Mexican Pickled Carrots
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Mexican pickled carrots are a crunchy delicious snack, often served at Mexican restaurants. Make this easy quick pickle recipe at home!
Ever go to a Mexican restaurant and have those pickled, spicy carrots? Well I think I have a great make-it-at-home version that has us eating these like mad! Perfect to snack on and a great appetizer for this Summer’s grilling parties. You’ll be surprised how easy these Authentic Mexican Pickled Carrots are to make.
Mexican Pickled Carrots
These are great for summer time snacking and for a little something as you grill or make dinner. Big fans of Mexican cooking here and we eat it quite often. I just have never been able to, at least to my satisfaction, replicate the spicy carrots you get served at Mexican restaurants or take outs.
I tried 3 different recipe versions to come to come up with this one and this is it. I love the thick carrot, sliced on the diagonal, the bits of onion, chucks of jalapeño, and Mexican oregano.
Video: Quick Pickling Carrots
Want to see the process of pickling the veggies from start to finish? Scroll down to the recipe card and watch the video!
Recipe Instructions
- Peel and slice the veggies. Slice on the diagonal into quarter inch slices and do the same to a few large jalapeño peppers. Thinly slice some white onion as well.
NOTE: Be careful when working with spicy chiles- they can burn your eyes, so keep your hands away from them! Also, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after working with them. Trust me, it’s no bueno to the eyes if you rub them… especially if wearing contacts.
- Parboil veggies in vinegar solution. I always thought quick pickling meant you just drop the veggies of choice into vinegar, but I was wrong. Par boiling makes ALL the difference when you’re pickling a hard vegetable like carrot.
- Cool and store in clean, lidded jars. After you boil the vegetables in the vinegar mixture, allow to cool and keep in a clean air tight jar, refrigerated. Ready to eat after 3 hours, they just get better with time. Although this batch size doesn’t last more than a week when I make it.
Canning Mexican Pickled Carrots
This is a safe recipe for canning. This recipe fills 4 pint-size jars or 2 quart-size jars
- Brine made with at least 50% vinegar (5% acid) is safe pH for canning. Check your vinegar bottle to make sure it’s 5% acid, some store brands are only 4% (calling them table vinegars) and do not measure up for proper acidity for canning.
- Boiling water bath pints and half pints for 15 minutes and adjust for altitude. (add 5 minutes to water bath time for every 1,000 feet in altitude. 15 minutes for sea level to 999 feet, 20 minutes for altitude 1000-1999, etc…).
- Remove from canner, let cool. Check to be sure the jars have sealed, then remove rings, label the lids and store in a cupboard. I’ve had jars that were 4 years old and the pickled carrots were still delicious.
Refrigerate once jar is open, will stay good in refrigerator for a month.
I like to use Mexican oregano in Mexican and Latin dishes as it has the flavor I’ve come to love. If you can’t find Mexican oregano, please, by all means use whatever oregano you have on hand. You are going to love these!
Difference between Mexican and Mediterranean Oregano
- Mexican oregano is a relative of Lemon Verbena and is native to Mexico. Similar in that it’s pungent like Mediterranean oregano, Mexican oregano has notes of mild licorice and citrus.
- Mediterranean oregano is a member of the mint family and most often is used in Greek and Italian recipes. Mediterranean oregano is the one most found in spice racks and supermarkets.
Give these Mexican pickled carrots a try, you will not be disappointed. Add in some cauliflower florets, too if you like.
This post, first published on Kevin Is Cooking on June 29, 2016 was last updated with new content on Sept. 13, 2021.
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Mexican Pickled Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 lbs carrots
- 1/2 cup sliced jalapeños (See Note 1)
- 1/2 cup medium white onion (about half an onion)
- 5 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 bay leaves whole
- 10 black peppercorns
- 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano (or original oregano)
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Peel and slice carrots (See Note 2) and onion into 1/4 inch thick pieces (See Note 3). Cut the stems off jalapeños and slice thin on diagonal. Set aside.
- In a large stock pot add the garlic, vinegar, water, oil (omit if canning), bay leaves, peppercorns, oregano, salt. Bring to a boil and add the carrots, onion and jalapeños (See Note 4). Lower heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Allow to cool completely and store vegetables and cooking liquid in clean, sterile glass containers with lid. (This recipe fills 4 pint or 2 quart jars.) If more liquid is needed to cover add equal parts water and white vinegar. Keep refrigerated.
- Fine to eat after 3 hours, best if pickled for at least a day or two.
See Below Notes if canning.
Video
Notes
- The jalapenos are for flavor and heat, so add more or less to your liking.
- Slice carrots on the diagonal for larger pieces to eat. I’ve also added small cut cauliflower, this is optional.
- Cut the half white onion into 1/4 inch slices, no diagonal cut needed as with carrots.
- If vegetables are not completely covered, add equal amount water/vinegar to cover. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- If canning, omit the oil in Step 2. According to the American Food Preservation, never add oil if canning. It’s not safe and can affect your seal and mold inside the jar.
- Wash jars and two-piece caps in hot soapy water. Rinse well. Dry bands and set aside. Heat jars and lids in a saucepan of simmering water (180°F). DO NOT BOIL LIDS. Allow jars and lids to remain in hot water until ready for use.
- Brine made with at least 50% vinegar (5% acid) is safe pH for canning. Check your vinegar bottle to make sure it’s 5% acid, some store brands are only 4% (calling them table vinegars) and do not measure up for proper acidity for canning.
- Once jars are “hot packed” with carrot mixture, leave 1/2-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rim of the jars before putting lids and seal on.
- Boiling water bath pints and half pints for 15 minutes and adjust for altitude. (add 5 minutes to water bath time for every 1,000 feet in altitude. 15 minutes for sea level to 999 feet, 20 minutes for altitude 1000-1999, etc…). I have enjoyed these canned numerous times. I have not found that the 15 minute water bath cook time on top of initial cook time in Instructions made the carrots mushy, but if concerned, cut initial cook time in Step 2 above by 5 minutes.
- Remove from canner, place hot jars on a towel and let cool for 24 hours. Check to make sure the jars have sealed, remove rings, label lid and store in a cupboard.
- Refrigerate once jar is open, will stay good in refrigerator for a month.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
A million thanks for this recipe! I have made batch after batch and my family keeps asking for more! These are so much better than the kind we used to get at our local taco joint. Thanks again!
So happy you all enjoy them! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know Maria. 🙂
Do the carrots still have a slight crunch? If not will a shorter boil time work?
They end up being firm, not soft or mushy. If you do prefer a little more crunch then yes, cut boiling time by a minute or two. Hope you enjoy them Amanda. 🙂
I LOVE hot carrots and Mexican restaurants charge SO much for a little bowl! So I went to Pinterest to find my own! I tried several recipes, but this is the absolute best!! I love heat, so I made it with 4 Jalepenos and left the seeds in! All the ingredients are perfect! One time I did not have any bay leaves and still made it. NOT the same! Buy the bay leaves! I will keep this recipe forever and never buy them again at a restaurant! 5 stars all the way!
So happy you found me and love the carrots Denise! These are pretty easy and so good I make them quite often myself. Cheers! 🙂
Holy cow, man!! I am so glad I found this! I’ve been trying for weeks to get the owner of a little local Mexican place to let me buy this stuff by the bucket-full! It’s such an awesome snack, and now my 1st stop on my way home is the grocery store followed by a little kitchen time and a few hours wringing my hands in anticipation!! Thank you! I can’t wait to see some of the other goodies you’ve shared on here!!
So happy you found my recipe as well Anthony. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! 🙂
I was actually going to my favorite Mexican food truck to buy these but a serving was never enough so I decided to Google a recipe for them and when I tell you they’re just as delicious as the truck or better. I think I found the recipe in like November 2017 and I’ve made at least 20 batches since then this is a great recipe and I’m so glad I found it. Thank you for this because when I say I’m addicted to pickled carrots it might be a understatement. I haven’t changed one thing about them I love the spicy tangy goodness
Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know Nequa! So happy you enjoy these. 🙂
I saw a few people commented that they cut down on jalapeño because it would be too spicy. It is easy to draw out the spiciness out of jalapeño. I cut them in half and take out the membranes and seeds. Then I put it in a bowl of water with a teaspoon or more salt. Let it soak for half an hour or an hour. Drain the water. It cuts down the spiciness I would say by 90%.
Thanks so much Gerda for the tips!
This is a great recipe. To cut back on heat, I removed most of the ribs and seeds from the jalapeno but left everything else pretty much the same. I checked the carrots after 8 minutes and turned off the burner to let them cool. Then I finished them with a small amount of olive oil and agave before putting them in jars for gift giving. They are very pretty and delicious too…..thank you!
So happy these were to your liking. I keep a jar in the fridge at all times myself! Happy New Year Karen. 🙂
I made these for my son for his birthday. He loved them! I plan on making them again for New Years. He says they are authentic and taste the best. We live in Southern California and have had plenty of Mexican food. Thanks for a great recipe!
Love to read comments like this! Thanks for coming back to let me know Kay. 🙂
Really good, had them for the first time at a new Mexican restaurant and I wanted to see if I could make them since I do a lot of canning in the fall.
Excellent, thanks Nancy!
Hi, Kevin! Just wanted to thank you for this incredible recipe! I am super picky, and I was dubious, thinking the carrots probably wouldn’t turn out as delicious as I wanted or as other people have said here in the comments. (I’ve believed other reviewers about restaurants, etc., and been sorely disappointed!) But I am so pleased to say that these were every bit as delicious and authentic as I hoped, and the ingredients were in perfect amounts to get exactly the right flavor!
I didn’t want mine to be too hot, so I only slice one half of one of the jalapenos, and added the remaining half plus the other whole jalapeno, and it turned out perfectly to suit our tastes. I also added an extra half teaspoon of salt which was perfect – again, for our tastes. Next time, I will probably add a bit more garlic (my cloves were on the small side), but you were absolutely right about the Mexican Oregano – different taste, and the results were really perfect!
Anyway, thanks again! I am really excited to make this recipe again, and these are our new favorite snacks. Now I don’t have to drive to the taco stand just to get the carrots, and once there, I don’t have to feel guilty for loading up baggies full of what *should* be an accompaniment, as opposed to the main dish portion size I always manage to smuggle out! No more guilt! 😉
So happy to read you made this and enjoyed them. You didn’t happen to work for Triad Retail Media did you? I’ve yet to run into another Kristen Anderson!
Ha ha! No, I didn’t work for Triad Retail Media, but I *was* a publicist (music industry). Sorry I didn’t see (and reply to) your comment earlier; I meant to make these carrots again several weeks ago but got slammed with work. TODAY is the day! I am going to make a double batch, since we pretty much inhaled these last time! I can’t even imagine anything more delicious! If I hadn’t made these myself, I would think they might have a quantity of crack in them, since they are so addicting! And that would be a real problem, because – where am I supposed to get crack? My dealer moved out of state a few weeks ago! Kidding – I’m totally kidding! (He *really* got arrested and thrown in the clink!)
Okay, enough of this silliness. Anyway, thanks again for a fabulous recipe! I’m going to attempt lemon curd today too, for the first time ever, but first, I’ll search your site to see if you have a recipe for that. I know it will be good if it’s endorsed by you! 😀