Mexican quick pickled carrots are a delicious and easy-to-make side for tacos, salads, and Mexican food. These spiced jalapeno carrots are packed with flavor, and make a tangy, spicy condiment.
With this delectable pickle recipe in your arsenal of tasty toppings and sauces for Mexican-style meals, there's no limit to what exciting culinary creations you can create in the kitchen.
Read on and learn how you can whip up a batch of homemade Mexican Quick Pickled Carrots today!
Ingredients You'll Need
Add a bright splash of zesty flavor and crunch to any meal with these humble pickled carrots. You can use fresh cayenne peppers as well as the jalapeno ones for tri-color blend also!
- Carrots - Washed, peeled, and cut into coins.
- Onion - White or Yellow, cut into slivers.
- Jalapenos - If you want to make them milder, remove the seeds and white membrane, that's where all the heat is at.
- Garlic - Fresh cloves, sliced.
- Bay leaf - Crumbled.
- Black Peppercorns - Whole.
- Mexican oregano - You'll find it in the Hispanic foods aisle at the grocery store.
- Vinegar - White distilled vinegar.
- Salt - Sea Salt or Kosher salt.
- Water - As needed.
- Olive oil
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Mexican Carrots
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Prepare The Jars and The Vegetables
- Wash the jars you'll be using with hot soapy water, rinse, and set them to dry. You can also put them on the sanitize setting in your dishwasher.
- Wash the vegetables, then slice the onion into slivers, cut the jalapenos into strips, and cut the carrots into coins.
Prepare The Pickling Brine
- Prepare the picking brine by adding the vinegar, water, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf to a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Saute The Vegetables
The amount of time you cook the vegetables will vary, as it's dependent on how soft you'd like the carrots to be.
- If you want a lot of crunch, saute only for a few minutes.
- If you like a softer pickled carrot, taste as you saute so you know when to take them off the heat.
- Add the oil to a dutch oven and add the garlic and carrots.
- Sprinkle the oregano in and saute for 1 - 2 minutes.
- Toss the slivered onions and jalapeno strips into the pot.
- Saute until the carrots another 2 - 5 minutes, as preferred.
Pack The Jars With The Sauteed Carrots
- Fill the sanitized jars with the sauteed carrots, onions, and jalapenos mixture to 1" from the jar rim. Tap the jars so the vegetables settle in.
- Carefully pour the hot pickling brine into each jar to within ½" of the rim. Wipe the rims clean, place the sealing lids on each jar, and screw on the bands.
- Let the jars cool completely before placing in the refrigerator. You can eat these immediately, but the full flavor percolates through the carrots if you wait 24 hours. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
These Mexican quick pickled carrots are quick and easy to make, and they add a bright, tangy flavor to salads, on tacos, or as a side dish. Some recipes these spicy, pickled jalapeno carrots go really well with are:
- Chipotle Traeger Chicken Kabobs
- Cebollitas Asadas (Mexican Grilled Onions)
- Blackstone Steak Quesadillas
- Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
- Lime Marinated Flat Iron Steak
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- Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
- Filipino Dipping Sauce Recipe (Sawsawan)
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few substitutions and variations using this recipe as a base:
- If you don't have dried oregano, you can use fresh oregano leaves.
- You can also substitute ground cumin for cumin seeds.
- Brighten up the jars with a sliced garlic glove or a small red chile pepper.
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 this dish.
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Storage Options
- Quick pickled carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months
Tips for Success
- For a spicier pickled carrots, add more jalapenos or Serrano peppers to the brine.
- If you don't have white vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar instead.
- You can also add other vegetables to the brine, such as green onions, red bell peppers, or sliced celery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can add other ingredients to quick Mexican pickled carrots. Some popular additions include cilantro, fresh lime juice, and jalapeños.
These spicy pickled jalapeno carrots are ready to eat in just a few hours, but they will develop more flavor if you refrigerate them for at least 24 hours.
More Delish Ideas
Mexican Quick Pickled Carrots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1¾ cup Vinegar white distilled
- ¾ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Peppercorns
- 2 Bay leaf whole or crushed
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 6 cloves Garlic cut in half
- 1½ lb Carrots peeled and cut into coins
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano or Greek Oregano
- 1 medium Onion slivered
- 3 Jalapenos sliced in rounds or slivers
Instructions
- Wash the jars you'll be using with hot soapy water, rinse, and set them to dry. You can also put them on the sanitize setting in your dishwasher.
- Wash the vegetables, then slice the onion into slivers, cut the jalapenos into strips, and cut the carrots into coins.
Prepare The Pickling Brine
- Prepare the picking brine by adding the vinegar, water, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf to a sauce pan and bring to a boil.1¾ cup Vinegar, ¾ cup Water, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black Peppercorns, 2 Bay leaf
Prepare the Carrots
- Add the oil to a dutch oven and add the garlic and carrots. Sprinkle the oregano in and saute for 1 - 2 minutes.1 tablespoon Olive oil, 6 cloves Garlic, 1½ lb Carrots, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- Toss the slivered onions and jalapeno strips into the pot. Saute until the carrots another 2 - 5 minutes, as preferred.1 medium Onion, 3 Jalapenos
- Fill the sanitized jars with the sauteed carrots, onions, and jalapenos mixture to 1" from the jar rim. Tap the jars so the vegetables settle in.
- Carefully pour the hot pickling brine into each jar to within ½" of the rim. Wipe the rims clean, place the sealing lids on each jar, and screw on the bands.
- Let the jars cool completely before placing in the refrigerator. You can eat these immediately, but the full flavor percolates through the carrots if you wait 24 hours. Enjoy!
Notes
- For a spicier pickled carrots, add more jalapenos or Serrano peppers to the brine.
- If you don't have white vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar instead.
- You can also add other vegetables to the brine, such as green onions, red bell peppers, or sliced celery.
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