quick pickled jalapeños

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

These quick pickled jalapeños are extra crunchy, fresh, sweet and spicy. I use a cold pickling brine to preserve their crunchy texture, green color and vibrant flavor.

Pickled jalapeños are one of my favorite condiments-- I pile them on tacos, scatter on top of pizza, tuck them into omelets, fold them into artisan bread. We also just love to eat them straight from the jar-- like a pickle, with extra kick and crunch.

That being said, a lot of quick pickled jalapeños are completely sub-par. They’re too salty, too mushy, too processed. All of that vibrant jalapeño flavor is cooked out, and the pickled pepper you get is a soft, brownish green thing that delivers vinegar and salt-- and that’s about it.

I wanted to solve this homemade pickled jalapeño problem and create a brine and technique that highlights, rather than cooks away, the crunchy texture and fresh flavor of the jalapeño pepper.

These sweet, crunchy pickled jalapeños are sure to become your go-to homemade pickle. I know I can never get enough of them!

why are these the best homemade pickled jalapeños?

There are a few key qualities and techniques that make these the absolute best quick pickled jalapeños. They’re crunchy, fresh, simple and have a juicy sweet-tart brine that will make you drool.

Texture: These are the crunchiest pickled jalapeños out there, thanks to the cold brine! Cooking the peppers will accelerate the pickling, but it also softens the texture and introduces a cooked flavor. I’m all about crunchy pickled jalapeños and am willing to wait 12 hours to get the best possible version.

Fresh, clean flavor: I stick with white vinegar, sugar and salt for the pickling brine. The flavors are super clean and simple on purpose, so the jalapeños are given the space to shine. Feel free to experiment with added spices and different vinegar for complexity (I’ve included a list of flavor variations further down in the post).

No cooking: No need to get out a saucepan for these quick pickled jalapeños! Just mix up the brine, pour over the jalapeño rings and refrigerate. It couldn’t be easier.

Perfect balance: I love the balance of vinegar, sugar and salt in these quick pickled jalapeños. Sweet enough to offset the spice and vinegar, but not so sweet that they taste like bread and butter pickles. They keep you coming back for more!

how to make quick pickled jalapeños

Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt
Stir until completely dissolved
Pour over sliced jalapeños
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably 12 hours
Enjoy!

watch the video to see how to make pickled jalapeños

Located at the bottom of the recipe card!

how to make a small batch of quick pickled jalapeños:

This pickled jalapeño recipe makes enough brine for about 10-12 peppers and a large, 64 oz mason jar. It looks like a ton, but if you’re anything like me and love crunchy, sweet, spicy things, then just make a big jar and keep it in your fridge.

If you only have a few jalapeños that you want to pickle, don’t worry! Here’s the downsized pickling brine recipe, which is perfect for a small 4 oz jar and 1-2 jalapeños.

¼ cup white vinegar
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar
½ tsp kosher salt

Follow the directions in the recipe card, below!

best ways to use pickled jalapeños:

On tacos, nachos and burritos
In omelets and frittatas
In sandwiches or on hotdogs
On hamburgers, pulled pork and fried chicken sandwiches
On pizza
Chopped up in egg salad, tuna salad or potato salad
As a Bloody Mary garnish
In deviled eggs

flavor variations for quick pickled jalapeños:

Add cumin seeds, cracked black peppercorns and a peeled garlic clove
Use rice wine vinegar and toss in a chopped green onion
Use apple cider vinegar and brown sugar, add mustard seeds and a bay leaf
Add mustard seeds, celery seeds, cloves and turmeric
Add coriander, ginger, and cumin seeds

answers to a few common questions about homemade pickled jalapeños...

how do you keep pickled peppers crunchy?

The best way to keep pickled peppers crunchy is to use a cold pickling brine so they are pickled, but not cooked. Hot brines, cooking peppers in the brine, and processing the jars will all cook the peppers and produce a softer pickled jalapeño.

how long do homemade pickled jalapeños last?

These quick pickled jalapeños will last up to 2 months in the refrigerator. I prefer them the first few weeks of pickling when they’re the crunchiest and freshest. Reminder: they’re not canned and need to be stored in the refrigerator!

how soon can you eat homemade pickled jalapeños?

You can eat these pickled jalapeños right away, but they’re best after 12-24 hours of soaking. Since we use a cold brine, it takes a little bit longer to infuse the peppers than if it were a hot brine. But we’re after crunchy pickled jalapeños with fresh flavor, so the wait is worth it!

more pickle recipes to try!

quick and spicy refrigerator dill pickles

pickled watermelon rinds

pickled cherries with black pepper and thyme

pickled peaches