These Escabeche vegetables (Mexican pickled vegetables) are tangy, crunchy pickles that can be enjoyed on their own as a side dish salad, or used to flavor to tacos, burritos, and other Mexican dishes.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
If you’re looking for a delicious and unique way to transform ordinary vegetables into something extraordinary, then escabeche veggies are the perfect dish for you!
This Mexican-influenced recipe calls for lightly cooked vegetables pickled in vinegar with jalapenos, garlic, and onion, resulting in an unforgettable mix of sweet, sour, and spicy flavor that’ll please any crowd.
Escabeche vegetables are a great garnish that adds a tangy zing to your meals. You can serve escabeche vegetables as a salad similar to Italian pickled giardiniera.
- Super easy to make. The ingredients are simple and easy to find, and the steps are straightforward.
- Delicious. The pickled vegetables have a tangy, slightly sweet flavor that's addictive. They're great with with birria, burritos, and other Latin dishes.
- Versatile. You can serve escabeche as a snack, appetizer, or salad.
Jump to:
Vegetable Escabeche Ingredients
Our Mexican pickled vegetables are made with a variety of vegetables, including carrots, cabbage, onions, and jalapeños, and are pickled in a flavorful mixture of vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and spices.
- Cabbage - Chunked or shredded.
- Carrots - Cut into any shape you like.
- Jalapenos - Whole, halved, sliced or in rounds.
- Garlic - Fresh, slivered
- Onion - Red onion, sliced.
- Chili peppers - Dried.
- Vinegar - White distilled vinegar.
- Water
- Salt - Regular table salt, or kosher salt.
- Sugar - White sugar, optional.
- Cumin seeds - Whole.
- Coriander seeds - Whole.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Mexican Pickled Vegetables
Escabeche is a type of pickled vegetable dish that's popular in Mexico. It's made with a variety of vegetables, including carrots, onions, jalapeños, and cabbage.
The vegetables are pickled in a mixture of vinegar, water, salt, and spices. You can make a chunky mix, or if you prefer, you can chop the vegetables into a smaller shred.
Chop or Shred The Vegetables
- Cut the carrots vegetables coarse or fine, there's no right or wrong way, just your preference. If you like less heat, discard the seeds and membranes from the jalapenos.
- Toss the vegetables to mix them so they are evenly distributed.
Fill The Jars
- Fill the jars with the chopped vegetables to 1" below the rim, packing them down as you go.
Prepare The Pickling Brine
- Heat your sauce pan on medium high, with no oil.
- Dry fry the whole cumin seeds and coriander seeds for a minute or two.
- Add the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and garlic to the sauce pan and bring to a boil.
- Simmer the brine on low for 5 minutes so that the garlic slivers are cooked completely.
- Pour the pickling brine into the jars until it just covers the tops of the vegetables.
Seal The Jars & Refrigerate
- Place the sealing lids and screw on rims (or sealing clips) on the jars while hot. As they cool, the jars will create a vacuum.
- When the Mexican pickled vegetables are cooled, store in the refrigerator. Wait until chilled before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Pickled and fermented vegetables are a great way to maintain a healthy gut biome. Escabeche vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals, and they are low in calories and fat as well.
Mexican pickled vegetables are very similar to Salvadorian curtido fermented vegetables, and both are used as a pickle condiment or side salad. Some great recipes to serve this escabeche vegetable salad with are:
- Birria Quesadilla
- Chili's Steak Fajitas
- Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos
- Chili Relleno Burrito
- Chicken Cast Iron Skillet Fajitas
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Related Recipes
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few substitutions and variations using this recipe as a base:
- You can substitute apple cider vinegar for white vinegar.
- Adding other spices to escabeche, such as cumin, oregano, or cilantro is great also.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making Mexican escabeche.
- Ball Canning Jars, 16 oz
- Weck Canning Jars, 19 oz (½ liter)
- Granite Ware 9 Piece Water Bath Canning Essentials
- Pickling & Fermenting Cookbook
- Water Bath Canning Guide Book
- Pickling Spice, 16 oz
Storage and Reheating
- Jars of Mexican pickled vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- You can store them in the pantry if you use the Water Bath Canning Method, which ensures they are safe for non refrigerated storage.
Tips for Success
- Make a spicier escabeche, by adding more jalapeño peppers.
- For a sweeter escabeche, add a little more sugar.
- You can also add other vegetables to this Mexican pickled vegetable recipe, such as zucchini squash, or red bell peppers.
- Vegetable escabeche will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, instead, keep it in the refrigerator, or water bath can it for longer storage.
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
📖 Recipe
Escabeche Vegetables (Mexican Pickled Vegetables)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ head cabbage shredded fine or chopped coarse
- 2 large carrots sliced diagonally, or into slivers
- 2 medium jalapenos sliced or halved
- 1 large onion red, sliced
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, whole
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds, whole
- 1½ cup vinegar white distilled
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 cloves garlic fresh, slivered
Instructions
- Cut the vegetables coarse or fine, there's no right or wrong way, just your preference. If you like less heat, discard the seeds and membranes from the jalapenos.½ head cabbage, 2 large carrots, 2 medium jalapenos, 1 large onion
- Toss the vegetables to mix them so they are evenly distributed.
- Fill the jars with the chopped vegetables to 1" below the rim, packing them down as you go.
- Heat your sauce pan on medium high, with no oil. Dry fry the whole cumin seeds and coriander seeds for a minute or two.½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon coriander
- Add the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and garlic to the sauce pan and bring to a boil.1½ cup vinegar, ½ cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 3 cloves garlic
- Simmer the brine on low for 5 minutes so that the garlic slivers are cooked completely.
- Place the sealing lids and screw on rims (or sealing clips) on the jars while hot. As they cool, the jars will create a vacuum.
- When the Mexican pickled vegetables are cooled, store in the refrigerator. Wait until chilled before serving.
Notes
- Make a spicier escabeche, by adding more jalapeño peppers.
- For a sweeter escabeche, add a little more sugar.
- You can also add other vegetables to this Mexican pickled vegetable recipe, such as zucchini squash, or red bell peppers.
- Vegetable escabeche will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
Leave a Reply