Pickled Jalapeños

Make these pickled jalapeños once, and you'll be hooked. Sweet & spicy, they're great on tacos, burgers & more, or on their own straight from the jar!

Pickled jalapeños in a mason jar

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know that I’m a huge fan of pickled onions. They’re tangy, they’re sweet, they’re salty – really, they’re just darn good. For the longest time, they’ve been my favorite way to add a bright pop of color and flavor to salads, tacos, sandwiches, and more. But lately, pickled onions have been playing second fiddle to a new quick-pickle favorite: pickled jalapeños!

These guys are the perfect blend of spicy, salty, and sweet. And if you’re not a fan of spicy foods, they’re still worth a try. The longer you leave them in the fridge, the sweeter and less spicy they become. All you need to make them is 6 ingredients and 10 minutes, so let’s get pickling!

Quick pickled jalapeños ingredients

How to Pickle Jalapeños

If you’ve ever made another type of quick pickle at home, making this pickled jalapeño recipe is no different. If you haven’t, don’t worry. The process is super easy. Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Slice your jalapeños and stuff two mason jars full of pepper slices. Then, add a smashed garlic clove to each mason jar.
  2. Next, make the brine by simmering vinegar, water, sugar, and salt over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Pour the brine over the jarred peppers, let them cool to room temperature, and store them in the fridge for up to two weeks!

That’s it! If you’re feeling fancy, you could add a pinch of cumin seeds, peppercorns, mustard seeds, or a bay leaf to your brine, but I like this quick pickled jalapeño recipe best just how it is.

How to make pickled jalapeños

How to Use Pickled Jalapeños

I made a huge batch of these pickled jalapeños last week, and let me tell you, I’ve been putting them on everything – quick sandwiches, toss-together grain bowls, salads, eggs, you name it. I urge you to try adding them to anything you’re making that could use a sweet, tangy pop of spice, but if you’re looking for specific recipes, here are some ideas:

Pickled jalapeño recipe

Love these pickled jalapeños?

Try making pickled red onions, pineapple salsa, cilantro lime dressing, or tomatillo salsa to add another extra pop of flavor to your favorite dishes.

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Pickled Jalapeños

rate this recipe:
4.97 from 57 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves 2 jars
These pickled jalapeños are the perfect sweet & spicy addition to salads, tacos, burgers, and more! The longer they sit it the fridge, the sweeter and milder they'll become.

Ingredients

  • 10 jalapeños, thinly sliced
  • 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 cup white distilled vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • cup cane sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt

Instructions

  • Divide the jalapeños into 2 (16-ounce) lidded jars and place a garlic clove in each jar.
  • In a small saucepan over low heat, simmer the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Pour the brine over the jalapeños. Let cool to room temp, then cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

 

99 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Frank
    01.13.2024

    Can this recipe be stored for more than 2 weeks? Several recipes state pickled jalopenas can be stored unto 6 months.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      Hi Frank, it can – they won’t go bad but the brine starts to lose its flavor eventually. You can taste and decide.

  2. Blair S
    12.27.2023

    How soon after you put them together are the ready to eat?

  3. julie schuette
    09.08.2023

    5 stars
    Sooo Good … i got some SUPER fresh organic jalapeños… omg Spicy yet wanting to go back for more.!!!!!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.11.2023

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  4. brian
    09.03.2023

    How long will they store for?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.05.2023

      Hi Brian, about 2 weeks.

  5. Ken E
    08.13.2023

    Can Stevia be subbed for the sugar?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.14.2023

      I think that would be fine here.

  6. ASHLEE
    07.31.2023

    These are absolutely delicious!! I was wondering if I could freeze these?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.01.2023

      I haven’t tried freezing them, I’m not sure.

    • Brad
      10.21.2023

      4 stars
      Hi. You can freeze whole peppers although they will expel extra moisture when sautéed. I would not recommend freezing pickled jalapeño (pickled items will last for a while).

      You can also dehydrate peppers and carefully grind them into pepper flakes. I have the above but need pickled peppers next.

  7. Sarah Heye
    06.23.2023

    I’m wanting to pickle some jalapeños from my garden. Your recipe calls for sugar. Won’t this make the jalapeñoes sweet? Will it effect the recipe if I leave out the sugar?

    • Jillian Thorson-Friedmam
      08.04.2023

      4 stars
      I use a half teaspoon of sugar in each jar. It cuts the heat. Or I just leave the sugar out but usually remove the seeds.

      • Barbara
        10.19.2023

        Do you do that in addition to the sugars in the brine

  8. Donna
    06.05.2023

    How about canning these? What would be the processing time?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.06.2023

      Hi Donna, I’m not experienced at canning so I’m not sure.

    • Barbara brunsen
      10.18.2023

      we can a ton. And I have done Cowboy Candied Jalapeños , I’m going to do these and to be safe hot bath for 20 minutes.

    • Barbie Brunsen
      10.18.2023

      So I did some research on canning this. And everything I’ve found says no! Not sure why though? Has Vinegar and sugar in it!

    • Regi
      11.21.2023

      They’re pickled, so you only need to water bath them for 15-29 minutes to make sure the seal sets

  9. Terri
    04.05.2023

    Can you skip the salt or reduce the amount if you have to limit your salt intake due to high blood pressure? I love your food blog BTW!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      04.07.2023

      Hi Terri, so glad you love the blog! You could use less salt here for sure. Enjoy!

  10. Ivy Drawbridge
    01.31.2023

    5 stars
    Absolutely love this recipe. Thank you for sharing!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.02.2023

      Hi Ivy, so glad you loved the recipe!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.