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Zippy and crunchy quick pickled carrots are here to jazz up your next meal! Garlicky, scented with dill, and flavored with onion, peppercorns, and a sweet, tangy brine, they take minutes to make and add some oomph to salads, sandwiches, and more.
If you’re not making your own pickles, it’s time to start. And these quick pickled carrots are the perfect recipe for all the cool kids/beginners.
These refrigerator carrot pickles are simply a matter of blanching the carrots, cooking the brine, and combining everything in jars. Your (minimal) effort will be rewarded with sweet, tangy pickled carrots that add bright flavor and snappy crunch to everything from burgers to chicken salad.
HOW TO STORE
Refrigerate jars of quick pickled carrots and use them within 3-4 weeks. The flavors will develop and deepen with storage.
PRO TIPS/RECIPE NOTES
- A mandolin slicer can make quick work of slicing the carrots, especially if you’re making a big batch of quick pickled carrots. You can slice them at a slight angle to create fancy pants oblong coins if you’d like.
- Julienne the carrots and they’re perfect for adding to salads, tacos, and banh mi.
- You can use pickling salt if you have it, but because most of us don’t, I make this recipe with kosher salt.
- If you have a pickling spice mix, feel free to use it here! They usually contain peppercorns and spices like cumin and coriander to add some pep and zip to your homemade pickles.
- Note that the longer you let the pickled carrots sit in the fridge, the more flavorful they’ll be.
Quick Pickled Carrots
Ingredients
- ice
- 6 cups carrots, thinly slicked {~4 large carrots}
- 1/2 cup onion {diced or sliced}
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns {divided}
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes {optional}
- 1/4 cup sliced red bell pepper {optional}
- 4 sprigs fresh dill
Brine
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 cloves garlic {roughly chopped}
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp sugar
Instructions
Prep and Blanch the Carrots
- Fill a medium mixing bowl with ice and water.ice
- Peel and slice the carrots into thin coins.6 cups carrots, thinly slicked
- Fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and bring it to a boil.
- Carefully add the carrots and reduce the temp to medium-high. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Drain the carrots and transfer them to the ice water for 5 minutes. Drain again.
Make the Brine
- In a saucepan, bring vinegar(s), water salt, sugar, and garlic to a boil. Once it has boiled and the sugar has dissolved, reduce the brine to a simmer and keep hot on the stove.1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 3/4 cup water, 2 tbsp kosher salt, 3 tbsp sugar, 3 cloves garlic
Make the Pickled Carrots
- In clean jars, evenly divide the onion, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes.1/2 tsp black peppercorns, 1/2 cup onion, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Add the carrots to the jars. Tuck some of the dill and sliced red pepper amongst the carrot coins.4 sprigs fresh dill, 1/4 cup sliced red bell pepper
- Pour the warm brine over the carrots, put a lid on the jars, and keep them on the counter for 12 hours.
- Transfer jars to the fridge. Will keep for 3-4 weeks.
Notes
- Makes 1 quart.
- Optional seasonings – bay leaf, coriander, or mustard seeds.
- Will keep in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I dont have any fresh dill can i leave that out of receipe? And red pepper too?
Hi LJ, yes you can leave it out, or sub in dried dill seed or dill weed. And yes, you can leave out the red pepper if you’d like!