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!
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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!
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:
- Slice your jalapeños and stuff two mason jars full of pepper slices. Then, add a smashed garlic clove to each mason jar.
- Next, make the brine by simmering vinegar, water, sugar, and salt over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
- 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 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:
- Tuck them into your morning breakfast burrito or breakfast tacos.
- Add them to a salad like this Healthy Taco Salad or this Watermelon Salad.
- Top them onto a veggie burger, black bean burger, or grilled portobello mushroom burger.
- Use them instead of regular jalapeño to make extra-tangy guac, pico, or mango salsa.
- Dot them onto sweet potato chili fries, vegetarian tacos, or serve with fajitas or taquitos.
- Use them to finish a spicy sandwich like these chickpea shawarma wraps or top them onto avocado toast.
- Or enjoy them straight from the jar! 🙂
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.
Pickled Jalapeños
Ingredients
- 10 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
- 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ 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.
Hello, recipe looks great! I’m wondering if you should remove the jalapeno seeds or leave them in?
Hi Paula, we leave them in, but you can remove them if you want to reduce the spice level.
can I water bath these so I can store them longer?
Hi Annette, we haven’t tried it and aren’t experts on canning, so I’m not sure.
Likely not: the recipes that I’ve seen that are used in canning have a higher vinegar-to-water ratio.
Can you put some dill weed in this brine
Hi Larry, definitely!
2 pint jars packed full required any additional 1/2 cup of brine for a total of 2.5 cups
I am in love (and lemons) with this. It also paired perfectly with your sweet potato black bean tacos. I’ve done jalapeño onion radish and carrots so far. Amazing!
Can I do the same for garlic? I love pickled garlic and was hoping that the brine for this could be used for garlic.
Hi V, yep! You could use this brine for garlic.
Can you freeze them?
Hi Doris, I wouldn’t recommend freezing these.
Awesome and easy recipe to follow and the pickled jalapeños lasts for months. Especially when u open the jar vacuum seal it afterwards to lock in thr freshness
These went fast…. Can I just reuse the brine?
Can other vegetables be added?
yes! radishes or carrots would be great additions.
Excellent! Perfect touch of sweetness – great on eggs, with meat, or on its own!
Can I water bath can this recipe so they don’t need to be refrigerated?
Hi Arlene, we’re not experts on canning, so I’m not sure if it would work. I’d recommend looking for a recipe specifically designed for that.
I have water bathed for shelf stable jalapeños. I am below 1,000 ft in altitude so I water bath mine for about 10 mins and have had no issues.
I did a water bath to can this recipe and it worked great for me. I used them within 6 months, so I’m not sure on how much longer than 6 months they would be shelf stable after sealing.
Curious to why this recipe states it only is good for two weeks in the fridge. When in fact pickled jalapeños will last for many months six or more what makes this recipe different just curious.
Hi Sandy, we find the best flavor is best up until 2 week mark (or up to about a month). They won’t go bad. It’s about the same amount of time I’d keep an open jar of store-bought pickled jalapenos in my fridge. Hope that helps!
They will absolutely go bad after six months, not sure if you mean in your stated timeline or the one you’re replying to. The risk of botulism from garlic comes quick, and this doesn’t have all the preservatives that you’d find from a supermarket product. Even a month probably isn’t technically safe.
Wrong so very wrong. The acidity will make these save. There is zero risk of botulism. Now ifnit was water, no vinegar. Thisbis a safe recipe 100% this would be safe to can and will no go bad in the fridge unless you contaiminate it with something dirty… fingers or utensils.
I can and preserve for a living.
We ferment, pickle and can at home for our own use and invested in a pH meter. It takes the guesswork out of the equation. This recipe is cannable, indeed but we always check actual acidity.
Sorry just to clarify After the two weeks is it still safe to eat them or is two weeks use by date .Thankyou
Hello how long .will they last in the fridge for.Thankyou
This might be my 2nd comment. Easy to follow recipe and great results! Thank you.
Ha, so glad you love the recipe, Carolyn!