These sweet-and-sour pickled jalapeños bring the perfect balance of heat, tang, and a touch of sweetness. They’re quick to make and surprisingly mild. They are ideal for anyone who wants to add a bit of zing without blowing their head off.
We use green jalapeños for this sweet-and-sour recipe. Green jalapeños are picked earlier than red ones and have a fresher, slightly hotter taste.
Red jalapeños, which are left to ripen longer, are sweeter with a subtle smoky flavour. You could use a mix of both for more variety in taste and colour.
We start by blanching the sliced jalapeños. This tones down the heat and helps preserve their bright colour. You could skip this step, but we’ve noticed they’ll end up looking a bit duller and greyish.
After blanching, we rinse the peppers and simmer them in vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let them gently simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated. You’ll know it’s ready when you can drag a wooden spatula through the pan and the bottom stays dry for a few seconds.
Don’t cook the jalapeños completely dry. Always leave a thin layer of syrup in the pan. This keeps the jalapeños juicy, shiny, and prevents them from sticking together.
Our sweet and sour pickled jalapeños go with anything that could use a kick of heat or acidity. Think pulled pork sandwiches, burgers, ribs, nachos, or just as a snack on a BBQ platter.
Are you going to try to make our pickled jalapeños? Let us know in the comments. Or better yet, take a photo and post it on Instagram. Tag @bbqhelden so we can see what you’ve made.
Ingredients
- 10 fresh jalapeños (green, red, or a mix)
- 100 ml white vinegar
- 100 gr sugar
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes. (If you like more heat, leave some seeds in.)
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the sliced jalapeños and blanch for 5 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the jalapeños under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the jalapeños and let them simmer on low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- You’ll know they’re ready when you can drag a wooden spoon across the pan and the bottom stays dry for a moment.
- Transfer everything to a clean jar and let it cool. Store in the fridge.
