Pickled Taqueria Carrots and Onions

If you’ve ever sat down at a taqueria and found yourself reaching for those pickled carrots and jalapeños before your food even arrives, we’re already fast friend! These pickled taqueria carrots and onions are that same bright, tangy, slightly spicy magic you know from your favorite Mexican joint or taqueria, and they’re incredibly easy to make at home. I keep a jar in my refrigerator pretty much all the time at this point because they make so many of my favorite Mexican food dishes even better!

They started as a topper for my Gluten Free Chicken Tortilla Soup, where I love to dice them up and stir them right into the warm broth. That little kiss of tang and gentle heat helps cut through the richness of the soup so perfectly. But I’ve since put them on tacos, tostadas, scrambled eggs, my Migas, and honestly just eaten them straight from the jar. They get better as they sit, and they keep in the refrigerator for several weeks, which makes them one of the best low-effort, high-reward condiments you can have on hand and didn’t know you couldn’t live without!

What Goes Into Pickled Taqueria Carrots

This is a simple recipe, and when isn’t that appreciated!? Carrots, a small Vidalia (or any sweet variety you like) onion, whole garlic cloves, and optional jalapeño slices get a quick sauté in avocado oil before being bathed in a brine of distilled white vinegar, water, dried Mexican oregano, sea salt, and bay leaves. That’s really it. The Mexican oregano is worth seeking out here if you don’t already have it, it has a citrusy and slightly floral note that’s different from regular oregano and really makes the brine sing. If you have standard oregano, carry on and use it as it’s still a solid choice! Apple cider vinegar works as a substitute for the distilled white vinegar if that’s what you have on hand.

How to Make Them

Start by warming avocado oil in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add your angled carrot slices, whole garlic cloves, onion slices, and jalapeño if you’re using it, and sauté just until fragrant. You’re not fully cooking them here, just waking everything that luscious about them up a bit.

Add the vinegar, water, and spices right to the pan and let everything cook together until the carrots reach your preferred tenderness. I like mine on the softer side, which takes about 3 to 5 minutes, but if you prefer a little bite, pull them sooner. This is a personal choice and both are delicious and times may vary depending on how thick you cut your veggies, so keep an eye on them. Once they’re where you want them, pour the entire contents into a heatproof container, like my 1 Liter Weck Tulip jar. Allow it to come to room temperature, then seal it up and into the refrigerator it goes. They’re ready to eat right away (and I highly recommend you sample a few) but genuinely get even more scrumptious after a day or two.

Tips and Customizations

Adjust the heat to your preference. The jalapeños are completely optional. For mild pickled carrots, leave them out entirely. For more subtle heat, add an extra jalapeño or throw in a few slices of serrano pepper.

Play with the vegetables. All carrots and no peppers is a classic version. Pearl onions in place of sliced Vidalia are lovely if you want something a little more elegant looking. Radish slices are also wonderful in this brine. I will mention, while purple onions are gorgeous initially, over time they can give everything a slight “pink/light purple” hue.

Use a good jar for storage. Large Weck Tulip Jars or a standard quart canning jar work perfectly and make these look beautiful in the refrigerator too. It’s a little thing but I love opening the fridge to a pretty jar!

Ways to Use Pickled Taqueria Carrots

The list of things these carrots improve is honestly pretty long. Here are my favorite applications:

• Gluten Free Chicken Tortilla Soup – diced and stirred right into the broth
• Tacos and tostadas of all kinds as a bright, tangy topper
• Scrambled eggs and Migas bowls for a little morning zing
• Alongside any grilled protein as a quick condiment
• Straight from the jar as a snack, if you’re like me!

Pickled Taqueria Carrots and Onions

Recipe by MichelleCourse: SidesCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

8

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil

• 3 whole Carrots, peeled and sliced at an angle approximately ⅓“ inch thick

• 3-5 cloves Garlic, peeled, left whole

• 1 whole Vidalia Onion, small (approximately ½ – ⅓ cup), peeled and sliced about ½ – ⅓” thick

• 1-2 whole Jalapeño Peppers, stemmed and sliced about ½ – ⅓” inch (optional)

• 1.5 cups Distilled White Vinegar (can sub apple cider vinegar)

• 1 cup Water

• 1-2 Tbsp Dried Mexican Oregano, can sub standard oregano

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 2-3 whole Bay Leaves

Directions

• Add avocado oil to a medium saucepan and warm over medium heat until glistening. Add carrots, whole garlic cloves, onions, and jalapeno (if using) and saute until fragrant.
• Add vinegar, water, and spices to the veggies and cook until carrots are to desired tenderness – this is a personal choice! I like mine more on the soft side but you can leave them with a little bite, typically around 3-5 minutes.
• When veggies are where you want them, add entire contents to a heatproof container. Allow to come to room temperature, then close tightly and store in the fridge.
• Enjoy on all the things!

Notes

• You can customize this as you like – use all carrots and no peppers, or try pearl onions in place of sliced. Large Weck Tulip Jars or a standard quart canning jar work perfectly for storage. These keep refrigerated for several weeks and get better over time!

If you make these pickled taqueria carrots and onions I’d love to hear what you put them on first! Drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram. And if you’re building out the full tortilla soup experience, check out the Slow Cooker Tomatillo Chicken and the Crispy Tortilla Strips too. Together they make one seriously scrumptious bowl. 🌿