How To Make Spicy Mexican-Style Pickled Carrots

Meet the spicy pickled carrots that are about to forever change your Taco Tuesday or even just your snack-dinner Wednesday. These crunchy, spicy, tangy pickles are made for serving with (or on top of) Mexican staples like tacos and enchiladas, or even just alongside a cold beer.

And because these carrot pickles are made just like our favorite quick refrigerator pickles, they are as easy to make as they are to eat.

Zanahorias en escabeche is a pickle of carrots, jalapeños, and onions that you’ve likely been served as a starter or alongside tacos at your favorite taqueria. Recipes vary from restaurants and home cooks, with some calling for just a few thin slices of jalapeño to proportions where the jalapeños outnumber the carrots.

This recipe is heavy on the carrots, with just a few jalapeños for spice and flavor. Once you master this simple technique, you can adjust the proportions however you like.

• This recipe calls for about a pound of carrots, two medium jalapeños, and one small sweet onion. If you can’t find a sweet onion, a small red onion is a nice substitute.
• This recipe makes two (eight-ounce) jars, and you’ll need them cleaned and dried before making the pickles.
• Let the finished jars sit at room temperature for an hour before refrigerating, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before enjoying.

Last summer, I pickled every vegetable under the sun with a simple refrigerator pickle method, but a truly crave-worthy pickled carrot eluded me. What I was missing I found on the table at a small Mexican restaurant near my home in Georgia. These pickles piquant with pickle brine, but also deeply savory with just the right amount of spice, kept me reaching across the table for more.

• Cut the carrots into coins, not sticks. This helps them “cook” in the pickle brine more evenly and makes it easy for stacking and snacking on later.
• Make a flavorful brine. Along with the vinegar, salt and water, be sure to include bay leaves, oregano (Mexican if you can get it), and fresh thyme in the brine.
• Let the jars “cook” at room temperature for one hour. While the brine is hot, it will soften the carrots slightly, so leave these jars at room temperature for about an hour before refrigerating.

Pickled carrots partnered with jalapeños become more than a pickle — instead they can become a condiment for tacos, but also a quick salad with a sprinkle of feta cheese and generous drizzle of olive oil. They are as welcome on a sub sandwich as any kosher dill, and with twice the crunch. At their very best, they are a perfect partner for a cold beer and a warm patio.