Description
spicy pickled carrots at home with this foolproof recipe. The secret ingredient creates the perfect tangy, spicy side dish
Ingredients
For the Carrots:
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- 2 pounds regular carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into ¼-inch pieces
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- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
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- 2–3 jalapeños, sliced (adjust to taste)
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- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced (optional but recommended)
For the Pickling Brine:
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- 2 cups white vinegar
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- 1 cup water
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- ¼ cup vegetable oil
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- 2 teaspoons salt
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- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
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- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
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- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Substitutions & Notes:
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- Carrots: Baby carrots can work, but regular carrots sliced diagonally absorb flavor better
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- Vinegar: Stick with white vinegar for that clean, sharp taste
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- Heat level: Add more jalapeños or red pepper flakes for extra kick
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- Oil: This is the secret ingredient – don’t skip it!
Instructions
1. Prep Your Vegetables (5 minutes) Get your carrots peeled and slice them on the diagonal. I aim for about ¼-inch thick. Slice up that red onion thin and cut your jalapeños. Don’t skip the diagonal thing – trust me on this one.
2. Make the Pickling Brine (3 minutes) Dump everything into a pot – vinegar, water, oil, salt, cumin, oregano, pepper. Bring it to a good boil. Your kitchen’s gonna smell amazing right about now.
3. Add the Vegetables (5 minutes) Toss in all your veggies once that brine is bubbling. Let them boil for exactly 5 minutes. Don’t go longer or they’ll get mushy. Nobody wants mushy pickled carrots.
4. Pack and Cool (10 minutes) Scoop everything into clean jars with all that liquid. Make sure the carrots are covered. Let it cool down on the counter first.
5. Refrigerate and Wait (24 hours) Stick them in the fridge. You can eat them right away, but day-old ones are where it’s at. That’s when the magic really happens.
Notes
That oil thing still throws people off. My mom called me crazy when I told her about it. But it works! Makes them taste like they came straight from the restaurant.
If you hate oil in your pickles for some reason, fine, use water instead. But don’t come crying to me when they taste ordinary.
The longer these sit, the better they get. I’ve had jars last three weeks, but honestly, they never make it that long in my house.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Condiment/Side Dish
- Method: Pickling
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 35 per serving
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 390mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg