Quick Pickled Jalapeños: Easy Recipe for the Refrigerator or Canning
Quick. Easy. Delicious. You’re going to love these pickled jalapeños! Made with just a handful of ingredients, this simple recipe is perfect to make small batches of quick refrigerator pickled jalapeños – though you can scale up to make several jars or can them.
Pickled jalapeños add the perfect tangy, mildly spicy bite to tacos, burgers, eggs and more. With a short cooking time, they stay nicely crunchy too! I also like to add them to a variety of salads. (See more ways to use them at the end of this post.)
When our summer garden is overflowing with fresh jalapeños, this is one of my go-to ways to preserve them. If you want something a little sweeter, don’t miss my popular cowboy candy recipe aka candied jalapeños.
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Supplies Needed
- small to medium pot or saucepan
- cutting board and knife
- 1 or 2 glass jars for storage
- recommended: food-safe gloves for preparing the jalapeños
- optional: canning supplies
Ingredients
- 1 pound of jalapeño peppers (about 8 to 12 large peppers) sliced into rings. You can also make this recipe using other types of peppers or chilis!
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 cup white vinegar – or try 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar for slightly sweeter, less sharp notes
- 1 to 2 Tbsp white sugar (sliding scale for personal preference)
- 2 tsp sea salt, kosher or pickling salt (not iodized table salt)
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, lightly crushed
- Optional: 1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
YIELD: This recipe makes about 1 to 2 jars of quick pickled jalapeños (e.g. 1 quart jar or 2 pint jars) but the exact amount can vary depending on the size of your peppers and how tightly you pack the jars.
RELATED: Looking for more ways to preserve jalapeños? Try our easy jalapeño honey, fermented hot pepper sauce, sweet ‘n spicy pepper jelly recipe, or homemade dried chili powder.
Canning Pickled Jalapeños
If you want to scale up, this recipe is also safe for canning! (I personally wouldn’t bother canning just a jar or two, especially since they stay good for several months in the refrigerator.)
To do so safely, be sure to use vinegar with 5% acidity, and use at least a 50% vinegar-to-water ratio (or more) – such as 1 cup vinegar to 1 cup water, or even 1.25 cups vinegar to 1 cup water. See more detailed canning instructions below.
Instructions
1) Prep Jalapeños
- Use caution when working with hot peppers! Work in a well-ventilated space, avoid touching your face, and consider wearing food safe gloves during prep.
- Wash the jalapeños peppers well, cut off the top stem portion, and then slice them into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick rings.
- To make your pickled jalapeños less spicy, use a small paring knife to carefully core and remove the membrane and seeds before slicing them into rings. I prefer mine on the mild side so I try to remove most of it, but I don’t worry about removing every bit or seed.
2) Quick Cook
- First combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, garlic cloves, and optional mustard seeds in a pot. Over high heat, bring brine mixture to a boil.
- Add jalapeños to the hot brine solution. Return to a light boil and then simmer for only 3 to 4 minutes, gently tossing the peppers to promote even cooking but without breaking the rings. The jalapeños will soften slightly and turn from bright green to a more muted olive green color.
- Remove the pot from heat and let the peppers sit in the warm brine for another 5 minutes before transferring them into jars as explained below.
3) Transfer to Jars
- Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked pepper rings into a jar first, lightly packing the jar.
- Once the jar(s) is full of peppers, ladle the hot brine into the jar until it’s full or the peppers are completely submerged.
- If you don’t have enough brine to fill your jar(s), simply top it off with more vinegar.
- Let the jars sit out at room temperature to cool for 1 to 2 hours before transferring to the refrigerator for storage. Since the brine is quite acidic, I recommend using a non-reactive lid such as a BPA-free plastic lid, stainless steel lid, or line the underside of a regular mason jar lid with parchment paper.
- If canning, process them right away (while they’re still hot). See canning instructions to follow.
PRO TIP: You can enjoy your pickled jalapeños right away, but the flavor gets even better with time! For the most tasty results, I like to let them marinate at least 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator to let the flavors really develop.
Canning Instructions
If you’re new to canning, please read up on the basics here. Since pickled jalapeños are processed for 10 minutes or longer, you don’t need to pre-sterilize your canning jars.
- Fill clean, warm canning jars with pickled jalapeños while they’re still hot. Leave 1/2-inch of headroom. Remove air bubbles from the jars with a canning bubble tool, chopstick, or clean butter knife.
- Use a clean damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars clean before adding clean canning lids. Screw on rings to fingertip-tight only.
- Use a jar lifter to carefully transfer the jars to your pre-heated water bath canning pot, cover with a lid. The jars should be covered by 2 inches of water. Add more boiling water if needed.
- Once the canner returns to a rolling boil, process half-pint or pint jars for 10 minutes. To adjust for altitude, process 15 minutes at 1000-6000 feet above sea level, and 20 minutes at 6000+ feet.
- When the time is up, remove the lid and turn off the heat, but let the jars sit in the canner for another 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack. Leave jars undisturbed for at least 12 hours before checking seals. (Do not stack or press on the top of the lids.)
Storage and Shelf Life
Refrigerator pickled jalapeños can stay good for up to a year, though the quality and texture is best if consumed within 2 to 3 months. Refrigerate at all times. Discard if mold or off odors develop.
Canned pickled jalapeños last for one year or longer when sealed and stored at room temperature – and are best stored in a cool dark location such as a pantry, cupboard, basement or root cellar. Refrigerate after opening and use within 3 months.
Ways to Use Pickled Jalapeños
Pickled jalapeños are surprisingly versatile, adding a welcome pop of tang and spice to a wide variety of meals!
- Serve pickled jalapeños alongside tacos, burritos, tostadas, nachos, quesadillas, and more.
- Add them to burgers, hotdogs, and sandwiches including grilled cheese.
- I love to add chopped pickled jalapeños to a variety of salads including green salads, taco salad, egg salad, tuna salad, bean salad, pasta salad, or potato salad.
- Enjoy them with potatoes including loaded baked potatoes, or with egg dishes like scrambled eggs, omelets, quiche or frittata.
- Use them as a pizza topping (best after baking) or on homemade sourdough focaccia.
- Chopped pickled jalapeños are also a great addition to guacamole, salsa, spicy hummus, queso, marinades, other dips or spreads.
Enjoy!
I hope you and your family enjoy these delicious quick pickled jalapeños just as much as we do! Please leave a review once you give them a try, and let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
You may also enjoy:
- Quick Pickled Dilly Green Beans Recipe
- Best Cowboy Candy Recipe (Candied Jalapeños)
- Quick Pickled Red Onions (Easy Refrigerator Pickled Onions)
- Quick & Easy Refrigerator Pickled Peppers Recipe
- Best Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe
Easy Quick Pickled Jalapeños (Refrigerator or Canning)
Ingredients
- 1 pound jalapeños, sliced into rings (1 pound is about 8 to 12 large peppers)
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 cup white vinegar (or try 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 apple cider vinegar)
- 1-2 Tbsp sugar (sliding scale for personal preference)
- 2 tsp sea salt, canning salt, or pickling salt (not iodized table salt, especially if canning)
- 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
- 1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds (optional)
Instructions
Prepare Jalapeños
- Use caution when working with hot peppers! Work in a well-ventilated space, avoid touching your face, and consider wearing food safe gloves during prep.
- Wash the jalapeños peppers well, cut off the top stem portion, and then slice them into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick rings.
- To make your pickled jalapeños less spicy, use a small paring knife to carefully core and remove the membrane and seeds before slicing them into rings.
Cook
- First combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, garlic cloves, and optional mustard seeds in a pot. Over high heat, bring brine mixture to a light boil.
- Add jalapeños to the hot brine solution. Return to a boil and then simmer for only 3 to 4 minutes, gently tossing the peppers to promote even cooking.
- Remove the pot from heat and let the peppers sit in the warm brine for another 5 minutes before transferring them into jars. The peppers will turn from bright green to a more muted olive green.
Transfer to Jars
- Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked pepper rings into a jar first, lightly packing the jar.
- Once the jar(s) is full of peppers, ladle the hot brine into the jar until it’s full or the peppers are completely submerged.
- If you don’t have enough brine to fill your jar(s), simply top it off with more vinegar.
- For refrigerator pickled jalapeños, let the jars sit at room temperature to cool for 1-2 hours before transferring them to the refrigerator. Add a non-reactive lid such as stainless steel, BPA-free plastic, or line the underside of a regular mason jar lid with parchment paper. The flavor will continue to improve after a few days in the fridge!
Canning Instructions
- Fill clean, warm canning jars with pickled jalapeños while they’re still hot. Leave 1/2-inch of headroom. Remove air bubbles from the jars with a canning bubble tool, chopstick, or clean butter knife.
- Use a clean damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars clean before adding clean canning lids. Screw on rings to fingertip-tight.
- Use a jar lifter to carefully transfer the jars to your pre-heated water bath canning pot, cover with a lid. The jars should be covered by 2 inches of water.
- Once the canner returns to a rolling boil, process half-pint or pint jars for 10 minutes. To adjust for altitude, process 15 minutes at 1000-6000 feet above sea level, and 20 minutes at 6000+ feet.
- Remove the lid and turn off heat, but let the jars sit in the canner for another 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack. Leave jars undisturbed for at least 12 hours before checking seals.
Storage and Shelf Life
- Refrigerator pickled jalapeños can stay good for up to a year, though the quality and texture is best if consumed within 2 to 3 months. Refrigerate at all times. Discard if mold or off odors develop.
- Canned pickled jalapeños last for one year or longer when sealed and stored at room temperature – and are best stored in a cool dark location such as a pantry, cupboard, basement or root cellar. Refrigerate after opening and use within 3 months.
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