Mexican pickled carrots are a condiment served with many Mexican dishes. These spicy, tangy, crunchy carrots are great to serve alongside with tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, and enchiladas.
"Better than any carrots I have ever gotten at a Mexican restaurant or taco shop in my home town of San Diego! My go to snack and everyone loves them!"
★★★★★ - Elke
Mexican pickled carrots, also known as Zanahorias en escabeche, are a great condiment to have on hand for Taco Tuesdays!
They also make a tasty healthy snack!
I double the batch to share with my friends and keep some on hand for me. I hope you love them as much as we do. Enjoy! Xoxo -Katie.
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Watch how to make Mexican pickled carrots
Ingredient notes and substitutions
You will need the following ingredients to make Mexican pickled carrots.
- carrots
- jalapeno-If you want them even spicier, substitute with serrano peppers.
- garlic-use fresh garlic cloves
- onion- I use white or yellow onions for this recipe. Red onions are delicious too, but may discolor the pickling liquid.
- white sugar
- white vinegar-Some people use apple cider vinegar. If you decide to use apple cider vinegar, omit the sugar.
- water
- bay leaves
- peppercorn
- Mexican oregano- You can substitute with regular oregano. However, Mexican oregano has more of a citrus and lemon flavor than the Mediterranean version.
- salt- I use Kosher salt. You can use table salt. Do not use pickling salt.
*The full recipe with ingredient measurements is located at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Oregano Tip
If you can't find Mexican oregano in the spice section, look in the Mexican isle. Typically there you will find it there with the Mexican spices along with dried peppers and seasoning mixes. McCormick and Badia are popular brands for Mexican oregano.
Steps
Follow these steps to make Mexican pickled carrots.
- In a stockpot, add vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorn, salt, and Mexican oregano. Bring to a boil.
- Peel and slice carrots into ¼ inch coins or diagonal slices. Slice onions into slivers. Slice jalapeños . Reduce the liquid brine in stockpot to medium heat and add the carrots, onion, and jalapeños. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool, then add to a glass jar with lid. You can eat immediately, but it is best to sit overnight to allow the full flavor to build.
How long will they last in the refrigerator?
The Mexican pickled carrots are good for a month refrigerated sealed in an air tight glass jar.
Did you like this Mexican pickled carrots recipe? Please leave me a comment below if you make it and tell me what you thought. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.
Also post your picture of your carrots on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtag! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
📖 Recipe
Mexican Pickled Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots
- 4 jalapeños
- 1 onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1½ cup water
- 1½ cup vinegar
- 5 bayleaves
- 1 teaspoon peppercorn
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a stockpot, add 1 ½ cup vinegar, 1 ½ cup water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 5 garlic cloves, 5 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon peppercorn, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano. Bring to a boil.
- Peel and slice 2 pounds of carrots into ¼ inch coins or diagonal slices. Slice 1 onion into slivers. Slice 4 jalapeños . Reduce the brine in the stockpot to medium heat and add the carrots, onion, and jalapeños. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool, then add to a glass jar with lid. You can eat immediately, but it is best to sit overnight to allow the full flavor to build.
Video
Notes
- You can substitute with regular oregano. However, Mexican oregano has more of a citrus and lemon flavor than the Mediterranean version.
- The Mexican pickled carrots are good for a month refrigerated sealed in an air tight glass jar.
Lorie Prokup says
I grew up in Southern California and used to go to a restaurant in Tijuana that was down some steps and kind of in a basement. They had this on the table O.M.G it tastes the same. What a wonderful memory. I've met this several times. Thank you
Maria Davis says
Really good recipe and easy to follow. Very happy
Kit James says
I make.
These carrots all the time and they are excellent.I make 4 pounds at a time and I can't make them fast enough.My friends love them as well.As I.
Krista M. says
I really hate when people post altered recipes, but I'm still going to do it. I doubled up the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, Mexican oregano, and peppercorns, because the liquid was covering about half of it. I increased cooking time to 25ish minutes as I don't like totally crispy carrots. All that said, they really were best I ever had.
Elke says
Better than any carrots I have ever gotten at a Mexican restaurant or taco shop in my home town of San Diego! My go to snack and everyone loves them!
Joan says
I have used this recipe before, this time I didn't have jalapenos, so I subbed
dill, and they were delicious and different. Everyone loved dill, garlic and onions...what's not to like.
Tanya W says
These are FABULOUS. Taste just like the ones we used to get at REAL Mexican restaurants back in San Diego. I make them once a month and give some to my friends. I eat them as a side with dinner or snack on them during the day.
Kathie says
Can this delicious recipe be processed for longer shelf life and gift giving?
Katie Crenshaw says
Yes. It has the correct water and vinegar ratio to can. I have never done it myself, so I am not sure how they turn out canned...You will need to cook them in a 15 minute water bath. Hope this helps!
LaKita says
This recipe for Mexican pickled carrots is so simple and delicious! They have amazing flavor and are my new favorite way to eat carrots!
Loreto says
Easy ingredients and preparation yet these Mexican pickled carrots pack a lot of flavor!
Amanda says
I have been looking to start pickling some foods and wanted to start off with some easy recipes I won't mess up! This one was REALLY easy to put together and they came out amazingly delicious!! Great recipe!
Rebecca Blackwell says
I love pickled anything, so had to give these a try. I served them with tacos last night and they made tacos a whole new treat! So good! Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
Leslie says
I love your idea of serving Mexican pickled carrots with tacos! This is a fun recipe to mix things up!
Freya says
I literally ate these straight from the jar but they were absolutely perfect in a Bahn Mi sandwich!
Tristin says
Doubled this recipe so that we had plenty. It’s so good that my daughter practically ate a whole jar on her own, lol.
Silvia says
I love pickled jalapeños and I always wish the can have more carrots. Now I can make them at home. They are so yummy!
Shelley says
I absolutely adore pickled veggies, so I was really excited to find this recipe! So simple, and so many ways I can think of to use it! Thanks for the tip about substituting "regular" oregano if I can't find Mexican, too!
Freya says
Delicious! I loved that these pickles were a little bit spicy and so crunchy! Perfect in tacos!
Liz says
I have tried Mexican pickled carrots. These sound wonderful! I need to add carrots to my garden list so I can make these this summer!
Allyssa says
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing mexican pickled carrots recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!