This easy hot pepper relish recipe is a wonder condiment, great for preserving your abundant pepper harvest. Use this recipe method with any type of chili pepper.
Hot Pepper Relish Recipe
This very simple pickled pepper relish recipe is great for any type of food you can prepare on the grill. We're talking steaks, chicken breasts, burgers, brats, even the good old hot dog.
It's one of those wonder condiments that goes with so many dishes. Extra bonus - it is also a GREAT way to preserve your abundant pepper harvest.
Loaded with wonderful chili peppers, a bit of onion and garlic, it packs in the flavor.
Make Relish to Preserve Your Peppers
Seriously, if your garden is practically exploding with chili peppers like mine does every year, consider the humble pepper relish. The vinegar not only makes the relish delicious and somewhat sweet, it acts as a preservative, letting you keep your peppers around longer so you can enjoy them.
You can realistically use this recipe on ANY type of chili pepper.
Just be sure to chop them up to consistent sizes and chunks. If you're working with bell peppers and ghost peppers, for example, those two peppers have very different thickness of their pepper walls.
Bells are meatier and thicker, where ghost peppers are thinner. Chop them up accordingly so the bites are fairly consistent throughout.
Let's talk about how to make hot pepper relish, shall we?
Hot Pepper Relish Ingredients
- Chili Peppers. You can use a mix of peppers if you’d like anywhere from mild red bell pepper to superhots like Morugas or Scorpions, though I like to keep the thickness of the peppers about the same so the overall consistency is even. Lean toward hotter peppers. For this, I used some sweet Italian peppers but included a couple ghost peppers for many batches. Today I've used serrano and jalapeno peppers, Fresno peppers and milder Anaheim peppers for body and flavor.
- Vinegar. I use white wine vinegar usually, though any good vinegar will do. Consider apple cider vinegar or even balsamic vinegar.
- Sugar. For sweetness. Honey is a nice substitute.
- Other Ingredients. Onion, garlic, mustard seeds and salt. These all add body and flavor.
How to Make Hot Pepper Relish - the Recipe Method
Boil the Ingredients. Add all ingredients to a large pan - vinegar and sugar, chili peppers and onion, garlic, mustard seed, salt - and heat to medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil.
Simmer the Relish. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 25 to 30 minutes, or until liquid is reduced and absorbed into the mixture. It make take only 15 minutes to 20 minutes, so just keep an eye on it as the pepper mixture simmers.
Cool the Pepper Relish. Add to a jar and allow to cool.
Boom! Done! Easy enough, isn't it? Your delicious pepper relish is ready to enjoy. How are you going to use yours?
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Adjusting the Heat Factor. If you're looking for a truly HOT pepper relish, absolutely consider some of the superhot chili peppers. You have your choice with Morugas, 7-Pots, scorpions, bhut jolokias, though you really don't have to go THAT hot. You can always use some in the upper range of the heat scale, like the wonderful habanero pepper, maybe red savinas, even on down to cayenne peppers, red jalapenos, red serranos. Notice a RED theme here?
- Use Colorful Peppers for a Nice Looking Relish. I LOVE a colorful pepper relish recipe! Yellow and orange are always welcomed colors and red peppers are awesome, as is green, but green isn't quite as enticing as a brightly colored pepper relish. But the choice is yours! As mentioned, you can use this hot pepper relish recipe technique with ANY type of pepper, regardless of the color.
- Pepper Consistency. You can chop your peppers to make them chunkier if you prefer a chunkier relish, or use a food processor to process them finely. The choice is yours, but I find the best results when making all of the peppers a uniform consistency.
- Seeds or No Seeds? You can remove the seeds from your peppers if you wish, but it is not necessary. Contrary to some belief, chili pepper heat is not in the seeds, but in the whitish pithy interior of the peppers. So, if you prefer to reduce the heat, core out the pepper insides before using. The seeds are edible and fine to use, though some dislike their consistency.
Storage Information
Pepper relish will last months in the refrigerator properly sealed because of the acidity from the vinegar. This is a good recipe for water bath canning as well, if you'd like to store the hot pepper relish longer term in a pantry.
You can freeze pepper relish, though it can affect the consistency.
How Do You Use Pepper Relish?
Use a good hot pepper relish as you would any other condiment. Top your burgers and brats right off the grill for a tangy flavor addition. Spoon it over grilled chicken or pork for an extra tasty component.
Serve it at the table with brunch to scoop over toasts. People love it over cream cheese with crackers.
You can also swirl it into soups and stews to bring on the zest. I love sweet and spicy pepper relish anytime.
Enjoy! It's time to make the relish!
This Recipe Is In our Cookbook - FLAVOR MADNESS
Did you know that you can find this recipe in our new cookbook FLAVOR MADNESS? It's waiting for you on PAGE 71.
Check Out These Other Popular Pepper Relish Recipes
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! -- Mike H.
Hot Pepper Relish Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped hot chili peppers – You can use a mix of peppers if you’d like anywhere from mild bells to superhots like Morugas or Scorpions, though I like to keep the thickness of the peppers about the same so the overall consistency is even. Lean toward hotter peppers. For this, I used some sweet Italian peppers but included a couple ghost peppers.
- 3/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2 small onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seed
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large pan and heat to medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a light boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer about 25-30 minutes, or until liquid is reduced and absorbed into the mixture.
- Add to a jar and allow to cool.
- Serve!
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 5/21/21 to include new information, photos and video. It was originally published on 7/29/2015.
Virgie Morris says
I made this with all Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers since I grew an abundance of them. I LOVE it! Not too hot them. I just wish I knew how to can them, as I'm not sure if it has enough liquid to water bath can them. Thanks for the recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Virgie. I have some posts you can refer to here:
https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/canning-or-jarring-chili-peppers/
https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/preparing-and-canning-fermented-and-pickled-foods-pickling-safety-information/
Dalia Gvildys says
Made this yesterday using hot and mild banana peppers with a few jalapenos--Fantastic!
Mike Hultquist says
Yes!! Glad you enjoyed it, Dalia!
Mike says
I made this with a red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper for color. the copped up 3 Poblano pepper's with about 10 Jalapeno's. Sweet with some heat ! going to have fun trying other pepper's ...
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds excellent, Mike! Thanks!!
Lacy says
I know this is an old post, but I made this today with all of the peppers from my garden. A lot of spicy ones, and some mild, just whatever I had that I didn’t want to go bad. It is SO AMAZING. I will absolutely continue to make this! Thank you.
Mike Hultquist says
Great! Thanks, Lacy! This recipe is one I've been using for many years. Always perfect!! Gad you enjoyed it!
Patty Erhard says
If you were dead, you might roll over in your grave when I say this. My FIRST introduction to a Pepper Relish was recent. I got a deli "sub" from Walmart. Don't judge! Sometimes I like the soft bread and the sandwich meat for less than $6.50 for a large. This one comes with a Pepper Relish packet. Holy good mother of god! You should try it on an Italian sandwich if you haven't.
I am ordering peppers and making this. I will post again and let you know. This sounds so good!
Mike Hultquist says
Hey, it's all good with me, Patty! Enjoy the relish!
Brent says
Amazing! I have made this many times with a variety of different peppers. It comes out great every time!
Mike Hultquist says
Yes!!! Glad you're enjoying it, Brent! Great way to preserve those peppers. Thanks!
Will says
what a fantastic usable recipe. was over giving away all my chillies every year so decided to make this relish. used rococo, devils tongue and chocolate haberneros with a touch of peppercorns for added flavour. absolutely lovely will try hotter varieties in the future. thanks for a beautiful recipe that I now get to enjoy what I grow
Mike H. says
You are very welcome, Will, and I am glad that you are enjoying it!
Ray Dail says
Hey Mike, Just made your hot pepper relish and it is the perfect blend of heat and sweet. It is now my go to recipe for relishes.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Ray! I appreciate this! Glad you enjoyed it.
Bob Melcher says
I’ve revisited this recipe more than once because it is very suited to my cooking style. Whatever I have on hand, and what ever mood I’m in.
This will be my fourth batch over the past five years. I do a bunch of pints, give half away to fans, and use the rest for everything from enchiladas to posole to mixing it into hummus.
It works! Its nice! Its flexible.
This batch includes Peqins,habaneros, Serranos, red jalapeños, green jalapeños, Anaheim, sweet red green and yellow peppers, plus the vinegar, sugar, onion, garlic and other basics.
I’ll revisist again next year for sure!
Mike Hultquist says
Great to hear, Bob! Great gifts, that's for sure!
Lars Dideriksen says
Hi Mark
Just make a relish and it turned out great and hot.
So thank you for your recipe and all of your others chili recipe, really looking forward to try them.
Have a great day.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Lars!
Christine HINCHLIFFE says
this is gorgeous EXCELLENT EVERY TIME I MAKE IT.My daughters favourite can't make it enough for her. It's so easy my granddaughters can do it ,12 &13 don't need nana. Thank you for this versatile recipe. A real keeper.
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent, Christine! Very happy your family enjoys it!
Becky Borgeson says
I made this and now I need to preserve by water bath canning. How can I do that? Usually, when I water bath can, I fill the jars with some type of liquid. This recipe instructs that we cook out the liquid. Thank you for helping!
Mike Hultquist says
Becky, you can mix together a vinegar brine to water bath this recipe.
Elizabeth says
I usually make cowboy candy but i have been looking for something like that but with much less sugar. This sounds like the recipe i am looking for. Is this just HOT or does it have a Hot with a little sweetness ???
Mike Hultquist says
Elizabeth, it really depends on the peppers you choose. You can make this with very mild peppers if you're looking to avoid the heat.