Pickled Mexican Hot Carrots
Recreate those delicious, spicy pickled carrots, jalapenos, and onions from Mexican restaurants with my recipe for homemade Pickled Mexican Hot Carrots. They’re a great addition to chips and salsa, on Taco Tuesday, or right out of the jar!
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Growing up and living the majority of my life in America’s Finest City, San Diego, I have been eating Pickled Mexican Hot Carrots for as long as I can remember.
In addition to traditional Mexican restaurants, southern California is also host to the ubiquitous taco shop.
Taco shops are where you can find the best burritos, nachos, rolled tacos, street tacos, hot sauce, and Mexican hot carrots.
There are probably more taco shops in San Diego county than there are gas stations and 7-Elevens combined!
What are Pickled Mexican Hot Carrots?
They are carrots that are pickled with spices, sliced onions, and jalapenos. They are spicy, tangy, vinegary, and absolutely delicious!
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Ingredients needed to make this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Carrots
- Onion (white or yellow)
- Jalapeno
- Garlic
- Water
- White vinegar
- Pickling salt
- Seasonings (black peppercorns, bay leaves, coriander seeds)
What texture should Pickled Mexican Carrots have?
These carrots should not be soft and mushy, they should have a crisp-tender texture.
This comes from cooking the carrots for only a short while before preserving them in pickling liquid and spices. I use a timer so I can cook them perfectly every time!
How long are pickled carrots good for?
Keep these carrots in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator and they should be good up to 1-2 months.
What do you serve with Mexican Carrots?
I love serving these carrots on Taco Tuesday with some Carne Asada Tacos or Achiote Chicken Tacos, but seriously, I also like eating them right out of the jar.
You could always go the restaurant route and serve them with chips & salsa or Avocado Pico de Gallo!
Pickled carrots are also a perfect snack with crab ceviche, made with avocado, tomato, cilantro, lime, and jalapeno!
My Quick Pickle Cookbook: 10 Easy Recipes + Bonus Pickling Guide (pictured below) is an eBook filled with 10 delicious pickle recipes all in one convenient location! It includes a bonus pickling guide to help you get started!
If you enjoy pickled goodies as much as I do, check out some of my other pickles:
- Pickled Hot Banana Peppers & Onions
- Habanero Garlic Pickles
- Italian Pickled Vegetables (Giardiniera)
- Garlic Dill Pickles (shown below)
- Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips
NOTES:
- Keep your eye on the timer when the carrots are cooking. Overcooked carrots are no bueno.
- Dried Mexican oregano is a traditional ingredient in these carrots, but although I do like the flavor, I don’t like chewing on it, so I omitted it from my recipe. Feel free to use some to keep the authenticity ball rolling.
- Need a pickling jar? This is a great wide-mouth jar that I use often.
- These pickled carrots are traditionally spicy because they are pickled with jalapeno peppers. Reduce the amount of jalapenos to make them less spicy.
Pickled Mexican Hot Carrots
Equipment
- 24 oz. jar
Ingredients
- 8 medium carrots peeled, cut on a diagonal (approx. 2½ cups)
- ½ yellow or white onion sliced
- 3 jalapenos sliced into rings
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 cups white vinegar label should say 5% acidity
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp pickling/canning salt
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
Instructions
- Bring water, vinegar, salt, and carrots to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Boil for 3 minutes, then add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic, and boil for 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Add bay leaves, coriander seeds and black peppercorns to mason jar. With tongs add the vegetables from the sauce pan to the mason jar and then pour in the pickling liquid. Make sure you cover all the vegetables with liquid.
- Let jar sit on counter until the contents are room temperature, then place the lid on and store in the refrigerator. Should stay good for up to a month. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and let me know in the comments below! ♥
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Had to back off the vinegar too!!
The wife born and raised East county SD ,
I got there in the 80’s.
Loved them carrots and carne arsada burritos !!
Since moving we miss the so cal.style fast food of choice
Thanks for the recipes!
This San Diego native approves! I specifically used dried “mexican” oregano and love the authentic flavor. However, I’ll definitely use a little less vinegar next time:
From one San Diegan to another, hello! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I really appreciate the rating and comment!
If you use less vinegar, you need to reduce the water also. There is a strict 50-50 ratio of water-to-vinegar to prevent botulism.
Another San Diego transplant who has been missing these carrots and sends blessings your way for this recipe. We love it. How will I be able to pressure can this recipe without ending up with mushy carrots. Normally I would put in raw or blanched carrots. Any ideas? I would love to have jars in reserve.
Hi Cheryl! I’m so glad you enjoyed my pickled carrot recipe! I don’t can them, I only quick-pickle them, which means they are stored in a brine in a refrigerator for their duration. Sorry! I just went home to San Diego last week and, of course, had to stop and get some taco shop ;)
Well I have to say .. I too grew up in so-cal! We absolutely loved the carrots! To add to this.. I was born in grossmont hospital as was my son! Small world!
I was also born at Grossmont Hospital! So glad you enjoyed the carrots! Thank you for taking the time to review them :)
Another Grossmont baby here! We used to drive from Coronado to IB to Robertos (before there were a hundred of them) and besides the carne asada nachos, these carrots were everything. I’m making them after a grocery run, but I remember this recipe and it’s accurate!
Hello fellow Grossmont baby! I miss carne asada nachos and burritos so much! I have to make it all myself now :)
Great flavors. I put the oregano and other leafy spices in cheese cloth (I don’t like chewing on them either).
Great idea, David! Glad you enjoyed them!
Im in San Diego.Born at Grossmont hospital 59 years ago.i just made your carrots on a grand scale 5 pounds.made them with 1 pound,and thay disappeared in seconds.so we fixed that thank you love my town,and your carrots.?
Joann, you just made my day! Fun fact, I was also born at Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa! That is so exciting to hear that you loved my carrots! I married a Marine that brought us all over the U.S., so I have to make my San Diego favorites at home to get them :) Feel free to subscribe to the blog, I have tons of great Mexican recipes that I think you would enjoy! Thank you for taking the time to rate the carrots, I appreciate it so much…especially when you’re from my home town and totally appreciate what the carrots should taste like!
I altered the spices slightly for my taste and what I have in the pantry. It came out great.
Lived in San Diego for 18 years, and I would agree about the taco stands out numbering gas stations plus 7/11’s put together… LOL!! This recipe is absolutely perfect. We multiplied the recipe X’s 7 and got 8 mason jars full, we refrigerated one and canned the rest for the future. Great job!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it! Lots of taco shops is a great problem to have ;)