Pickled Jalapeños Recipe

By
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo is an experienced recipe developer, cookbook author, and blogger behind In Jennie's Kitchen.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/28/22
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Headshot of Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana earned her B.A. in Fine Art at Queens College and her culinary certification from the Institute of Culinary Education. Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer, and product tester at Food Network.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Pickled Jalapeños in jars

The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Cooling Time: 60 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Yield: 2 jars

Take Taco Tuesday to the next level by adding some homemade pickled jalapeños. These tangy chilies will also bring oomph to your next grilled cheese and or jazz up your nachos.

You'll need two 12-ounce glass mason jars which can be found in large supermarkets, hardware, and craft stores. Be sure to sterilize them first in a pot of boiling water before you get started. These spicy pickled peppers start with boiling a mixture of water, vinegar, and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. The hot liquid gets poured over thinly sliced jalapeños, then cooled and stored in the fridge. It's that easy!

You can use your pickled jalapeños right away if you're in a rush, but a few days in the fridge cures them a bit and is worth the patience if you can muster it. The pickled jalapeños will last up to two months refrigerated, or you can use a hot water bath to can them for long term shelf-stable storage.

We love keeping the fridge stocked with these, but homemade pickled jalapeños are also an easy gift to give friends, family, teachers, and co-workers. Tie jars with decorative ribbon or cover tops with fabric for extra flair.

"There's nothing better to have in the refrigerator than pickled jalapeños. Aside from the fact that they're delicious on everything, this particular recipe was easy to make, and you can eat them immediately! Also, I had a couple of extra Fresno chilis in my refrigerator, so I added them too, which made everything so colorful." —Diana Andrews

Pickled Jalapenos/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound jalapeño peppers (6 to 8 medium to large peppers)

  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced into thin rings

  • 1 clove garlic, halved

  • 1 1/2 cups white vinegar

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 cup water

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Pickled Jalapeños ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. Thinly slice the jalapeños crosswise (do not remove the seeds). Divide the jalapeños and onion slices between the mason jars. Add a piece of garlic to each jar.

    Sliced jalapeños, onions and garlic in jars

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. In a small non-reactive saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, water, and salt over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally over a vigorous simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.

    Vinegar, sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. Pour the hot vinegar mixture evenly over the jalapeños, onions, and garlic in the jars, being sure they are completely covered.

    Jalapeños in jars and the vinegar mixture in a saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. Let the jars sit, uncovered, until cool, about 1 hour. Pickled jalapeños can be used at this point, or you can cover them with lids and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

    Pickled Jalapeños in jars

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

Tips

  • Spice Up Salad Dressings: Don’t dump that pickling liquid! Swap out some of the vinegar in your favorite salad dressing and use an equal amount of the brining liquid from these pickled jalapeños for jazzed up salad dressing.
  • Zingy Aioli: Finely chop some pickled jalapeños and stir into mayonnaise for a spicy upgrade on your next sandwich.

Recipe Variation

  • Get creative with fresh and dried herbs. Try allspice berries, cloves, fresh ginger, or even star anise to add your own spin on this spicy condiment.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
93 Calories
0g Fat
22g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 93
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 109mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 27mg 137%
Calcium 8mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 69mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)