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How to make easy homemade pickled jalapeños – prepared in no time at all, with just 6 ingredients (water, salt, and sugar included!), and perfect for adding to nachos, burgers, wraps, and more!
This year has been ‘the’ year of preserving foods and versatile recipes. I’ve already posted these pickled cucumbers and pickled turnips, and now it’s the turn of these spicy pickled jalapeños.
Homemade pickled jalapeños take no time at all to make and don’t contain any artificial ingredients or nasty add-ins. All you need is the pickling vinegar mixture and you’ll have a natural, flavourful preservative, perfect for tangy, spicy jalapeños.
The resulting pickled jalapenos are a delicious combination of spicy, tangy, sweet, and crispy. Once ready, pop them in the fridge for up to two months and add (liberally) to any dish you’d like (if you’re not eating them straight from the jar, that is)!
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The Ingredients
- Jalapeños
- Garlic – this is technically optional, but I love the added flavor that the garlic provides to the mixture.
- Water
- Vinegar – I use homemade apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar). You can experiment with different kinds of vinegar to see how you prefer the results, as they will each affect the flavor in different ways. I.e., ACV provides a hint of sweetness.
- Sugar
- salt – It’s best to use a salt with no ‘additives’. You can even use specific ‘pickling salt’, as this won’t become cloudy within the brine.
The Pickled Jalapeño Recipe
Step 1: Sterilize the jars
Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinsing well. Then place the jars (no rubber or plastic parts) in a pre-heated oven for ten minutes at 160ºC/325ºF to completely dry them.
Step 2: Prepare the pickled jalapenos
Slice the jalapenos into small rings (excluding the root/top). You can do this by hand or with a mandoline for completely even results. It’s best to do this with gloves, to protect your hands/skin.
Then, in a medium saucepan, add the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt and bring to boil. Stir well, to dissolve the sugar and salt.
Once it boils, add the sliced jalapenos and the garlic, and switch off the heat. Allow the jalapenos to sit in this mixture for 15 minutes – during this time you’ll notice them turning more of an olive-green color, this is normal.
If some remain brighter – don’t worry, they will dull further as they are kept in the fridge.
Allow the mixture to cool before transferring it to sterilized jars. To do this, I like to use tongs to move the peppers over to the empty jar and then ladle in the liquid until the peppers are completely submerged. Pop on the lid tightly and transfer to the fridge.
They are then ready to be consumed immediately. Though if you allow them to sit in the fridge for a few days first, the flavors will have combined even further for the best results!
How To Store
These pickled jalapeños will last two months in the fridge, in an airtight jar.
Note that the longer they sit in the fridge, the heat of the peppers will mellow out more.
You can also water bath ‘can’ the jalapeños for longer-term storage, though this isn’t something I usually do since a batch never lasts very long for me. If you are wanting to do so, then it’s best to refer to trusted sources on the method such as the USDA or NCHFP guidelines.
How To Serve
How you decide to eat these pickled jalapeños really depends on personal taste. Here are some of my favorite recipes to use them with, either sprinkled over or chopped up in:
- Nachos – how could I not mention this option?! Sprinkle liberally with your favorite cheese sauce and other nacho goodies.
- Over fries and potatoes – like these Crispy Baked Fries or Lebanese Spicy Potatoes Batata Harra.
- Mac n’ Cheese or other pasta bakes – like this Vegetarian One-Pot Pasta bake
- Tacos – like these Jackfruit Vegan Tacos or Easy ground beef tacos.
- Wraps – like this falafel wrap
- Over pizza – like this Delicious Homemade Neapolitan pizza (Marinara style) along with your other favorite pizza toppings.
- Burgers – like this Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger, Pumpkin Bean Burger With Spicy Mayo Sauce, or Homemade Vegan Falafel Burger.
- Omelette – chopped up into tiny pieces and mixed into or sprinkled over omelets, like this Veggie Omelette.
- Salads – You can add these to any salad you want to liven up. Like this Easy Spinach and Blackberry Salad.
- In this Quick & Simple Watermelon Salsa
FAQs
You sure can! For pickled whole jalapenos simply stab them with a knife/fork in a few places to allow the pickling brine to penetrate the peppers easier.
This depends – for this recipe, yes. However, if you water bath can the pickles, then you can make them shelf-stable.
No, in fact, it’s the opposite. Pickling jalapeños will make them slightly milder. You can then further control the heat of the peppers based on how much sugar you add to the brine.
Recipe Notes
- You can add in optional extras like sliced onions, carrots, or bell peppers. You could also add smashed ginger or even herbs.
- Adjust the spiciness with the amount of sugar you add to the pickling liquid.
- You can use specific pickling salt if preferred, as regular salt can make the pickling liquid/brine cloudy and look like spoilage (though it isn’t).
- You can optionally use a cold brine method for these jalapenos, and it will result in crunchier pickled jalapenos or even heat the brine separately, then allow it to cool before pouring over the sliced peppers. I discuss the cold pickling method more in this pink pickled turnips recipe.
- You can reuse the pickling brine for further refrigerator pickling (of any veg, not just jalapenos – but only for refrigerated version, not canning). You could also use it within cocktails, like spicy bloody mary’s or salad dressings, etc.
Related Recipes
If you try this easy homemade pickled jalapeno recipe, then let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments. I’d also really appreciate a recipe rating and would love to see your recreations – just tag @AlphaFoodie.
How to Make Pickled Jalapeños
Ingredients
- 10 jalapenos
- 3 medium garlic cloves
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp cane sugar
- 1.5 Tbsp salt
Instructions
Step 1: Sterilize the jars
- Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinsing well. Then place the jars (no rubber or plastic parts) in a pre-heated oven for ten minutes at 160ºC/325ºF to completely dry them.
Step 2: prepare the pickled jalapenos
- Slice the jalapenos into small rings (excluding the root/top) – You can do this by hand or with a mandoline for completely even results. It's best to do this with gloves, to protect your hands/skin.
- In a medium saucepan, add the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt and bring to boil. Stir well, to dissolve the sugar and salt.
- Once it boils add the sliced jalapenos and garlic, and switch off the heat. Allow the jalapenos to sit in this mixture for 15 minutes – during this time you'll notice them turning more of an olive-green color, this is normal.If some remain brighter – don't worry, they will dull further as they are kept in the fridge.
- Allow the mixture to cool before transferring it to sterilized jars. To do this, I like to use tongs to move the peppers over to the empty jar and then ladle in the liquid until the peppers are completely submerged. Pop on the lid tightly and transfer to the fridge.
- They are then ready to be consumed immediately. Though if you allow them to sit in the fridge for a few days first, the flavors will have combined even further for the best results!
How To Store
- These pickled jalapeños will last two months in the fridge, in an airtight jar.You can also water bath ‘can’ the jalapeños for longer-term storage, though this isn’t something I usually do since a batch never lasts very long for me. If you are wanting to do so then it’s best to refer to trusted sources on the method such as the USDA or NCHFP guidelines.
Video
Notes
- You can add in optional extras like sliced onions, carrots, or bell peppers. You could also add smashed ginger or even herbs.
- Adjust the spiciness with the amount of sugar you add to the pickling liquid.
- You can use specific pickling salt if preferred, as regular salt can make the pickling liquid/brine cloudy and look like spoilage (though it isn’t)
- You can optionally use a cold brine method for these jalapenos, and it will result in crunchier pickled jalapenos or even heat the brine separately, then allow it to cool before pouring over the sliced peppers. I discuss the cold pickling method more in this pink pickled turnips recipe.
- You can reuse the pickling brine for further refrigerator pickling (of any veg, not just jalapenos- but only for refrigerated version, not canning). You could also use it within cocktails, like spicy bloody mary’s or salad dressings, etc.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this, although the vinegar and jalapeños have set off an unruly bomb in my apartment……………the results are delicious.
Hi Rachel! I’m so glad you loved the pickled jalapeños! Sorry about the unruly bomb <3
This is a recipe that I intend to try. The only difference is I have always cold packed my peppers. I have also added a few small green tomatoes.
I hope you give it a try, Carolyn. Let me know how it goes!
Can I use this same recipe for preserved “chopped” jalapenos (using food processor), instead of sliced rings?
Hey Sue! Yes, you can use this recipe for chopped jalapeños instead of sliced rings! Just keep in mind that finely chopping them (especially in a food processor) may release more heat into the brine, making the pickling liquid spicier.
Also, since chopped jalapeños are more compact, you may need slightly less brine to cover them fully in the jar. Otherwise, the process remains the same. Hope that helps!