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    Home » Appetizers/Sides

    Pickled Potatoes

    February 26, 2021 By Patrick 13 Comments

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    The Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots recipe is still one of the most popular recipes on the site, and recently someone left a comment noting that their local taqueria adds papas to their Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots. 

    Pickled Potatoes?!  Sold!

    That's really all it takes for me to start fiddling with something new -- and while kitchen experiments in general seem to have about a 50 percent success rate, this one was a total keeper and I'm thrilled with the results. 

    What a treat to have a jar of these PIckled Potatoes in the fridge! I used 3 jalapenos to give them some kick but you can always use less for a milder batch. mexicanplease.com

    How To Make Pickled Potatoes

    A single pound is a perfect amount for a quart-sized jar full of marvelous Pickled Potatoes. 

    Note that I went heavy on the potatoes for these batches -- if you want more jalapenos and carrots in your first run I'll list some suggested ingredient amounts at the bottom of this post.

    2 Gold potatoes for Mexican Pickled Papas

    I used Gold potatoes for this batch, but there's plenty of leeway on the potato variety. 

    A large Gold potato weighs about a pound.  Feel free to simply cube your potato, but I went for the fries cut and had to use two potatoes to get a pound worth of these slivers. 

    Chopping up potatoes into fries

    I gave these slivers a few minutes in some boiling water to give them a headstart on the cooking. 

    Parboiling the potatoes

    Meanwhile, roughly chop:

    1/2 small onion
    4 garlic cloves

    And get them cooking in a glug of oil over medium heat. 

    Cooking onion and garlic

    As the onion cooks you can gather the spices:

    1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
    1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano  What is Mexican oregano?
    8-10 black peppercorns

    I usually give the spices a quick crush in the Molcajete but this is definitely optional.  And if you don't have seeds on hand you can use powdered spices for this recipe and still get a good result. 

    Crushing the spices in a molcajete

    Once the onion has softened you can add the spices to the pan and give 'em a quick saute.

    Adding spices to the pan

    Then adding the remaining ingredients:

    the drained potatoes
    1-3 sliced jalapenos
    1.5 cups white vinegar
    1 cup water
    1 tablespoon salt

    Adding drained potatoes and jalapenos to the pan

    I used 3 jalapenos and this will give your papas some zip!  Feel free to use less for a milder batch. 

    Give it a good stir and bring this mixture up to a boil.

    All of this will fit nicely in a quart-sized Mason jar, but you could also use two pint-sized jars.   Load up the jar with the potatoes and jalapenos, and then fill it to the brim with the vinegar mixture. 

    Filling quart sized Mason jar with Pickled Potatoes

    I usually let these sit on the counter for a bit to cool down, then cap them and put them in the fridge. 

    You can take a taste now to get a preview, but your papas will need to rest overnight in the fridge to get full pickle. 

    What a treat to have a jar of these PIckled Potatoes in the fridge! I used 3 jalapenos to give them some kick but you can always use less for a milder batch. mexicanplease.com

    The next day you'll have some tangy potato delights that are bursting with flavor!  I've been munching on them for the past couple weeks and am completely sold on their potential. 

    You can dice 'em up and use them on tacos, salads, or even next to your morning eggs, but the beauty of cutting them fry-style is being able to spontaneously pull one out of the jar and munch on it 🙂

    Closeup of Pickled Potatoes

    Yum 🙂

    If you're new to this quick pickling technique, keep in mind that it works with just about anything!  Here are my other favorite uses for it:

    Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots
    Pickled Tomatillos
    Easy Pickled Onions
    Curtido -- Pickled Cabbage Slaw
    More Mexican Pickled Recipes

    And for reference, your starting point in the original Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots recipe also happens to be a single pound of jalapenos.  If you'd like to meet somewhere in the middle and make a mixed batch then you could use the following amounts:

    1/2 pound jalapenos (around 5-6 jalapenos)
    1/2 pound potatoes (about half of a large potato)
    2 medium-sized carrots 

    Buen Provecho. 

    Want the latest recipe?  Click your favorite from these options and follow me:  Instagram,  Facebook,  Pinterest,  TikTok,  YouTube.

    What a treat to have a jar of these PIckled Potatoes in the fridge! I used 3 jalapenos to give them some kick but you can always use less for a milder batch. mexicanplease.com

    Pickled Potatoes

    What a treat to have a jar of these PIckled Potatoes in the fridge!  I used 3 jalapenos to give them some kick but you can always use less for a milder batch. (Note: these instructions are not designed for long-term canning.)
    4.50 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 59kcal
    Author: Mexican Please

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb. potatoes (I used Gold potatoes)
    • 1-3 jalapenos
    • 1/2 small onion
    • 4 cloves garlic
    • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
    • 8-10 black peppercorns
    • 1.5 cups white vinegar
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 tablespoon salt

    Instructions

    • A single large Gold potato is usually around a pound. You can either cube a single potato for this recipe, or you can use two potatoes to get a pound worth of fry-style slivers.
    • Add the chopped potato to some boiling water and cook for a few minutes. I give them just a quick swim to get a headstart on cooking, about 3-4 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set them aside until you need them.
    • Peel and roughly chop the 1/2 onion and 4 garlic cloves.
    • Heat a glug of oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.  Saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes until the onion has softened.
    • Add the spices to the onion-garlic mixture:  1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 8-10 black peppercorns.  I usually give the spices a quick crush in the molcajete but this is optional.  And feel free to use powdered spices if you don't have seeds or peppercorns on hand.  Cook briefly.
    • Rinse and de-stem the jalapenos, chopping them up into coin-sized slices. I used 3 jalapenos but you can always use less for a milder batch. Add the sliced jalapenos and drained potatoes to the pan. Cook briefly and then add the remaining ingredients: 1 tablespoon salt, 1.5 cups white vinegar, and 1 cup water.
    • Give it a good stir and bring this mixture up to a boil. Once it's boiling you can transfer the mixture to a quart-sized Mason jar (or two pint-sized jars). I usually use tongs to add the veggies to the jar and then pour the vinegar mixture all the way to the brim. You can give the papas a taste test now for a preview, but they won't have full flavor until they rest overnight in the brine.
    • I usually let the jar cool on the counter for a bit, then cap and store it in the fridge where it will keep for weeks at a time. 

    Notes

    I don't do any long term preserving, so these instructions aren't designed for canning.  I just stick 'em in the fridge and munch on them over the next few weeks.  
    Kosher, sea or pickling salts are the most common salts used for pickling vegetables. Iodized salt isn't recommended as sometimes additives will affect the brine.
    Glass containers seem to be the best choice for storage of this vinegar based brine.  Metallic containers not recommended. 
    It's also best practice to use a non-reactive pan when heating up the vinegar. 
    Feel free to use powdered spices if you don't have seeds or peppercorns on hand.
    Like this recipe?Click the stars above to rate it or leave a comment down below! @mexplease

    Want to see the latest recipe?  It's this batch of Dark Birria. 

    I used Anchos, Mulatos and Pasillas for this rustic batch of Dark Birria. Mulatos are similar to Anchos but they're left on the vine to ripen a bit longer. mexicanplease.com

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. E K

      March 27, 2022 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      I made these pickled potatoes and I was surprised at how delicious they are! Yummmm. I will make these again. I sincerely appreciate your recipe.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        March 28, 2022 at 4:27 pm

        Ahh good to know, thanks EK!

        Reply
        • Brenda

          January 16, 2023 at 11:12 am

          5 stars
          Vegetables to try instead of potatoes: make sure to give them the boiling water douse before pickling.
          radishes, i have done then exactly like the potatoes except I did sweeten them a little with stevia to improve the taste.
          Green tomatoes, awesome with some garlick added.
          Whole Green beans are an old favorite.
          Any firm vegetable can be pickled.

          Reply
    2. BENNY

      October 17, 2021 at 3:06 am

      My first attempt at pickle’ing anything! I ended up pickle’ing potatoes, carrot and cabbage. I wanted a dish for the vegetarians I was hosting, to go with the cheese and onion enchiladas. This was a hit with everyone! I made the night before and it was pretty straight forward to make - especially with the detailed instructions provided, thanks!!

      Reply
      • Patrick

        October 26, 2021 at 2:06 pm

        Thanks Benny, so glad to hear this one was a hit for you. Cheers.

        Reply
    3. Jill

      June 13, 2021 at 7:57 am

      Just an FYI, there are at least two different plants called Mexican oregano. One has small leaves and lovely lavender-pink tubular flowers, the other doesn't. I've never found out the difference between the two as far as taste goes, though.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        June 21, 2021 at 10:09 am

        Ahhh that is news to me, thanks much for mentioning this Jill!

        Reply
    4. Teresa Martinez

      May 06, 2021 at 7:24 pm

      My grandmother was famous for her potatoes in vinegar selling to all the children in her hometown in Mexico. Her recipe is very simple ,boiled potatoes then dice them and pickle them with white vinegar. She would add rock salt and her homemade red chili salsa which is a family secret. I haven't found anyone who makes it like she did.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        May 07, 2021 at 3:08 pm

        Hey thanks for your note Teresa, that method is new to me too.

        Reply
    5. Becky Turner

      February 27, 2021 at 4:55 am

      Oh Yah... thats going on the list!
      Quick question do you think that Jicama would work in this pickle?

      Reply
      • Patrick

        March 01, 2021 at 4:25 pm

        Thanks Becky! Yeah most likely Jicama would work in this brine, but I haven't tried that yet -- will put it on the list though. Cheers.

        Reply
    6. Beth

      February 27, 2021 at 2:51 am

      Hi, Patrick,
      This looks great. I'm not sure how long to cook these potatoes for, after bringing mixture to a boil.
      (Seeing this recipe just reminded me that I haven't made Blue Masa Harina sopes in a while; gotta get to that; love your sopes recipe!)
      Thanks,
      Beth

      Reply
      • Patrick

        March 01, 2021 at 4:17 pm

        Hey Beth I hope this one treats you well! Once you bring the vinegar mixture up to a boil you can jar them right away -- I'll make this a bit clearer in the recipe box. Cheers.

        Reply

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    Hey, I'm Patrick! I spent 2 years living in Cozumel and got obsessed with Mexican food. I built this site to share all the recipes and techniques I've learned along the way. Read More…

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