Do you want to try something new? These spicy Mexican pickled carrots are the perfect recipe for anyone that wants to spice up their life. They taste amazing in sandwiches, on top of your tacos, or alongside roasted chicken, and it's super easy to make them at home! You won't regret trying this Mexican pickle recipe.
Whenever we're in the mood for morning tacos, like the famous “Cachetadas”, I have to make sure we have some spicy pickled carrots to go along with them, because tacos without pickled carrots and jalapeños are like fries without ketchup, and nobody wants that kind of drama.
Thankfully, these carrots are really quick and easy to make, all thanks to one of my sisters who taught me this recipe when I was visiting my mother once!
We add these pickled carrots to chicken and tuna salads, tortas, sandwiches, tostadas, sopes, and tacos, but you can add them to virtually any type of Latin food.
What You Need To Make The Best Spicy Carrots
To prepare this recipe, you need to use good-quality canned peppers. I know you can use any brand of canned peppers, but La Morena is my favorite!
They have no preservatives and the best part is when you open a fresh can and the aroma comes bursting out, it’s really extraordinary. That same effect also happens with La Morena’s canned serranos and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
I recommend checking out your local Wal-Mart’s Latin food section or visit a Latin grocery in your hometown. I’ve even found them sold at World Market and other gourmet stores.
If you don’t want to get out of the house to look for them, just check online, even Amazon sells them. Lucky for me, my local Latin store has a great stock of them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mexican Pickled Carrots
Before I share my pickling recipe, here are a few questions I’ve been asked about homemade spicy pickled carrots.
Is Mexican oregano the same thing as the oregano in the spice section?
No, the oregano you find in the spice section (that is usually just labeled "oregano") is from the Mediterranean region. It's a member of the mint family so it has a slightly sweet taste.
Mexican oregano is a relative of lemon verbena and grows in Mexico. It has a slightly different taste from the Mediterranean one, with notes of citrus and licorice.
Now that you know the difference, you can rest assured that either type of oregano will work just fine in this recipe. It would take a very picky nose or tongue to distinguish the difference.
What is the best way to cut the carrots?
This is completely up to you. I've seen taco stands offering pickles cut into the very thin slivers and other pickled carrots cut into the larger pieces. If you want to cut them larger, I suggest cutting them diagonally so that they are easier to eat and put in the jar.
Can I add onions to the pickled carrots?
Adding onions is another personal preference. Lots of traditional recipes include some thinly sliced onions in the jar with carrots and jalapenos.
Red onions will give your jar of pickles a brighter color and zestier taste. White onions have the strongest taste of all three types.
Use your favorite type of onion- there isn't one right choice here!
Spicy Pickled Carrots
Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make this dish…
- Carrots
- La Morena jalapeño peppers
- Salt
Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!
How To Make Spicy Pickled Carrots: Step By Step Tutorial
To make things easier for you, I am going to break down the directions to this recipe into sections.
Peel and Slice The Carrots
- Peel and slice the carrots, making sure the slices are the same thickness to cook evenly.
Boil The Carrots
- Place the sliced carrots in a large pot and cover with water. Turn the heat to medium-high, and just when they start boiling, set your timer for 4 minutes.
- After 4 minutes, remove from heat and drain using a colander. Do not let them sit longer in the hot water, as the carrots have to be cooked but still crisp.
- Place the drained carrots back in the pot.
Add To A Jar of Jalapeños
- Open your cans of pickled jalapeños and pour over the already cooked carrots. Stir well, mixing all the ingredients; season with salt, and... voila! You are done, quick, and easy!
Tip: Store and refrigerate the carrots and peppers in glass jars, or like I do, in these plastic quart-sized containers.
Enjoy!
What To Serve With Pickled Carrots
These are very popular condiments that you can put on almost any type of taco or tostada. These are some of my favorite taco recipes that are perfect with these carrots.
They add the perfect flavor to these cod crispy fish tacos and bring out the smokiness of these chipotle adobo tacos. They are also perfect on top of roasted poblano pepper and cheese tacos!
More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
If you enjoyed this recipe for Mexican pickled carrots, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
- Concha Recipe
- Mexican Squash With Cheese
- Pumpkin Seed Enchiladas
- Mango Mousse Recipe
- Chunky Guacamole Recipe
I hope you make this Mexican pickled carrots recipe! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment done below and tell us all about it!
¡Buen provecho!
Mely
📖 Recipe
Spicy Pickled Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of carrots
- 1 can of La Morena jalapeño peppers whole or sliced (28oz)
- 1 can of La Morena jalapeño peppers whole or sliced (13oz)*
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel and slice the carrots, making sure the slices are the same thickness to cook evenly.
- Place the sliced carrots in a large pot and cover with water. Turn the heat to medium-high, and just when they start boiling, set your timer for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, remove from heat and drain using a colander. Do not let them sit longer in the hot water, as the carrots have to be cooked but still crisp. Place the drained carrots back in the pot.
- Open your cans of pickled jalapeños and pour over the already cooked carrots. Stir well, mixing all the ingredients; season with salt, and… voila! You are done, quick and easy!
- Store and refrigerate the carrots and peppers in glass jars, or like I do, in these plastic quart-sized containers.
Notes
- You will need 2 cans, the 28oz and 13oz.
- You can also use this same recipe to make other pickled vegetables, like: cauliflower, zucchini, potatoes, pearl onions, etc. You can make several vegetables and serve them as an appetizer at your next party, and it’s still as easy as opening a can. The pickled jalapenos already have the vinegar, herbs, and spices, you don’t need to add anything else.
- They keep well for weeks in the refrigerator.
Veronica
Looking for recipes to put the carrots in once I make them!
José de Napa
Gras, some great ideas to share with my sport buddies during the new year! Looking forward to other easy recipes I can prepare for the games!
Barry Vavak
Thank you, I make these all the time. I’ve been looking for a good picked eggs recipe and was wondering if I Can I make pickled eggs the same way using the Morena peppers over hard boiled eggs?
mmartinez
Hello Barry,
I'm not sure about the process of making Pickled eggs. It never hurts to try. If you do make them, please let me know the results, I'm sure more people will benefit from it.
Trena
Can’t wait to try these! We ate at a Mexican restaurant in Montana and the food was absolutely delicious! They had spicy, picked carrots as a side with our entree and we were blown away at how amazing they tasted and how perfectly they went with our huge burrito!!
bjd
Can't wait to try this! Looks easy & yummy!
Anonymous
How long are these good for if kept in the refrigerator?
mmartinez
Hello,
They will keep just fine for at least 6 months.
Daily Baez
yummy, this is such a great idea, can I do this with any other vegetables? #client
Mely
Hello Daily Baez,
yes, as indicated in the notes. Several veggies can be pickled the same way. Have fun!
Lidia
Brilliant idea. Will definitely try. Thanks!!