Sichuan Flower Pepper Pickled Carrots (花椒 Mala Pickled Carrots)

Ready in minutes, these spicy Sichuan pickled carrots add a crunchy, mouth-numbing bite to everything from banh mi to tacos to grain bowls and hot dogs. If you've cooked with Sichuan flower peppercorns (also called da hong pao or huā jiāo), you already know what makes these special. They bring heat in two completely different ways all at once.

The bird's-eye chili brings sharp, immediate heat (là). The Sichuan flower pepper layers in má, the tingly, mouth-numbing sensation that's unique to Sichuan cooking. Together they create málà, the signature flavor profile of Sichuan cuisine.

Together, they make a quick pickle that wakes up shrimp burgers, your favorite tacos, wraps, and homemade banh mi. Skip the peppers if you want a plain pickled carrot (same recipe, no heat).

Quick Pickle or Shelf-Stable? You Can Make Both

This recipe works two ways: refrigerate the jar right after sealing for a quick pickle ready in 24 hours and best within two weeks, or follow the full sterilizing steps to make them shelf-stable for several months. Either way, the brine, ratios, and instructions below are the same.

This carrot recipe is a quick pickle. You can refrigerate them right away, or follow the full sterilizing steps below to make them shelf-stable.

Spicy Sichuan Pickled Carrots Ingredients

After living in Sichuan for four years, the flower pepper became one of my favorite ingredients to eat and cook with. It's worth being a little apprehensive with it if you've never tried it.

The numbing sensation is unlike anything else, and most palates take a few tastings to come around to it. But then it becomes almost addictive.

Start small with a quarter teaspoon, and work up if you want more mala. Want them seriously spicy? Add another bird's-eye chili and a heavier hand on the cracked Sichuan peppercorns. Want zero heat? Skip both the carrots are still excellent.

• carrots (whole, not bagged baby carrots)
• white vinegar or rice wine vinegar
• water
• granulated sugar
• kosher salt
• Sichuan bird's-eye chili peppers
• red Sichuan flower peppercorns, cracked

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Spicy Sichuan Pickled Carrots

The best homemade pickles usually come from a farmer's market or garden produce picked early and processed the same morning, but this recipe works year-round with grocery store carrots. Scale it up if you want to make multiple jars at once.

1. Prepare the carrots. Peel and julienne the carrots using a mandoline or a sharp knife.
2. Sterilize the jar. Wash and rinse the jar, then either boil it for 10 minutes in a hot water bath or place it on a sheet tray and bake at 320°F (160°C) for about 20 minutes. Skip this step if you're making refrigerator pickles to eat within a couple of weeks.
3. Pack the jar. Add the carrots, bird's-eye chili, and Sichuan flower peppercorns to the jar, leaving enough space for the brine. The carrots will float once you add liquid, so leave room.
4. Sterilize the lid and band. Place the cleaned lid and band into a small pot of water and boil. This sterilizes them and warms the rubber gasket so it seals properly.
5. Make the brine and seal. Add the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Make sure the sugar and salt have fully dissolved, then turn off the heat. Ladle the brine into the jar, leaving ½ inch (1.5 cm) of headspace. Wipe the rim clean with a hot, wet towel, screw the lid and band on to fingertip-tight, and turn the jar upside down. Let it sit for 24 hours to cool and complete the seal.

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