Escabeche Recipe | Mexican Pickled Chillies and Carrots

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Last updated on October 16th, 2026

This is one of those jars I keep in my fridge at all times: escabeche, a Mexican pickle of jalapeños and serrano chillies cooked briefly in a warm, spiced vinegar. It turns up everywhere from sandwich fillings to a straight-up table condiment, and the whole thing comes together in well under ten minutes of hands-on work. It sits on the table alongside the salsas I ate daily in Mexico at almost every meal. Here’s exactly how I make my escabeche.

Overhead view of escabeche ingredients: green and red chillies, carrots, onion, garlic, spices and water on a wooden board

Ingredients You’ll Need

I use jalapeños for their texture and flavour and serrano chillies for their heat. If you don’t like spice, poblano peppers or even regular bell peppers work too, and the process is exactly the same. Any sugar will do in place of the brown sugar, and any oil you like, though I use avocado oil. The full ingredient list with quantities is in the recipe card below.

How to Make Escabeche

Everything cooks in one large pot in about ten minutes, then the escabeche rests in its jar for 24 hours.

Prepping the Chillies and Carrots for Escabeche

Wash the chillies thoroughly: any dirt left on them will spoil the pickle. Snip the tops off the jalapeños and cut them into halves, thirds or quarters depending on size, keeping the pieces roughly even. Make a small incision in each serrano chilli so it doesn’t burst as it cooks. It’s the same reason I pierce the serrano in my Mexican arroz verde. Peel the carrots and slice them thick on a diagonal: thin slices lose their crunch once cooked, so don’t go any thinner than this.

Cooking the Vegetables

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil, I use avocado oil, in a large pot over high heat. Add the carrots first and cook for 30 seconds to a minute, then add the chillies, whole peeled garlic cloves and roughly chopped white onion. Cook everything on high heat for two minutes, stirring regularly, until it’s all sizzling and smelling great. It’s also my go-to on the side of Cuban black beans and rice.

Close up of green and red chillies and onion being pickled in a steel pot

Infusing the Spices

Add the whole black peppercorns, allspice and bay leaves and cook for another minute to wake the spices up and get them releasing their oils. Waking whole spices up in hot fat is the same principle behind my aromatic homemade chilli oil.

Adding the Vinegar, Water and Sugar

Pour in 250 millilitres, or one cup, of water and the same amount of white distilled vinegar. Add half a tablespoon of brown sugar and a strong pinch of salt, stir it all together, and bring it up to a boil. Then put a lid on and turn the heat down to low so the pot is at a gentle simmer.

Simmering, Jarring and Cooling

Three minutes of simmering is enough: the jalapeños will have lost some of their bright green colour, which is your cue it’s ready. Take the pot off the heat and use small tongs to lift the chillies, carrots and onion out of the hot pickling liquor and into a 500 millilitre (one pint) mason jar: glass is a better choice than plastic or metal for storing this. Taking the vegetables out of the hot liquid stops them overcooking, especially the carrots. Use a spoon to get the last of the onion out, then leave the vegetables and the liquor to cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

Chef spooning hot pickling liquid into a jar of chillies and vegetables beside a steel pot

Pouring the Liquor and Waiting 24 Hours

Once the pickling liquor has cooled completely, pour it over the vegetables and put the lid on. Try to resist opening the jar for 24 hours while it reaches its full pickled potential.

Serving and Storing Your Escabeche

Once it’s had its 24 hours, this escabeche is ready to add a fiery, tangy kick to sandwiches, tacos or whatever else on your table needs waking up. It’s great chopped through a bowl of fresh chunky guacamole too. It keeps in the fridge for up to a month, though a jar this good rarely makes it that far. It’s particularly good tucked into a sandwich made with no-knead Turkish sandwich bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does escabeche keep?

Stored in a glass jar in the fridge, these Mexican pickled chillies and carrots keep for up to one month. Leave them for 24 hours before eating. Mine are usually gone after a week.

Can I use other peppers instead of jalapeños and serranos?

Yes. I use jalapeños for their texture and flavour and serranos for their heat. If you don’t like spice, poblano peppers or even regular bell peppers work too, and the process is exactly the same.

What can I serve escabeche with?

Pile it into sandwiches or tacos, or put the jar on the table as a condiment. In Mexico it is served both ways.

Escabeche Recipe | Mexican Pickled Chillies and Carrots

Ben Goshawk

A Mexican escabeche of jalapeños, serrano chillies and carrots, briefly cooked in a spiced vinegar with garlic, onion, allspice and bay. It is ready after 24 hours in the jar and keeps for up to a month in the fridge. Pile it into sandwiches and tacos or put it on the table as a condiment.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 35

Course Side

Cuisine Mexican

Servings

Calories 56 kcal

Equipment

Chef’s knife
Chopping board
Kitchen scissors
Vegetable peeler
Measuring jug
Measuring spoons
Large pot / Stockpot
Plate / Tray
Spoon (table, dessert, tea)
Tongs

Ingredients

5 x Jalapeños 200g
12 x Serrano chillies 200g
2 x Carrots medium sized
1/2 Large white onion diced
6 x Garlic cloves
2 x Bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns 3g
1/2 tablespoon all spice 4g
250 ml / 1 cup water
250 ml / 1 cup white distilled vinegar
1/2 heaped tablespoon brown sugar any sugar will work
Cooking oil
Salt

Instructions

Gather ingredients: 5 jalapenos, 12 serrano chillies, 2 carrots, half a white onion, 6 garlic cloves, half a tablespoon of brown sugar, 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried, half a tablespoon of whole black pepper, half a tablespoon of allspice, 250 ml of water, 250 ml of white distilled vinegar, and salt
Wash the chillies well and dry them on a towel on a tray
Cut the top of the stalks off the jalapenos and serranos with scissors
Cut jalapenos into halves, thirds or quarters, and make a small incision in the serranos
Peel and slice the carrots thickly on a slight diagonal
Heat a large pot on high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil
Add the carrots and cook for 30 seconds to a minute, stirring occasionally
Add the chillies, garlic and onion, and cook for 2 minutes, regularly stirring
Add the black peppercorns, allspice, and bay leaves and cook for another minute
Add 250 ml of water, 250 ml of white distilled vinegar, and half a tablespoon of brown sugar and bring to a boil
Turn the heat down to low, put a lid on the pot, and simmer for 3 minutes
Take the pot off the heat. Using tongs, lift the chillies, carrots and onion out of the hot liquor into a 500 ml (1 pint) glass mason jar so they don’t overcook, then leave the vegetables and the liquor to cool for 15-20 minutes
Once the pickling liquor has cooled completely, pour it over the vegetables in the jar and put the lid on
Try to resist eating them for 24 hours. They will keep for up to one month in the fridge