flavor.

Table Of Contents:
  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • Ingredients and substitutions
  • Do this if the onions are too strong
  • How to make sumac onions
  • Variations
  • Serving suggestions
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Turkish recipes
  • Step-by-Step Recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

  • The recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients that you probably already have.
  • It's ready in only 5 minutes, there is no cooking involved.
  • It keeps well in the fridge for a few days, so you can make it ahead of time.
  • Just like our quick pickled red onions, sumac onions are incredibly flavorful and make a delicious condiment for kebabs and other dishes.

Ingredients and substitutions

Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (2)
  • Red onion: Raw red onions have better flavor compared to the white ones. However, you can also white or yellow onions.
  • Sumac: This is the main ingredient in this salad. Sumac has a tart, lemon-like flavor and it's usually dark red in color.
  • Parsley: Freshly chopped parsley add great flavor to this dish.
  • Lemon: For bright flavor and freshness.
  • Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil works best in this recipe.
  • Seasoning: You need salt, black pepper and Aleppo pepper or Urfa pepper.

Do this if the onions are too strong

If you find the red onions to be too strong for your taste, soak them in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes after slicing. Then rinse and place them in a bowl and proceed with the recipe to make this red onion salad with sumac and parsley.

How to make sumac onions

  1. Peel the onions and slice them thinly crosswise or lengthwise. Place them in a bowl and make sure the onion slices are not stuck to each other.
  2. Add the chopped parsley, sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and Aleppo pepper to the onion. Stir well to combine.
  3. You can serve it immediately or cover it and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving it as a condiment or topping alongside kebabs, chicken or sandwiches.
Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (3)

Variations

You can add other ingredients such as pomegranate molasses or chopped fresh mint for more flavor.

Serving suggestions

There are so many ways to use up sumac onions. From topping lahmacun, doner kebab and kofta kebab to stuffing it into sandwiches such as lamb burger, beef shawarma, falafel, chicken shawarma or gyro, however you use these marinated onions, it's going to be delicious.

I personally love serving them alongside grilling recipes such as spatchco*ck chicken, shish kebab and grilled zaatar chicken. It adds just that bright and fun zing that any summer day grilled meat needs!

Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (4)

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do sumac onions keep in the fridge?

You can keep these in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Can I make this red onion salad ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this recipe a few hours in advance and serve when the main dish is ready.

What can I use instead of sumac?

Sumac has a special and unique sour flavor and color and cannot be substituted by any other spice.

Can I use white onion for this recipe?

Yes, you can use white or yellow onion for this recipe as well.

More Turkish recipes

  • Turkish Simit Recipe (Step-by-Step tutorial)
  • Turkish Bulgur Pilaf Recipe
  • Turkish Vegan Lentil Balls (Mercimek Köftesi)
  • Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek Corbasi)

Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!

Step-by-Step Recipe

Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (9)

Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe

Shadi HasanzadeNemati

Turkish sumac onions are ready in 10 minutes and make an ideal companion to a wide variety of dishes. Crispy red onions are marinated with lemon juice, sumac and herbs - all you need to add a lot of bright flavors to any dish!

4.95 from 17 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, condiments, Side Dish

Cuisine Turkish

Servings 4 servings

Calories 68 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 red onions thinly sliced
  • 1 cup parsley chopped
  • 2 tsp sumac
  • 1 lemon juice of
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

Instructions

  • Peel the onions and slice them thinly crosswise or lengthwise. Place them in a bowl and make sure the onion slices are not sticking to each other. If they are, separate them using your hands or a fork.

  • Add the chopped parsley, sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and Aleppo pepper to the onion. Mix well to combine.

  • Serve it immediately or cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving it as a condiment or topping alongside kebabs, chicken or sandwiches.

Video

Notes

  • Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
  • You can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses and some fresh mint if desired.
  • Serve it with gilled dishes such as shish kabob and spatchco*ck chicken or with dishes like kofta kebab and chicken shawarma. You can also add it to sandwiches such as falafel or gyro.
  • You can use white or yellow onion instead of red onion. If the onion is too strong in flavor for your preference, soak the slices in cold water for 20 minutes, then rinse and let it dry for a few minutes before continuing with the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 68kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 601mgPotassium: 212mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1420IUVitamin C: 38mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it was by leaving a comment and a 5-star review!

More Turkish Recipes

  • Turkish Delight Recipe (Lokum)
  • Creamy Cucumber Salad With Yogurt
  • Mahalabia - Middle Eastern Milk Pudding
  • Baklava Recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. imsen

    Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (14)
    This TURKISH SUMAC ONIONS looks so amazing! This is so easy to make. Thanks for sharing

    Reply

  2. Tavo

    Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (15)
    Super easy and tasty! I subbed the Aleppo pepper for red pepper flakes and it came out great!

    Reply

  3. Kate

    Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (16)
    This was delicious. I made lamb kebabs with leg of lamb and served these onions with them. I also did a simple cucumber salad. Everyone loved it. Thank you for this new-to-me Turkish dish. So fun to try cooking recipes from around the world in my own kitchen. Thank you, Shadi.

    Reply

  4. Justine

    Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (17)
    This is such a great way to elevate any recipe using onions!

    Reply

  5. Kushigalu

    Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (18)
    WHat a delicious onion recipe to try! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  6. veenaazmanov

    Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (19)
    This recipe is perfect as a salad or as a topping too. This is so easy and yet so crispy and flavorful.

    Reply

  7. Tayler Ross

    Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (20)
    I made these onions to go with dinner last night and they were wonderful! So quick, easy and full of flavor!

    Reply

  8. Dana

    Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (21)
    These were a perfect topping for our chicken kebabs! Love the tip for if they're too onion-y. It worked perfectly.

    Reply

  9. Amy

    Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (22)
    Wow these were so good and so easy! We went to Turkey a few years ago and absolutely fell in love with the food there. These were awesome with our grilled kabobs this weekend!

    Reply

  10. Dijana

    Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (23)
    This is so good and exactly what my kebab needed! Will make it again for sure!

    Reply

  11. Maddie

    Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (24)
    I made this dish to go with our lamb kofta and Shadi's toum last night. I added 1 Tbsp of Pomegranate Molasses and the dish was lovely. Thank you.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Turkish Sumac Onions Recipe (10 minutes!) (2024)
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