Growing up, my kitchen was always filled with the tantalizing aroma of freshly pickled jalapeños. These chiles en vinagre weren’t just a condiment—they were a family tradition, passed down through generations. Every meal seemed incomplete without their spicy, tangy bite. Whether you’re looking to add a kick to your tacos or want to bring a taste of Mexico into your home, this authentic recipe will transport you straight to the heart of Mexican cuisine.
What are pickled jalapenos?
Mexican pickled jalapeño peppers are a delicious condiment typically made by pickling sliced jalapeño peppers, onions, carrots, and garlic cloves in spiced vinegar. This process gives the peppers a tangy, slightly sweet, and spicy flavor that is commonly used to add heat and acidity to a variety of dishes.
In Mexico, families often add cauliflower, cooked potatoes, nopales, or green beans to their pickling recipes. Regardless of the specific ingredients used, the key to achieving the perfect Mexican pickles is to find a recipe that your family loves. Experiment with different combinations until you create a delicious and unique recipe that your family will enjoy.
In Mexico they are also called chiles en escabeche, chiles encurtidos, chiles curtidos, jalapeno escabeche, rajas or simply jalapeños en vinagre.
Ingredients
- Jalapenos. Cut the jalapeño peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and veins, and discard the stem. Leaving the seeds and veins will make the peppers spicier. If you prefer, you could also use sliced jalapeños.
- Carrots. Carrots can be sliced into rounds, julienned, or cut into sticks. Different-colored carrots, such as purple or yellow, can add variety to pickled jalapenos.
- Onions. Thinly slice white, yellow, or red onions to use in your dish.
- Garlic. Cut a garlic bulb in half, leaving the skin on, and add both halves.
- Oil. You can use either vegetable or olive oil; both work well.
- Spices. Bay leaf, thyme, marjoram, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- White Vinegar. For this recipe, it is recommended to use distilled white vinegar which is easily available and affordable at supermarkets. There’s no need to use wine or apple cider vinegar. If you want your pickled peppers to have the traditional taste, go for white vinegar.
How to make Mexican pickled jalapenos?
To make these easy pickled jalapenos, you first need to prepare the vegetables. Peel, slice, and prepare the chilies, carrots, onion, and garlic, then set aside.
The next step is to put the oil in a glass, stainless steel, or cast iron pot over high heat. When it starts to heat up, add the carrots and sauté for a few minutes, then add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers. The vegetables mustn’t be browned; the only thing we are looking for is to warm them up a bit so they release their flavors a little.
To prepare the vegetables, start by pouring vinegar over them and adding the herbs and salt. You don’t need to prepare the brine in a separate pot. Then, reduce the heat and wait until the mixture comes to a boil. Keep an eye on the chili peppers, stirring from time to time, and wait until their bright green color fades and they turn dark green, which indicates that they are ready.
After turning off the heat, allow the mixture to cool before transferring it to glass jars with lids. Be sure to allow enough space for the liquid. Tongs are the best tool to use when adding the ingredients to a jar.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PICKLED jalapenos
Best Dishes to Pair with Pickled Jalapeños
- They go perfectly with vegan queso nachos.
- You can use them for sandwiches, like mushroom and onion sandwiches.
- You can also use them in quesadillas, sopes, tacos, and Dorados.
- They are perfect for sloppy joes’ and vegan sandwiches with mushrooms and BBQ.
- With popcorn or other snacks.
- In Mexico, they put them in the center of many restaurants as a snack before bringing the main dishes. And it is super common to eat them with pizzas or for pizzerias to give you a container or plastic bag (staples at the top) with pickled chili peppers for your pizza.
Authentic Mexican Pickled Jalapeños Recipe
Equipment
- Pot
- Glass Jar
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
- 2 cups peeled and sliced carrots
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 pound chiles jalapeños
- 1 garlic head
- 1 bay leave
- 3-4 cups white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
- 1 teaspoon oregano,dried mexican oregano is best
- 1 teaspoon marjoram *optional
- 1/4 teaspoon pepercorns
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To make pickled peppers, prepare chilies, carrots, onion, and garlic by peeling and slicing them.
- To start, pour oil into a pot, ensuring it covers the bottom. Once the oil is heated, add the carrots and sauté them for a few minutes. Afterward, introduce the onion, garlic, and jalapeño peppers. Keep in mind, that we don't want the vegetables to brown, they just need to be lightly sauteed.
- Cover the vegetables with vinegar and add herbs and salt. Lower the heat and bring them to a simmer for 5 to 10minutes. You are looking for a change in color in the chiles, they should be dark green. Then, turn off the heat and let them rest. Once they have cooled, pack them into glass jars with lids.
Notes
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Tengo una Certificación Profesional en la cocina vegana; en el mundo de la cocina basada en vegetales, frutas, granos, leguminosas… en comida limpia, orgánica y vegana.
My cookbook is called Yo Cocino Latino..
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