Pickled Jalapeño Peppers

Peter Piper picked a peck of Pickled Jalapeño Peppers! That’s how it goes, right? Everything is always better made at home! This nacho topping is something you’ve, maybe, never considered making from scratch. With 5 minutes of prep and the BEST peppers you’ve ever tasted, I must ask, why not?!

Who else asks for extra pickled jalapeños when you grab some nachos at a [insert your favorite sport] game? The perfect ratio, for me, is one pepper per chip. The spice, salt, vinegar; it’s so good. You can only imagine my delight when I learned how easy they are to make at home. They’re also WAY better when you make it yourself. Not to throw any shade on my beloved stadium peppers, but these are just far superior.

I love to make them nice and garlicky with the perfect touch of sugar to balance out the acidity. Not to mention they actually pack some heat, unlike their store-bought brethren. What’s the point of having peppers without a little bit of fire? All that, and the most labor and time-intensive part of the process is slicing the peppers.

Ingredients

Click that “Jump to Recipe” button or keep on scrolling down to the recipe card for ingredient amounts and instructions. I know this writing may feel like an assault on whichever finger you’re using to scroll, but, just give me a chance. I swear it’s all useful stuff.

• Jalapeño peppers – This recipe will also work with other types of peppers.
• Vinegar – White vinegar works best, but you can use some white wine vinegar to spice things up if you’d like.
• Water – Add a bit more for slightly less vinaigery peppers.
• Garlic – As much or little as you like.
• Peppercorns – I used regular black peppercorns. Use any type you have handy.
• Salt – Regular table salt. If you use kosher, add an extra 3/4 tsp.
• Sugar – I like my peppers less sweet and more savory. Add more sugar if you like your pickled items sweeter.

How to make pickled jalapeño peppers

1. Slice: the jalapeño peppers to about 1/4″ inch, or your desired thickness.
2. Brine: Add the vinegar, water, garlic, peppercorns, salt, and sugar to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
3. Soften peppers: Add the peppers to the pot. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the color of the peppers transitions from a vibrant green to a more dull, army green.
4. Jar: Add the peppers to a sealable canning jar. Pour the brine into the jar, including the garlic and peppercorns, until it’s filled. Seal the jar and refrigerate.

Can I pickle whole peppers?

Don’t want to lose any of those precious seeds? You can pickle your peppers whole, if you’d like. My only suggestion here is to make sure you get a nice and big jar to let them float around in. Stab a few holes around each pepper with a paring knife to allow the brine to penetrate the jalapeños inside and out. Follow the recipe as directed otherwise!

How to use up your peppers

We know the classic, of course, nachos. Unfortunately, it is “frowned upon” to each nachos every single day. Ridiculous, I know. With this in mind I’ve compiled a list of other uses so that you can enjoy these peppers every day without feeling like a degenerate!

• Burgers
• Tacos
• Chopped up for a salad
• Cheesy fries
• Homemade salsa or guacamole
• Hot dogs
• Pizza

How to store pickled jalapeños

Before you pop this in the pantry, this is not a proper canning recipe, simply a quick-pickle. As a result, you have to store these peppers in the fridge. I’m not exactly an expert when it comes to proper canning. I’ll need more lessons from my expert sister! Until then, refer to this amazing resource if you’d like these peppers to be shelf-stable.

Your homemade peppers will last 3-4 months in the fridge. Make sure they are fully submerged in the brine to ensure they stay preserved properly.

Did you love this recipe? Try some more from my kitchen!

• Homemade Salsa
• Pico de Gallo
• Watermelon and Feta Salad
• Greek Salad

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