My Quick Pickled Jalapenos will make a delicious addition to your next barbecue. We like them on tacos, burritos, even burgers! They take just a few minutes to make, and their tart, spicy flavor will complement all your favorite southwestern style meals.
One of the things that I enjoy most is making what I call “condiments and extras” in the kitchen. You know, all the little things that add that extra special touch to meals. In fact, I have a whole category of those recipes on this blog.
I just really enjoy making things like homemade croutons, tomato jam, relishes, a good classic vinaigrette, and more. It’s not that you can’t purchase them, it’s just that it’s fun to know how to make them yourself.
Take, for instance, this recipe for Quick Pickled Jalapenos. Can you buy these at your grocery store? Yep. By the case full if you want to. But I think it’s just a lot of fun to know how to do it yourself.
I mean, what if there was a shortage of pickled jalapeños tomorrow and you couldn’t get them? Heaven forbid. That would be no problem for us because we have the recipe!
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Servings: 8
Primary Ingredient(s): Jalapenos, Vinegar, Garlic, Bay Leaf, Oregano, Peppercorns
Skill Level: Easy
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- It’s quick and easy. The total time is about 20 minutes from start to finish!
- It’s fun to DIY kitchen staples for your family.
- It’s not a “canning” recipe, so you won’t need any special equipment.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“These pickled jalapenos have been a BIG hit with my family! My third batch is cooling right now. I can’t make them fast enough…“
— Debbie Maddox
Ingredient Notes
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To make one standard pint jar of Quick Pickled Jalapeños, you’ll need:
- About 8 nice plump jalapeno peppers – I often grow my own jalapenos, but they are readily available at any grocery store and are very inexpensive.
- White vinegar – Plain old distilled vinegar. Nothing fancy.
- Water
- Garlic – About three cloves, peeled.
- Sugar (or honey) – Either one works fine.
- Bay leaf, salt, oregano, and black peppercorns – The spices that give the jalapenos all that great pickled flavor.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Kitchen Equipment You’ll Use
This post contains affiliate links. Lana’s Cooking is reader-supported and earns a tiny commission at no extra cost to you when you shop from our links.
Since this is not a canning recipe, you can use any container you like to store your finished pickled jalapeños. I used a canning jar simply because I had one available. An old pickle jar or mayonnaise jar would work just as well. We’re not making a product that needs to be properly sealed for shelf storage, so any old thing will be fine.
What is a “non-reactive pan?”
For cooking the brine, you do need a non-reactive pan. What’s that, you ask? Well, some metals react with acidic ingredients (like lemon, vinegar, or tomatoes), and that can cause an off-taste or color. Pots and pans made of cast iron, copper, and aluminum are reactive, whereas ceramic, glass, stainless steel, and enameled pans are non-reactive.
How to Make Quick Pickled Jalapeños
Now that we have the equipment and ingredients sorted out, let’s get started on this recipe!
Prep the Jalapenos
👉 PRO TIP: Before you do anything else, just trust me and put on a pair of disposable kitchen gloves. Jalapeños contain oils that remain on your skin for several hours and can transfer to your mouth, nose, and eyes if touched. If you’re a contact lens wearer, you’ll thank me later for insisting on the gloves.
- Start by thinly slicing the jalapeno peppers using a sharp knife or mandolin. Discard the jalapeno stems and set the slices aside. Peel the two cloves of garlic.
👉 PRO TIP: I always use a mandolin for slicing these because it makes really quick work of this step and creates slices with uniform thickness. Use caution with a mandolin, however, because they’re really, really sharp, and will take the end off your finger before you even know it happened. ALWAYS use a guard with your mandolin, and pay attention to what you’re doing.
Make the Brine and Add the Jalapenos
- Add all the ingredients, except the jalapeño slices, to a medium non-reactive saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Stir in the jalapeño slices and remove the pan from the heat.
- Allow the mixture to cool for about 5 minutes or until the peppers turn a pretty olive green color. You’ll recognize the color from the commercially produced pickled jalapeños you’ve seen. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Transfer the Mixture to a Container
- Once the peppers have changed color, use a slotted spoon to transfer the slices (and garlic if keeping) to a clean storage jar.
- Strain the pickling liquid into the jar, filling it with enough liquid to cover the jalapeño slices.
- Close the jar and store it in the fridge. You can use your pickles immediately if you like, but their flavor won’t be fully developed for about a week. They’re best used within about two months, but will likely keep much longer.
Recipe Tips
You can remove the garlic if you like or leave it in. Removing the garlic will give the finished pickles a bit of a milder flavor. I always leave it in because I like garlic!
Recipe Variations/Substitutions
You can add additional garlic and different types of peppers if you would like to change things up.
How to Use Pickled Jalapenos
I use these Quick Pickled Jalapenos as a topping on tacos, nachos, burritos, quesadillas, or any other southwestern or Tex-Mex style recipes. They’re also really good just as an accompaniment to a sandwich, on salads, or on top of a hamburger or hot dog.
Can I Increase the Recipe?
Of course, you can! Just multiply the ingredients to make as many pints as you like.
Questions About Pickled Jalapeños
Store the leftovers in the fridge. They’ll keep for several weeks.
You can adjust the sugar to suit your taste. The sweetener will temper the heat of the peppers, so the more you use, the less pronounced the heat will be. If you like a lot of heat, go with just 1 tablespoon. I like the heat fairly muted, so I use 3 tablespoons. If you’re going for more of a candied jalapeno recipe, you’ll want to increase the sugar significantly. Most candied jalapeno recipes call for about a cup of sugar.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
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Quick Pickled Jalapenos
Ingredients
- 8 large jalapeno peppers
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and lightly crushed
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Instructions
- Thinly slice the jalapeno peppers using a sharp knife or mandolin. Discard the stems. Set the slices aside.8 large jalapeno peppers
- In a medium non-reactive pot, bring the remaining ingredients to a boil.1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water, 2 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 whole bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- Stir in the jalapeno slices and remove the pan from the heat. Allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes or until the peppers begin to take on an olive green color.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the jalapeno slices to a clean storage jar.
- Strain the pickling liquid into the jar filling adequately to cover the jalapeno slices.
- Close the jar and store in the refrigerator.
- Allow about a week for full flavors to develop. Best used within two months.
Notes
- I always recommend wearing disposable gloves when working with hot peppers. The oils can remain on your skin for several hours and can transfer to your mouth, nose, and eyes if touched.
- Adjust the sweetener to your taste. The sweetener mutes the heat of the peppers, so the more you use the more muted the peppers will be. If you like a lot of heat, go with just 1 tablespoon. I like the heat fairly muted so I use 3 tablespoons.
- The garlic may be removed before transferring the jalapenos to the jar for a milder flavor.
- You can use your pickled jalapenos immediately but full flavors won’t develop until about a week later. Lasts several months in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on July 27, 2020. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
Can you water bath the jalapenos for shelf storage?
This is not a tested canning recipe. It’s for refrigerator storage only.
Stumbled across your blog while looking for easy pickling recipes. I plan to also make the easy refrigerator pickles. Would this recipe work for canning for long term storage, or do you have a similar recipe for that? I could not find one on your website. Thanks for sharing your recipes! 😊
Hi Laura – this recipe hasn’t been tested for canning, it’s for refrigerator storage only. I don’t have a different one on my site, but there are quite a few on the internet!
I love a nice, spicy addition to my Mexican food and other recipes in general. You just can’t beat them fresh and home made like this. Thank you Lana.
You’re very welcome!
These pickled jalapenos have been a BIG hit with my family! My third batch is cooling right now. I can’t make them fast enough, so I went to the local farmer’s market to buy enough to mix with mine from my garden. I will be planting more jalapenos in my garden next year. We are anxious to try the kosher dills when they are ready. I am enjoying your website so much!
It’s always a pleasure to hear from a reader who is enjoying one of my recipes! Thanks!
Thanks for sharing! I have found your recipes to be among the best I’ve tried. I will continue to use these recipes. So thanks again!
Thank you so much, Mae! I appreciate you for visiting the blog :-)