Curtido is a pickled cabbage delight that also happens to be a great investment. Spend a few minutes building a batch and you'll have the option of nibbling on it for the next few weeks.
In Central America it's common to serve curtido with pupusas and other corn cakes, but you can use it on just about anything, including tacos, sandwiches, and anywhere else you use a traditional coleslaw.
Curtido Recipe
This recipe is enough to load up two pint-sized Mason jars with veggies and brine. Not pictured is the overnight resting period where the real magic happens.
Similar to our pickled jalapenos, you can still eat it shortly after making, but it will only be a preview of what's to come. Letting it pickle overnight will allow the full flavor to develop.
(Note: these instructions are not meant for long term canning.)
To start you'll need:
1/2 head green cabbage
1 carrot
1/2 onion
1/2 jalapeno
You can use a food processor if it's convenient for you, but thinly slicing the cabbage and grating the carrot works just as well.
Note that we are only using half of a jalapeno but this still gives it some serious zip. If you want a milder version I would recommend starting with 1/4 of a jalapeno.
Next, gather the remaining ingredients in a bowl:
1 cup vinegar
1.5 cups water
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons salt (Kosher or sea salt)
Kosher or pure sea salt are most commonly used for pickling. The additives in iodized salt will sometimes affect the brine so it isn’t recommended.
Add this mixture to the veggies and combine well. Crushing the cabbage a bit while mixing will help it fit into the Mason jars.
Load up two pint-sized Mason jars with the veggies (tongs work good), and then fill them to the top with the brine.
Seal well and let them pickle overnight in the fridge.
The next day you'll have a zippy pickled delight that just might replace your traditional coleslaw. What?!! And you've just upgraded your fridge for the next few weeks. Well done.
Don't forget that using a half jalapeno still creates some real heat even though it doesn't sound like much. You can always dial back and use less (or none) if you want a milder version.
Buen Provecho.
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Spicy Curtido (Pickled Cabbage Slaw)
Ingredients
- 1/2 head green cabbage
- 1 carrot
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 jalapeno
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt (Kosher or sea salt)
Instructions
- Thinly slice the 1/2 head of cabbage, 1/2 onion and 1/2 jalapeno. Grate the carrot.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl: 1 cup vinegar, 1.5 cups water, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, freshly cracked black pepper, 2 teaspoons salt (Kosher or sea salt).
- Add the liquid mixture to the veggies and combine well. Crush the cabbage a bit so that it will fit into the jars.
- Fill two pint-sized Mason jars with the veggies and top with the brine.
- Seal well and let pickle overnight in the fridge.
Notes
We use a cabbage-only version of this Curtido in our Baja Fish Tacos.
You can use a similar technique to make some pickled onions.
Still hungry?!
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John Cummins
Can I make Cortito without salt?
Patrick
Hey John! Yeah you can make it without salt if you want. Cheers.
Yeci
Instead of cabbage can I use radish?
Patrick
Hi Yeci, yeah you could use radishes here, but I do have a separate recipe for Pickled Radishes:
https://www.mexicanplease.com/spicy-pickled-radishes/
Cheers.
Suzy
Oh my goodness! You have spoiled me. I don’t even want a taco without your curtido now! (Or burrito, enchilada, or eggs, or sandwich, or…).
Patrick
🙂
Steve
Thought about using plain chopped cabbage to give some added crunch to pork carnitas and found your recipe- even better! I sliced a 1/4 head of cabbage and that was more than enough for what I needed. Still used 1/2 onion and a minced serrano pepper, but had no carrots around so I halved the brine recipe (used apple cider vinegar). No pint glasses either so I used a gallon size ziploc bag and it worked out great, could really squeeze the air out for maximum contact with the brine. Thanks for the recipe!!
Patrick
Ahh good news, thanks much for mentioning your adjustments Steve! Cheers.
Doug
Can you water bath these and seal them to be eaten months later?
Patrick
Hey Doug! Wish I could give a better answer, but I don't do any long term preserving and haven't tried that with this recipe yet. Cheers.
JoeW
Hello, Patrick.
I made the curtido 2 days ago, and used it as a condiment for your Hardshell Beef Tacos. Both turned out great.
I cut it with a bit of rice wine vinegar, to tone down the bite of the distilled vinegar.
Many thanks for both recipes.
Joe
Patrick
Oh nice thanks for your note Joe, sounds like a proper meal 🙂
Britta Sandberg
Love this & make it all the time. I first tasted it on Caye Caulker in Belize. Wonderful with spicy jerk chicken, BBQ ribs, or a nice Caribbean curry w/ coconut rice. <3
Patrick
Oooh sounds delicious 🙂
Taco
In south Texas, I found a recipe with cloves that made it even better so threw a few in there for this batch.
Patrick
Hey good to know, thanks for mentioning this! Cheers.
Delma Moreno
Does it need to be overnight?
Patrick
Hey Delma! You can use it right after making it for a preview, but the flavor won't penetrate fully into the cabbage until it rests in the brine for a bit. Cheers.
Kathleen Wilson
This is really good. We got a pile of Texas BBQ take-out, they didn’t put in the usual ho-him sliced pickles and ......voila! This pickled cabbage kicked the meal up a notch or three. I’ll get around to tacos next week. The cabbage is in the fridge waiting.
Patrick
Thanks Kathleen!