Pickled Jalapeños

Name: Pickled Jalapeños Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 5 cups white vinegar; 1 cup water; 4 teaspoons pickling salt; 2 teaspoons sugar; 2 pounds fresh jalapeño peppers (, washed and stemmed, and cut into ¼″ rounds); 1 carrot (, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch slices (use 3-5 slices per jar)); ½ red onion (, sliced); 9-12 cloves garlic ((use 3 per jar))

by Heidi Larsen Published: May 26, 2025

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Pickled jalapeños take less than 30 minutes to prep and can be processed for long-term storage or kept as refrigerator pickles. They’re sweet, spicy, tangy, and perfect for piling on top of nachos, burgers, and tacos.

Pickled jalapeños are a breeze to make and give any dish a much-needed flavor boost.

If you’re scared to chomp down on a fresh jalapeño for fear of burning off your tongue, you might prefer this pickled variety. The jalapeños stay nice and spicy at first, but their heat mellows with time.

Use them in place of classic dill pickles in your favorite salads, sandwiches, and more for a flavorful twist on your favorite dishes.

Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success

Pickle jalapeños, carrots, and onions together to create a better balance of sweet and spicy flavors.
Prepare the pickling brine in a non-reactive saucepan. Use an enameled cast iron pot (make sure it has no chips!) or a stainless steel saucepan. Avoid using copper or regular cast iron, which will react with the brine.
Homemade pickles will last up to 1 month in the fridge, or they can be processed for long-term storage (process for just 10 minutes to prevent soggy jalapeños).

What’s in This Recipe?

The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.

White vinegar — Lends the pickling brine a neutral-flavored acidity and preserves the vibrant color of the jalapeño peppers.
Pickling salt — This fine grain salt contains no extra iodine like table salt has.
Sugar — A few teaspoons of granulated sugar is all you need to balance out the spiciness of the peppers.
Fresh jalapeños — This recipe will also work with fresh banana peppers or pepperoncini peppers.
Carrot, red onion, and garlic — Infuse the jalapeños with so much flavor (and are delicious on their own after soaking up the salty, spicy brine).

How to Pickle Jalapeños

Prep the jars. Prepare a boiling water bath and keep the jars and lids hot.
Make the brine. Add the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer just until the sugar and salt dissolve.
Pack your pickles. Pack the jars tightly with garlic cloves, onion, carrot slices, and sliced jalapeños. Be careful not to crush the peppers!

Top with the hot brine. Pour enough brine into each jar to cover the peppers, then give each a good tap to remove any air bubbles.
Process, if desired. Wipe the rims, secure the canning lids, and tighten the bands on the jars before optionally processing in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

FAQs

Should the seeds be removed from the jalapeños?

Nope, leave them in. It would take so much time to remove all the seeds, plus that’s where the heat comes from.

Do jalapeños need to be blanched before pickling?

No, the peppers will retain their vibrant green color without having to blanch them first.

Storage Tips

The pickled jalapeños and carrots will last up to 1 month in the fridge or up to 1 year stored in a cool, dry place (if processed in a boiling water canner).

Ways to Eat Pickled Jalapeños

Add them to your favorite sandwiches and salads that call for dill pickles, including Tuna Melts, Potato Salad, Chicken Salad, and Grilled Cheese.
Use as a topping for Chicken Nachos, Green Chicken Enchiladas, Veggie Quesadillas, Ground Beef Tacos, and Carnitas.
Stir into Guacamole, Queso, Salsa, and Pico de Gallo for a kick of heat.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.

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