This pickled peppers recipe is quick and easy so you can preserve your pepper harvest, perfect for all kinds of peppers, use them on everything!
Pickled Peppers Recipe
Pickling peppers is one of the most popular and traditional methods of preserving your chili pepper harvest. I've pickled so many peppers over the years, I can hardly count, and I'm always happy to have them around.
Pickled peppers of any type are a welcomed addition to many a meal. They add a briny, spicy pop of flavor to sandwiches, pizza toppings, salads, and even snacks. I just love them.
If you're like me, you wind up with a huge number of chili peppers harvesting at the same time, and pickling is an ideal way to keep them.
I freeze a lot of them, make lots of sauces and hot sauces, cook them into stews, dehydrate them, so much more, but pickled peppers is certainly a favorite for their versatility.
Let's talk about how to pickle peppers, shall we?
Pickled Peppers Ingredients
- Chili Peppers. You can use any kinds of pepper with this recipe. The amount will vary depending on how you chop them.
- Vinegar. I usually use white vinegar, though others will work, such as apple cider vinegar.
- Water.
- Garlic. For additional flavor.
- Black Peppercorns. You can use many other seasonings. See below.
- Pickling Salt.
- Sugar. Optional, for a touch of sweet.
Pickled Peppers - The Recipe Method
Wash and Dry Your Peppers. Always be sure to wash and dry your chili peppers before pickling them. Also, sterilize any jars and jar lids in a boiling water bath before using.
Bring to a boil a pot of water and boil them on the stove for a half hour, or throw them in the dishwasher for a cycle or two.
Simple Brine. The basic steps for making pickled peppers include chopping your peppers, then bringing a seasoned brine solution to a boil. The brine consists of vinegar and salt.
Pickling Spices. From there, you'll add your own preferred pickling spices, which you can use coarsely chopped or whole.
Typical pickling spices include salt and sugar, Pepper Flakes, All Spice, Bay leaf, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander, Garlic, Ginger, Mustard seeds, Peppercorns, and more.
See my Pickling Spices for Pickled Peppers page.
Pickle the Peppers. Pour the hot brine into the jar, over the peppers, and seal with a tight lid. Cool and refrigerate.
Wait a Week. Let the peppers sit a few weeks before using so they can get nicely pickled, though they are fine to eat right away.
It is best to wait to let the flavors develop. If you can't wait, wait at least 24 hours, then enjoy them.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Use Any Types of Peppers. This recipe works with any types of chili peppers. You can pickle bell peppers and sweet peppers all the way up to superhot chili peppers.
- Select Fresh, Ripe Peppers. It is best to pickle the freshest of peppers. Avoid any peppers that have started to soften too much or show signs of rot or disease. Fresh is best.
Storage Information
Store your pickled peppers in the refrigerator for many months. The pickling process essentially preserves them.
You can store them in your pantry or in a cool, dark place, though you will need to process them in a hot water bath to make them shelf stable. They can last for years this way.
However, once you open them, they will need to be refrigerated.
Using Pickled Chili Peppers
You can chop and stir them into soups or stews, use them as a condiment by topping sandwiches, cook them onto pizzas. Go crazy, really. I prefer pickling a variety of chili peppers, though you can keep one type all to itself in its own jar.
Pickled jalapenos, anyone? Yeah! Jalapenos are crazy popular any time of year.
This truly is a quick and easy recipe.
Additional Resources for Pickling Your Chili Peppers
Additional Resources for Preserving Chili Peppers
Related Pickled Chili Pepper Recipes and More
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Pickled Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups chili peppers - you can use any type of pepper here. The amount will vary depending on how you chop them.
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 3 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons pickling salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Wash and dry the chili peppers. Cut the large ones up into small chunks. Any small peppers you can leave whole, but poke holes in them to the pickling solution can enter the peppers. Pack them all into a cleaned quart jar.
- To a large pot, add vinegar, water, garlic, peppercorns, salt and sugar. Stir.
- Heat and bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.
- Pour the brine into the jar, over the peppers, and seal with a tight lid. Cool and refrigerate.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Learn more about pickling peppers here.
NOTE: This post was updated on 9/15/23 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 10/17/15.
Michele says
Best pickled pepper recipe I have found, and I have been looking for the last few years. We eat them right out of the jar...SO good! Making another batch today. YUM!
Mike Hultquist says
Nice!! Thanks so much, Michele! Glad to be helpful!
Chris says
Great recipe, made this today with my scotch bonnet peppers. I normally get about 20 peppers a season so this is a great way to stretch them. Saved a few to make Ti-Malice sauce later 🙂
Mike H. says
Happy to hear it, Chris. Enjoy!
Sam says
If we use mason jars and pour the boiling brine in the jar of peppers, then tighten down on the sealing lid, will a vacuum develop that will preserve the peppers in a cool place for at least a couple of years?
By "water bath," I think you mean to boil the filled jars like we do with tomatoes. But won't that cook the peppers and make them mushy?
Mike Hultquist says
Sam, some people invert the jars and that can happen, yes. The water bath method is exactly that. 10 minutes is typically required, up to 20 for higher elevations. If you boil too long, yes, you may get mushy peppers. Avoid over boiling.
Mike B says
Tastes fantastic. I am moving away from the whole pepper corns, though. They are a PITA to fish out/separate from the peppers and not crack my teeth on. I plan to try course ground pepper next run.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks, Mike! Glad you like them. Yep, ground pepper or crushed will work great for you.
Jelyrosa says
definitely going to try this. just one question. Why does the photo have honey...but the recipe does not?
Mike Hultquist says
Jelyrosa, honey is optional for a touch of sweetness. You can use honey or sugar.
Terry Wrigley says
Is this recipe safe for canning? (i.e. ph levels?)
We love this as a fridge pepper, but I have so many I'd like to can them too.
Mike H. says
You can absolutely can these, Terry!
Chris says
why do my seeds go black when I pickle my chillies
Mike Hultquist says
Chris, I've never seen this with pickling. I'm wondering if the seeds were turning dark before you pickled them? Were they older peppers? Interesting.
Shelly says
Hi,
I have peppers in the freezer because we had so many. Could I still pickle them?
Mike Hultquist says
Shelly, yes, you can pickle frozen peppers. Freezing makes them pretty soft, and that will translate to the pickled peppers. FYI. But it still works. Let me know how it goes for you.
Rebecca says
A hot pepper relish would be a good way to use your frozen peppers if they're too mushy, as well Shelly!
Mary says
There is a layer of congealed oil on top of peppers why and how do I get rid of it and can I eat the peppers
Mike Hultquist says
Mary, I'm not sure what that oil is or where it came from, as there is no oil in this recipe.
Anna says
Hi there, thank you for the recipe. I've been wondering, would it be ok to pickle hot peppers in white wine vinegar (6% acid), kosher or sea salt and olive oil all mixed together?
Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Anna, you can use oil and vinegar together. I do that with my Homemade Giardiniera Recipe. Check that out here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/giardiniera/ - It is not recommended to home can foods with oil, but you can keep it in the refrigerator. Great stuff!
Sylvia Burgos Toftness says
I used this recipe last fall and it was a huge hit! Thank you. Now, would you have a recipe for sweet and spicy gherkins? I’ve become a huge fan in the last six months and would love to make jars of this coming summer.
Mike H. says
Sylvia, I have this recipe you can try: Spicy Refrigerator Pickles (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/refrigerator-pickles-recipe/). Also, if you are ready to use your gherkins in some other way, here are a couple of recipes that would work for that: Giardiniera Chicago-Style and Italian. Let me know what you think when you try either one.
Carol Pierpont says
Recipe for brine says 2T salt and 2T sugar for1c water and 1c vinegar. Video says 1T salt and 1T sugar for same amount of vinegar and water…confused
Mike Hultquist says
You can really use either, depending on the level of saltiness and sweetness you prefer.
B PANDO says
LOVE HOW YOU GET DOWN ON IT!
YOUR RECIPIE IS CLEAN,CLEAR AND DELICIOUS.
DRY PEPPERS...NEWS TO ME BUT FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
I THINK U GOT SOMETHING THERE.
BUENO
Mike H. says
I bet you will have even more to say once you try this recipe. Go for it!