This Chicago-style giardiniera recipe is the ultimate condiment with fresh peppers and veggies in oil and seasonings, an absolute must for Italian beef sandwiches!
Hot Giardiniera (Chicago-Style)
Today we're bringing you a taste of Chicago, my spicy food loving friends, with a condiment that belongs in your recipe box favorites. It's called Chicago-Style Giardiniera, and I think you're going to love it.
Patty and I were both born and raised in the Chicago area, and Chicago is well-known for its selection of beef sandwiches.
If you're from Chicago or anywhere near there, you can't order a beef sandwich without giardiniera. It's a "must try", the perfect condiment for roast beef or any type of sandwich.
You can get mild giardiniera or hot giardiniera, and I always go for the "hot".
I personally love it piled onto a hot dog or over a crispy toasted sub sandwich, and enjoy it on my pizza. We had several beef joints to choose from, and giardiniera was always on the menu. It's a must have for me, so I make homemade giardiniera all the time.
Let's talk about how to make giardiniera, Chicago style, shall we? Hot giardiniera for me!
Chicago-Style Giardiniera Ingredients
- Peppers. My recipe calls for 5 jalapeno peppers and 5 sport peppers or serrano peppers for more of a "hot giardiniera". If you'd prefer a "mild giardiniera", use 2-3 large green and/or red bell peppers instead.
- Vegetables. Use 1 cup chopped cauliflower, 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs and 1/2 to 1 cup of olives (from the jar), all thinly sliced or chopped.
- Oil (and Vinegar, if desired). Use 1 cup of good quality olive oil and 1 cup of white wine vinegar. Some Chicago style giardiniera brands use only oil. If you prefer no vinegar, replace it with water or more oil.
- Seasonings. I use lots of minced fresh garlic, dried oregano, celery seeds, crushed red pepper flakes and a touch of freshly ground black pepper.
How to Make Giardiniera (Chicago-Style) - The Recipe Method
Brine the Vegetables. To a large bowl, add peppers with cauliflower, peppers, carrots and celery. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with cold water and refrigerate for 12 hours, covered. I often brine for 24 hours.
Drain and rinse away the brine. Set aside.
Make the Giardiniera. In a separate bowl, add garlic, oregano, celery seed and ground pepper to taste. Add oil and vinegar (or water, if using) and whisk to combine.
Add to your vegetable mixture.
Add in the chopped olives and mix well.
Jar and Refrigerate. Pack the vegetables into Mason jars, ensuring the vegetables are covered with your oil mixture. You can add extra olive oil if needed to cover the mixture.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 days before using, to allow flavors to mingle with the pickled vegetables. A week is better!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Vinegar. Many Chicago-style brands do not include vinegar in their recipes, and instead use only oil or oil with some water. Feel free to use either. Your giardiniera will last longer in the refrigerator with vinegar, however, as vinegar is a preservative. The choice is yours.
- Other Ingredients. As the name indicates, you can use any garden fresh vegetables for this recipe. Others you might include are radishes, gherkins, olives and more.
- How Long Does Giardiniera Last? Giardiniera will keep several weeks in the refrigerator, covered, due to the acidity of the vinegar. If you use only oil, use it within 2 weeks.
- Preserving. Home canning is not recommended for recipes with oil. However, you can skip the oil and use a brine of vinegar and water. Then you can process the jars in a hot water bath of boiling water for longer keeping as long as the acidity is high enough. Shoot for 3.5 or lower pH.
- Italian Vs. Chicago-Style Giardiniera. Chicago giardiniera or "hot giardiniera" is meant to be a condiment, with more of a focus on the peppers, where Italian Giardiniera serves larger cut vegetables and is meant to be an appetizer or antipasto.
Storage Information
Store your homemade Chicago-style giardiniera in the refrigerator in sealed containers. It should last you several weeks this way.
It is normal for some types of oil to congeal in the cold. Simply bring the jar to room temperature and it will thin out again.
Best Giardiniera Peppers
Sport peppers are the traditional chili pepper that make Chicago-style giardiniera "hot". Home cooks can skip the hot peppers and use only bell peppers for the popular "mild" version.
I make homemade giardiniera frequently, though you typically need to make a larger batch, so plan accordingly. I call for jalapeno peppers in this recipe, as well as serrano peppers.
And if you REALLY want to kick this up a notch, go for the habanero pepper, or be like Mike and add in some superhots.
Yeah, baby. Bring on the heat! I know you want to, you crazy chilihead, you. I love hot giardiniera.
This is certainly Chicago at its finest, though, and won't blow your taste buds with heat. You'll get a nice kick and plenty of flavor. Enjoy!
Serving Chicago-Style Giardiniera
Chicago mild or hot giardiniera is a must for Italian beef sandwiches or roast beef, though you can serve it over any type of sandwich, hot dogs, sausages or brats, pretty much any type of sandwich or on anything off of the grill. We love it on our pizza. It truly is a wonder condiment.
Try it on my Easy Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwich recipe, which we love.
I also love it mixed in with lots of olives to make this amazing muffaletta sandwich. So good!
It is best served at room temperature, as the oils can congeal from refrigeration as you store it.
Patty's Perspective
It is amazing how versatile this recipe can be. You don't only have to use it for sandwiches, especially a good beef sandwich. We made some flatbread pizzas with it, and even tossed it over grilled salmon. Think of it as a vegetable sauce. Think outside the box!
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 60.
Check Out Some of My Other Popular Condiment Recipes
Try it On Some of These Popular Recipes
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.
Homemade Chicago-Style Giardiniera Recipe (Hot Giardiniera)
Ingredients
- 1 cup cauliflower florets chopped (about 1/4 head of cauliflower)
- 5 jalapeno peppers diced (use bell peppers for mild giardiniera
- 5 serrano peppers diced (or use sport peppers - optional, for hot giardiniera)
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 cup olive oil (extra virgin is best, though you can use vegetable oil)
- 1 cup vinegar (or use water, like many Chicago giardiniera brands - see the Recipe Notes)
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (or to taste)
- Ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1/2 cup green olives chopped
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add peppers with cauliflower, peppers, carrots and celery. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with cold water and refrigerate at least 12 hours, covered. I often brine for 24 hours.
- Drain and rinse away the brine. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, add garlic, oregano, celery seed, crushed red pepper flakes and ground pepper to taste. Add oil and vinegar (or water) and whisk to combine.
- Add to your vegetable mixture.
- Add chopped olives and mix well.
- Place it all into jars, ensuring the vegetables are covered with your oil mixture.
- Refrigerate at least 2 days before using, to allow flavors to mingle. A week is better! Should last you 2-3 weeks.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 6/14/24 to include new information, photos and video. It was originally published on 5/3/15.
Irene says
Made this today! I haven’t tasted it but had fun making it. Followed the recipe exactly. I doubled it so, I got a quart jar and three pint jars worth. I added homegrown Serranos. Excited to taste it in a week or so! Might put on Detroit style coney dogs as a topping.
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Thanks, Irene! This is perfect on coney dogs. Enjoy! I'm a little jealous.
Laura Elizabeth says
Oh wow, is this recipe fantastic! My jalapeños were very spicy so I cut way back, only used two. The recipe was the perfect spice level and still had plenty of peppers. My one year old loves the cauliflower.
My only struggle is that now the olive oil is solidifying. Next time I think I’ll cut back on the oil because it’s a pain to warm up again once it solidifies.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Laura. Yes, we LOVE the flavor. Couple things - yes, olive oil does harden in the fridge, so you can either cut back, or just scoop out what you'll need into a bowl and let that come to room temp for using. Or, you can use a different oil that doesn't solidify in the fridge, like canola oil. I hope this helps!
Sb says
Can i freeze half of my veggies after brining 24 hours? I realized i won’t have enough jars!
Mike Hultquist says
You can do that, yes. They will be softer when thawed, so keep that in mind. Enjoy!
Rebecca says
Hi Mike!
When it comes to the olives, you say "from the jar" which maybe implies which type but, are these pickled olives or just brined? Thank you. I have my veggies brining in the fridge as we speak. Can't wait to try.
Mike Hultquist says
They're brined, Rebecca. Enjoy!
Betty says
I’m anxious to try making this Giardiniera - I have everything except ‘fresh peppers’ of any kind. I do have Pepperioncini and Jalapeño (Mezzetta jarred in vinegar) - do ya think I could substitute these after I brine the veggies to get a hint of what Giardiniera will be like?
Mike Hultquist says
Betty, those will work. It won't be quite the same, but will still be tasty and be fairly close. I say go for it!
Betty says
Thanks Mike - I subbed broccoli for the cauliflower and used my jar peppers ‘n we liked it. Used in your Slow Cooker Pot Roast for sandwiches for a family gathering - was a hit with no leftovers! My daughter is asking for the recipe - emailed her your website! TYSM!
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! I love it, Betty! Very glad to be helpful! And very happy everyone enjoyed it all. Thanks!
Anthony says
This is a great recipe. I followed the recipe exactly and it is way better than what I was buying in the store. I am already thinking about making another batch. Thank you so much for sharing.
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Thanks, Anthony! I agree, being from the Chicago area, I needed the good stuff! Homemade is best. I appreciate it.
Rachel says
Just made this to use a bunch of banana peppers and jalapeños from my garden—it’s so good straight out of the bowl with a little bread, I can’t wait to see how the flavors meld in the fridge!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Glad you enjoyed it, Rachel! Perfect with banana peppers and jalapenos! I love it. =)
Tom Smith says
giardiniera is awesome fermented!! Use at least 1.5% salt (total weight of veggies and water in grams x .015 to get salt weight in grams. This method is much healthier and requires no canning to last for months. I like that the author states that you can use any veggies... I like to add broccoli and use it as an instant pasta salad mix.. Love that you mentioned the Muffaletta sandwich too!! Great recipe!!
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! I love it! Thanks, Tom.
Chef Ed Bischoff. says
I use oil, vinegar and water after I drain the brine. I use canning jars and boil for about 10-15 minutes. Take them out of water and wait for the pop. Store in cool dry place for up to a year. Never lasts. Everyone wants it and no one returns jars. Haaaa also added yellow and red peppers
Mike Hultquist says
Great stuff for sure. We always have this in our refrigerator. Thanks for sharing.
Stacy says
I used sport, Serrano, and jalapeño peppers and doubled the batch. It’s fantastic! My neighbors also loved it. Thanks for the recipe!
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! I love it, Stacy! Glad I could help!
Cora says
Hey there! Not sure if something went wrong or it’s supposed to be this way but mine turned out really salty. Will it mellow out the more it sits in the oil? Just added a little vinegar to see if that helps.
Mike Hultquist says
Sorry to hear, Cora. I'm not sure if that happened from the brining process. Adding more ingredients will help dilute the salt content.
Wan says
Hello! I made a mistake when making this and wanted to see if it might be salvageable?
Without thinking I added all the ingredients together and skipped the brining step all together. Should I just make another batch or can I stir it up and eat it in a couple days?
Mike Hultquist says
Wan, it is still good without the brine. I have done this before as a test, and the giardiniera is still very good. You may need to add in a bit of salt, but still good.
Amanda says
It tastes so good. But I must have done something wrong. Why is it hardening/“gelling” when I put in fridge? Any help is much appreciated!
Mike Hultquist says
Amanda, the oil can harden up in the fridge, depending on the oil. It will melt and turn back to normal when it warms. You can scoop some from the jar into a small bowl to come to room temp for serving.