Refrigerator Pickled Jalapeños
No canning! These easy Refrigerator Pickled Jalapeños are tangy, spicy, and ready in no time. Plus, with so many ways to enjoy them, there are endless possibilities to use them.
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These Pickled Jalapenos are perfect to use as toppings for tacos, nachos, Bacon Jalapeno Wonton Cups, burgers, Bacon Jalapeno Mac and Cheese, and more! My husband has been known to eat them right from the jar- they're that good. So many awesome ways to enjoy these things! If Dill pickles are more your thing, try these Garlic Jalapeno Dill Refrigerator Pickles.
Why make these pickled jalapenos
Since we aren't pressure canning them or water bath canning them, they really are super simple to make and perfect for beginners looking to make their own pickled peppers. They will keep fine in the refrigerator for about 2 months, that is if they last that long. I add them to my Beef and Bean Taco Cups , nachos, hot dogs, chili, burgers. .
No need to dirty up the kitchen with a bunch of contraptions or whip out the jar lifter and other tools for this quick pickled jalapeño recipe. Plus, if you have your own backyard garden and have a surplus of jalapeño plants growing nicely come harvest time, this is the perfect way to make use of them.
Simple Ingredients
- Sliced Jalapeño peppers: Red or green both work.
- White vinegar: I recommend sticking with white vinegar.
- Smashed garlic cloves: You could leave these out if you prefer.
- Granulated sugar: Helps balance out the vinegar.
- Salt: I use kosher salt, but table salt will also work.
How to make these pickled jalapenos
- Step 1: Protect your hands from the jalapeno oils by wearing gloves, rinse peppers, and cut them into thin slices on a cutting board.
- Step 2: Add water, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil and whisk to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved, remove from heat to let cool
- Step 3: Transfer sliced jalapenos to pint jars.
- Step 4: Add the pickling liquid to each jar.
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh, firm jalapeños. Soft or wrinkled peppers won’t pickle as well.
- Slice your jalapeño slices evenly. This helps them soak up the brine.
- For best results, enjoy these pickled peppers within 6 months of making them.
- Add more sugar or a spoonful of honey for a sweeter brine and to help cut the heat.
- Toss in sliced onions, whole black peppercorns, mustard seeds, carrot slices, or fresh herbs like dill or oregano to add extra flavor.
- You can change up this homemade pickled jalapeños recipe a bit by using other types of peppers. Try banana peppers, serranos, or a mix for a colorful jar of peppers.
Recipe Faq's
They’re tasty after a few hours, but the flavor in my opinion, is best after 24 hours of chilling.
Nope! No need to sterilize the jars. Always clean the jars and make sure they've been rinsed well with hot water before starting. These are quick refrigerator pickles, so no special equipment or hot water bath is needed. You just make the pickled jalapeno slices, cool, and refrigerate.
Yes, when cutting the peppers for this easy recipe, remove the seeds and membranes to bring down the heat level. Plus, the sugar mellows out the spiciness anyway.
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Refrigerator Pickled Jalapeños
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Jalapeño Peppers Sliced
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 6 cloves garlic smashed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Cut jalapenos into thin slices, and use gloves to protect your hands from the oils.
- In a medium saucepan combine water, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil whisking until sugar and salt are dissolved about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool 15 minutes.
- Slice jalapeños and add them to the jars ( I use 3-4 pint jars). Add the pickling juices to the jars, make sure you get some garlic cloves into each jar. Let cool to room temperature then add the id and place in the fridge.
- Store in the fridge for up to six months.
This recipe as is can not be canned. You would have to adjust it to make it safe for canning.
We can salsa, some have the water bath canners out all the time. Can this recipe be canned for longer shelf live?
Yes you can use them they just may be softer and won't have that crispy factor.
Yess, Beverly they are so much better homemade 🙂
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. We use pickled jalapeños in so many things. I even put them in my pimento cheese. This is a recipe I will se for a long time, instead of buying them.
I have a quart size ziplock w/frozen jalapeños from our plant last summer.
Would these work well in this recipe or do they need to be fresh?
I've never added any dill to this recipe. You could try it
Can I add fresh dill to this? If so, how much?