These Mexican pickled jalapeno peppers, carrots, onions and garlic go with tacos, burritos or just about any Mexican dish you can think of.
Recipe
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I love spicy food, but jalapenos just aren't something I use tons of at any one time. Since I feel a little odd just buying one pepper, the rest of the bag usually ends up going bad. After realizing how easy it is to make pickled jalapenos, I don't think I'll ever be running into a bag of half decomposed jalapenos at the bottom of my vegetable drawer again.
Tart and piquant, these pickles make an awesome snack with a frosty beer and can be used as a condiment for your favorite Mexican dish. I even like adding these to sandwiches like banh mi and tortas.
I made a smallish portion for those of us with tiny refrigerators, but if you have the room, this is a great way to preserve that giant pack of jalapenos you picked up at Costco last week.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons honey (optional)
- 6 jalapeno peppers (sliced into ¼" wheels)
- 1 carrot (peeled and cut into ¼" wheels)
- 1 medium onion (peeled and cut into 16 wedges)
- 6 cloves garlic (peeled)
Instructions
- Remove the seeds and white pith of the jalapeno if you want them less spicy
- Put all the ingredients in a non-reactive (stainless steel) saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Continue boiling until the jalapenos have gone from a vivid green to an earthy olive green. Turn the heat off and allow the jalapeno pickles to cool.
- These jalapeno pickles can be stored for a very long time in a sealed container in the fridge. Serve with tacos, nachos, or just about any of your favorite Mexican foods.
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JohnK says
I made this as the recipe is written and had no problems. I am sensitive to salt and this was in no way too salty. If anything, the vinegar dominated. Very tasty!
Jacki C. says
I made this recipe last weekend and I absolutely loved it--will be making it again soon. I noticed the comments about saltiness--My pickles were a little salty the first day, but after a day or two in the refrigerator, the salt mellowed and it was all spice after that. When I put them in the jar, the veggies weren't completely covered so I topped off with a little apple cider vinegar. For a simple and very tasty hors d'oeuvre, serve with little slices of good quality Pecorino Romano--the creamy tang of the cheese cuts the spice. It's a perfect international pairing. Thanks for the great recipe!
Brandon says
Would this work if I put other types of peppers in with the jalapenos? I have some Thai Red Dragons that are super hot and I want a hotter batch of pickled peppers.
Mccloughan4050 says
Can I can this recipe in pint jars and water bath the same as I would with raw pac?
Marc Matsumoto says
I've never done it before but there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to.
Mccloughan4050 says
Thank you, I did can them, now I will see how they turned out. Winter stock!! Yeah. Will let you know so you may add it to your recipe if like.
Handsbestrong says
Hey Marc! Love the site! So awesome!!! Can't wait to try it all! Came across your jalapenos tonight. I LOVE pick. jalapenos! Growing up in So. Cal we had a lot of Mexican food around. They always had pick. jalap's that were crunchy and not mushy. I tried and tried to find a rec. that made them like this but never could. Well, I live in SW MO. now and I met this Amish girl here! Ha! The Amish know a lot about canning! 😉 Anyway, she told me just to cut up the jalap's with the carrots and onions, mix the K. salt with the vinegar and pour it on top, put it in the frig. IT WORKED!! No mushy jalap's!! Perfectly crunchy and super awesome! No cooking nessesary! Just thought I'd share it with you, but I know you are WAY PRO and know so much more than me!! 🙂 Love your stuff!!! 🙂
Faith
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks for your note and sharing your recipe! I love the crunchy kind too, but I'm too impatient to wait for them to pickle all the way:-) By cooking them a little they still retain a little crispness (certainly not as crunchy as totally raw), while pickling almost instantly (you can eat them right away).
As says
Hi im doing a Project and I just wanted to know how long do Jalapeno peppers stay fresh on the Counter
Thanks
S.A
Marc Matsumoto says
If you mean fresh jalapeños that haven't been pickled, they'll
start shriveling up after about a day. Pickled, they should last for weeks. If use a sterile jaring/canning technique, they should last for months.
Earlgrey25 says
Hi, my mom actually makes this quite often, if you want you can add zucchini, cauliflower and nopales, in similar sizes.
Kaye Adams says
Just made my second batch! They both turned out beautifully and my husband loves them! I went ahead and sterilized my jars and lids and poured it in hot. I think they'll keep in our extra fridge for quite some time now. I'm so excited to finally have a recipe we like for all those extra jalapenos from our little square foot garden. Thanks!
Kaye Adams says
Just made my second batch! They both turned out beautifully and my husband loves them! I went ahead and sterilized my jars and lids and poured it in hot. I think they'll keep in our extra fridge for quite some time now. I'm so excited to finally have a recipe we like for all those extra jalapenos from our little square foot garden. Thanks!
Chris says
I tried this recipe and I have to say that it is very good. I added a small amount of cumin to mine and I used cider vinegar and the additional flavor is tremendous. These jalapeno pickles are both sweet, hot and savory all at the same time. I want to try this same recipe except to substitue green tomatoes for the jalapenos and axe the cumin.
Chris says
I tried this recipe and I have to say that it is very good. I added a small amount of cumin to mine and I used cider vinegar and the additional flavor is tremendous. These jalapeno pickles are both sweet, hot and savory all at the same time. I want to try this same recipe except to substitue green tomatoes for the jalapenos and axe the cumin.
Marc Matsumoto says
Great idea with the green tomatoes, though you might not want to add tomatoes to the hot water as even a little heat will make them lose their crunch. Maybe make the brine and pour it over the tomatoes? Let us know how it goes!
David says
Thanks for the Pickled Jalapeno Recipe! Just awesome. I've tried making this before because after leaving San Diego I could not find good Mexican food where I lived.
Marilia says
they're perfect with tortas and tacos, but in my family, if we have a meat dish like pork or beef, they're automatically on the table 🙂
Linda m says
I used red and yellow bell peppers instead of carrots and added about 1/4 cup of sugar because I like hot and sweet. The only thing I would add would be to use a small pan because there isn't much liquid in comparison to the veggies. Thanks so much for the recipe. I will try lots of variations 🙂
jatipete says
I think it is superb. will make a batch
Scott Oberg says
Not that this sort of pickling is all that hard, but I usually just save the delicious pickle juice from store-bought dills or other treats and use that to make pickled jalepenos. They usually even go back into the same jar. Recycle!
YLK says
This recipe reminds me of a spicy snake bean (or yard long bean) with ground pork that my ex's mom used to make. She used to brine her own yard long beans for a few days before making the dish, which was spicy, tangy and absolutely delicious. I think I'm going to try and replicate her recipe starting with this recipe.
Marc says
Wow that sounds great! Thanks for sharing.