Love the tangy heat of jalapeños but don’t want to wait weeks to enjoy them? This Quick Pickled Jalapeño Peppers recipe delivers crisp, spicy, and slightly sweet peppers in just 15 minutes of prep.
This easy refrigerator pickle will become your new go-to for preserving hot peppers fast. No canning required (if you want to can them for longer storage, consult my pickling guide 101)!
With it being the third day of October, the weather has definitely taken a dive for the worse. It's starting to smell like fall in Montreal! And what's better to do on a chilly Friday than plan a Mexican fiesta, make yourself a spicy pineapple margarita with a jalapeno garnish, browse some links, and eat some vegetarian apple nachos? Unless it's Yom Kippur for you, and then you will do none of that, but your soul and waistline will probably thank you.
But if a Mexican fiesta is a part of your Friday/Saturday night plan, I've got just the thing for it - tangy, sweet, spicy quick-pickled jalapeno peppers, ready in under 30 minutes (plus 24 hours of pickling, if you can wait that long). For another Mexican canning recipe, check out my Mexican pickled vegetables. These babies are perfectly ready to spice up any drink, salad, or sandwich!
Ingredient Highlight: Jalapeños
For this recipe, you’ll want to use fresh jalapeños. Look for ones that are firm, glossy, and bright green, or red if they’re fully mature. Jalapeños strike the perfect balance between heat and crunch, making them an excellent choice for quick pickling.
If you're looking for more ways to use jalapeños in your cooking, try incorporating them into spicy and flavorful dishes like Peach Salmon Skewers with Peach-Jalapeño Crema or a vibrant homemade Schug (Yemenite Hot Sauce).
Top Tips to Make Pickled Jalapeños Recipe
Wear gloves! Jalapeño juice can irritate your skin, especially your eyes and nose, so be careful.
Slice thinly for a quicker pickle and more surface area for flavor absorption.
Don’t over-boil the brine. As soon as it comes to a boil, remove from heat to preserve the vinegar’s acidity.
Use a glass jar. A quart-sized mason jar works best and won’t retain odors.
Refrigerator and Long-Term Storage
This quick pickled jalapeño recipe are refrigerator pickles, which means they’re not shelf-stable unless you follow a proper canning method. For short-term storage, simply transfer the cooled peppers and brine into a tightly sealed jar and keep it in the fridge. They’ll stay fresh for up to two to three months, though the flavor and crunch are at their best within the first few weeks.
If you’re hoping to preserve your jalapeños for longer or looking to dive deeper into homemade preservation, you’ll want to explore the basics of how to quick pickle fruits and vegetables, or go a step further into the tangy, probiotic-rich world of fermented pickles.
More Pickle Suggestions!
For even more goodness in cans, check out my pickle and preserve recipes. Don't miss out on my kosher dill pickles and my family recipe for Russian marinated red peppers.
- Brandy Soaked Raisins
- The Easiest 3-Ingredient Blueberry Refrigerator Jam
- Marinated Cheese Curds
- Fermenting Kosher Dill Pickles At Home
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Recipe
Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.
Quick Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
Equipment
- large stoneware crock or a glass jar
- weights to keep the vegetables submerged in the brine.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh jalapenos whole
- 2 cloves of garlic cloves
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 Tbs coarse salt
- a few strands of fresh thyme or oregano
- 1 Tb cumin seeds
Instructions
- Wearing gloves, wash jalapenos and slice them into rings (be careful not to touch your eye or any other sensitive parts during this process!). Pack jalapenos into one quart-sized jar.
- Combine all other ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring them to a boil. As soon as mixture is boiling, which won't take long, remove from heat and pour into jars and onto jalapenos. Let cool before tasting and placing in the fridge. For full flavour, let the jalapeno rings marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes to 24 hours. They will keep in the fridge for months.
- Use with nachos, in salads, wraps, or with soups.
~ Carmen ~ says
Haha. I like your subscriber disclaimer. Ah yes, Pickled jalapeno peppers. A Mexican classic along with carrots! :] // itsCarmen.com ☼ ☯
kseniaprints says
Pickled carrots? Must try that!
Kimberly/TheLittlePantation says
Great recipe. Thanks for sharing 🙂
kseniaprints says
Thank you, Kimberly!
Simi Jois says
I am an absolute spice lover and as i see this I have an urge to dig in and bite into one of these. Thanks for posting, making it v v soon.
kseniaprints says
Excellent! I share your love for spice. Trouble is, things just stop tasting good if they're not spicy after a while!