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Get the recipe for these Quick-Pickled Jalapeños that are crunchy, tangy, spicy, and ready in 10 minutes! Perfect on nachos, sandwiches, snacking, and more.
If you’re here, I’m assuming you love pickled jalapeños just as much as I do – they’re crunchy, they’re tangy, they’re perfectly spicy, and they’re the perfect condiment *and* straight-out-of-the-jar snack.
Believe it or not, it’s actually incredibly easy (and cheap!) to make your own Quick-Pickled Jalapeños at home. In fact, you only need 5 ingredients + 10 minutes to make them!
INGREDIENTS
This recipe is perfect for everyone – whether you’re a gardener or want to make a little (or a lot!) of this crunchy and tangy condiment, this recipe is easily scaleable and made from simple kitchen supplies. The carrot and garlic are technically optional, but I find that they add a lot of flavor – and are traditionally added to most pickled jalapeños you would get from the store!
If you are sensitive to spice you can choose to remove some or all of the jalapeño seeds before pickling them. Spice level will vary from pepper to pepper, but the seeds hold most of the heat! You can also choose to make this recipe with whole peppers instead of sliced, but it will take more time for them to fully pickle.
HOW TO MAKE PICKLED JALAPEÑOS
The quick-pickling process is similar for all vegetables, and goes something like this:
- Slice & Stuff : cut your jalapeños and stuff them into a quart-sized jar with garlic and carrots
- Simmer: bring the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil on the stove, then pour into the jar of jalapeños
- Serve: after the jalapeños have softened a little and darkened in color, serve as desired.
If you’re in a real time crunch you can let the peppers pickle for as little as 7 minutes, but I personally prefer to let them sit in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) so all of those good flavors can dance and mingle.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
There is no shame in enjoying pickled jalapeños straight out of the jar, but if you’d like to use them in some actual recipes, they can be enjoyed…
- Sprinkled over nachos,
- Stuffed into quesadillas,
- Added to a plant-based queso dip,
- Chopped and tossed with tex-mex salads or burrito bowls,
- or blended with your favorite homemade dressing for an extra kick! (Think ranch or this Chipotle Mayo)
What’s your favorite way to enjoy pickled jalapeños? I’d love to know in the comments below! And as always, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
PS – If you’re looking for more pickled deliciousness, you’ll also love these Quick Pickled Red Onions, this Dill Pickle Pasta Salad, and this Tex-Mex Black Bean Salad!
PrintQuick-Pickled Jalapeños
Get the recipe for these Quick-Pickled Jalapeños that are crunchy, tangy, spicy, and ready in 10 minutes! Perfect on nachos, sandwiches, snacking, and more.
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Cook Time: 2 Minutes
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: ~4 cups
- Category: Side
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 5–9 jalapeños, sliced* (about 4 cups or 315g)
- 1 1/4 cup (295 ml) distilled white vinegar
- 1 1/4 cup (295 ml) filtered water
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher, sea, or pink himalayan salt
- 2 teaspoons cane sugar*
- Optional add-ins: 3-5 garlic cloves and/or 1 small carrot, peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Prep: Use a mandoline or a knife to evenly slice the jalapeños and stuff them into a quart-sized glass mason jar; if you are sensitive to heat, you can remove some or all of the seeds. Add the garlic and carrot to the jar as well, if using.
- Pickle: Prepare the pickling liquid by adding the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar to a small pot or pan over high heat. Stir the mixture together to dissolve the salt and sugar. Once the liquid comes to a boil, carefully pour it into the glass mason jar and let it sit on your counter until it cools to room temperature. The jalapeños will gradually shrink, soften, and turn to a more yellow-green over time – if any stick above the liquid in the beginning, press them down with a fork 5-10 minutes later.
- Seal your jar once cool, then store in the fridge for up to one month. These pickled jalapeños will be the most crispy within the first week, then will gradually soften with time. Serve as desired.
Notes
- Sugar: pickled recipes are traditionally made with cane sugar, but I have also tried this recipe with coconut sugar and it works well. Just make sure the sugar is totally dissolved before you pour it over the peppers!
- Vinegar: distilled white vinegar is the best neutral-tasting vinegar for this recipe, but apple cider vinegar will work as well.
- Jalapeños: this recipe will also work with whole jalapeños, or larger slices – it will just take longer for them to fully pickle.
Keywords: pickled jalapeños, homemade pickled jalapeños, jalapeño recipes
I made these as a friend said they were good.
These are fantastic!
We eat them on everything! There was a family gathering and I took out a jar and POOF! they were all gone.
It was suggested to swap out the water for white wine which I intend to try but wow are these good. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Happy you liked it, Daryl! We’re glad you gave it a try.