A jar or slightly sweet and spicy jalapeños just like the one bought from the store. Make these 15 minute Pickled Jalapeños using the Instant Pot and you have enough for days!
Pickling is an age old art of preserving foods for long. With various methods used for different ingredients; this skill helps retain the taste or enhance their flavors.
The traditional pickling method is a pretty complex but similar results can be obtained by using the instant pot. I have been making this recipe for a long time and I always have a jar in my refrigerator. These pickles are more like an instant version that cannot be stored for months. They are great for a couple of weeks.
A great addition to SO many recipes from quesadilla and tacos to nachos and sandwiches; pickled jalapeños is almost like a MUST-HAVE in our house.
What are Pickled Jalapeños
This is a quick pickle recipe where we start with fresh jalapeños and flavor them with salt, sugar, garlic and peppers in a liquid. These flavoring agents help enhance the flavor of jalapeños and the liquid is a carrier of these flavors.
These pickled jalapeños are great as a side for sandwiches, burgers and fries. Plus it is great to add in wraps, pasta and kathi rolls.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Jalapeños: This is key ingredient. Choose bright green, stiff and shiny peppers. Using fresh and good quality jalapeños will yield the best quality end product. I like to pickle the jalapeños the same day I buy them to retain the freshness.
- Vinegar and Water: The carrier for all the flavor in this recipe is a combination of distilled white vinegar and water. I use them in the ratio 1:1 to ensure the jalapeños are perfect and tangy. Adding some olive oil is an option too.
- Spices: Garlic and whole peppers are used here for flavoring. Garlic is optional but I totally recommend using it. It helps impart a great flavor to the jalapeños. Black peppers are used for some spice.
- Salt and sugar: If you have tried the canned jalapeños from the store, you will remember the slight sweet taste it has. The sugar is essential to get that. I would totally recommend adding it along with salt.
Tips to make it right each time
The recipe is straight forward with a handful of ingredients and just a step or two. But these pointers help make them well.
Slice the jalapeños as even as possible. Making them of different sizes may vary the amount they cook and result in some mushy slices and some firm.
Using a mandoline is the fastest and best option. Or use a sharp knife and cut them to 3-4 mm thickness.
Storing the pickled jalapeños has to be done in the refrigerator. The recipe does not use canning and so it is not shelf stable.
Use a clean jar to avoid any contamination in the refrigerator. It might be a great idea to run the microwave with the open jar for a few seconds to sterilize it.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled without changing the time to cook. The large batch of jalapeños can be divided into multiple jars.
Variations
In this recipe I have used only jalapeños. However, a mix of carrots, onions, jalapeños and
The brine will mellow down the spiciness of jalapeños. If you would them hot, add a couple of spicy chilis to the recipe.
Spice up the brine with some bay leaves, cumin seeds or mustard seeds. Adding some oregano or chili flakes works well too.
How to use the Pickled Jalapeños
These jalapeños are perfect in so many recipes. I like to use mine as topping for Pizza or to stuff in these Pizza buns.
Mexican recipes use jalapeños a lot. Add these pickled ones in Vegetarian Quesadilla, Mexican Rice and Taquitos.
Jalapeno and Cheddar bread uses pickled jalapeños and so do these Scones.
Any recipe that uses raw jalapeños like pizza and pasta can be made EVEN better by replacing them with these pickled ones.
Or enjoy these sweet and spicy jalapeños straight from the jar!
Steps to make a BIG jar of pickled jalapeños
1- Wash and pat dry the jalapeños. Slice them into medium size slices using a knife or mandoline slicer. I like mine about 3-4 mm in thickness.
2- Place the slices in the instant pot.
3- Add garlic cloves, black pepper, salt and sugar. Mix well.
4- Next add vinegar and water. Stir well.
5- Close the Instant Pot and set the mode to 'Pressure Cook' or 'Manual'. Set pressure high and time 0 minutes. Set valve to sealing.
6- Once the Instant Pot beeps, release all the pressure manually and open the lid. Remove the insert and set aside. Let everything cool to room temperature.
7- Transfer the jalapeños, spices and liquid to a clean jar. The garlic can be transferred or discarded.
8- Close the lid and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Use as needed.
Instant Pot Pickled Jalapeños
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ lb jalapeños
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ cup Distilled White Vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the jalapeños. Slice them into medium size slices using a knife or mandoline slicer. I like mine about 3-4 mm in thickness.
- Place the slices in the Instant Pot. Add garlic, black pepper, salt and sugar. Mix.
- Next add vinegar and water. Stir well.
- Close the Instant Pot and set the mode to 'Pressure Cook' or 'Manual'. Set pressure high and time 0 minutes. Set valve to sealing.
- Once the Instant Pot beeps, release all the pressure manually and open the lid.
- Remove the insert and set aside. Let everything cool to room temperature.
- Transfer the jalapeños, spices and liquid to a clean jar. The garlic can be transferred or discarded.
- Close the lid and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Use as needed.
Miche says
Set pressure high and time 0 minutes? How does it cook with 0 minutes?
herbsmruti says
When the time is set to 0 minutes, the instant pot comes to pressure and then we release it. It is perfect to cook the jalapeño but not make them mushy.