Quick Pickled Jalapenos
Quick pickled jalapeños are the perfect ingredient for occasion. Add them to sandwiches, pizza, tacos, or simply eat them by themselves!
Did you pick a peck of peppers and now you’re in a pickle? This pickled jalapeño pepper recipe is quick, easy, and delicious! Once you try them, they will become a staple at your table.
Once you learn how to quick pickle vegetables you’re going to want to try it with every vegetable you can. These spicy little jalapenos go great with some pickled red onion and pickled radishes on my tacos and I’ve mixed them with pickled cauliflower and chicken for an awesome taco bowl lunch.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Fresh jalapeños – You’ll thinly slice these to pickle. I try to pick peppers that are around the thickness of a nickel if possible.
- Garlic – This adds a little extra flavor the jalapenos without being overwhelming.
- White vinegar – you can substitute with rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar. We do not suggest you use red wine vinegar as it will color your vegetables red.
- Water
- Kosher salt – The salt should be non-iodized. We suggest kosher salt or sea salt. Iodized salt will turn vegetables a dark color.
- Sugar – you can substitute with an artificial sweetener such as Stevia or Splenda if you choose.
This is a basic brine, but you want to bring on the heat you can try adding various dried spices. Try adding peppercorns, Mexican oregano, cumin seeds, bay leaf, and even red pepper flakes to make it really spicy!
Want to learn more? Check out our guide on How to Make Quick Pickled Vegetables!
Instructions
Step 1 – Combine ingredients. In a large pot combine vinegar, sliced jalapenos, garlic, water, salt, and sugar. If you are adding any additional spices, include them as well. Stir together.
Step 2 – Boil. Bring the mixture to a boil and then cover with a lid and remove the pot from the heat. Let the jalapeños stew in the hot liquid until they go from bright green to olive green. Approximately 10 minutes.
Step 3 – Pour into jars. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to move the jalapeño slices into the mason jar. Once the jalapeños fill the jar, pour or ladle the pickling brine over the jalapeños until the jar is topped off. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
Step 4 – Pickle. Screw the lid on and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Best Container to Use
We recommend using glass wide mouth pint jars. The glass won’t react with the vinegar and they are durable and reusable with air tight seal.
How to Use Pickled Jalapenos
Pickled jalapeños are a great way to add some extra flavor to your dishes. Toss them on omelets, nachos, salads, or add them to a charcuterie board! There are a million uses for pickled jalapenos. Here are some of our favorite dishes to try them with:
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Shredded Chicken Taco Bowl
- Pulled Pork Tacos
- Steak Fajita Pasta Salad
- Shrimp Ceviche
- Creamy Jalapeno Corn Dip
Since these are quick pickled and not canned, they cannot be stored at room temperature and must be stored in the refrigerator. The vinegar does a good job of preserving them so they will safely last up to 2 months in the fridge.
Sugar is used in pickling to help to reduce the tartness of the vinegar. We use it when pickling peppers to help temper the heat of the fresh jalapeños. Sugar chemically reduces the effects of the capsaicin (the active component in chili peppers that makes them spicy). We add just enough to lower the heat of the pepper a bit without making the peppers sweet.
The heat of pickled jalapeños can vary from batch to batch. Some jalapeños can be hotter than others, but the average jalapeño hits about medium on the spice gauge.
As we said above, the sugar in the recipe helps to temper the heat as does the vinegar itself. Both help counteract the capsaicin in the peppers so these pickled peppers shouldn’t be terribly spicy.
However, if you want to tone down the heat you can also cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and white ribs before cutting them into slices.
Your peppers should be soft but not mushy. The biggest reason for mushy peppers is overcooking. The best way to avoid this is to make sure to remove your pot from the heat as soon as the liquid comes to a boil and to move the peppers from the hot liquid and into the jar as soon as they turn to the olive/army green color.
If you keep an eye on your peppers and keep them from overcooking, your pickled jalapeños should turn out just right.
Jalapeños are not only tasty but packed full of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and antioxidants. They can also boost your metabolism! Keep a jar of these pickled peppers in your fridge as a smart choice for a healthy snack or to toss them into any meal for added health benefits.
Looking for More Quick Pickled Vegetables?
- Quick Pickled Cucumber
- Quick and Easy Pickled Cauliflower
- Easy Refrigerator Zucchini Pickles
- Pickled Green Beans {Dilly Beans}
- Quick Pickled Carrots
- Quick Pickled Garlic
- Pickled Red Onions
- Quick Pickled Radishes
- More Pickled Vegetables…
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Pickled Jalapenos
Ingredients
- 14 ounces Fresh jalapenos, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
- 1.5 cups White vinegar
- 1.5 cups Water
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Sugar, can use sugar substitute
Instructions
- In a large pot combine sliced jalapenos, garlic, white vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Stir together.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then cover and remove the pot from the heat. Let the jalapenos stew in the hot liquid until they go from bright green to olive green. Approximately 10 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon, or tongs, to move the jalapeno slices into the mason jar.
- Once the jalapenos fill the jar, pour the pickling brine over the jalapenos until the jar is topped off. Let the jalapenos cool for 5-10 minutes then screw the lid on and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Notes
Nutrition
