Pickled Jalapeños/Escabeche Recipe

Pickled Jalapenos or chiles en escabeche are present in almost every single dish made in Mexico. Wether on a, taco, torta, soup, stew or carne asada, they will always be used to enhance the flavor experience. Try this recipe and you won’t go back to the canned ones. 

It is important to know you might find them as chiles en vinagre, chiles curtidos and chiles en escabeche. Certainly, these are easily available at grocery stores but homemade are much better. Making them at home allows you to control not only the flavor but also the texture. For example, I prefer them on the crispy side but many of you might want to cook them a bit more. It is a very versatile recipe but most importantly, easy and delicious!

Other ingredients you can add

As mentioned previously, pickled jalapeños is a very versatile recipe. There are several ingredients that pair wonderfully with this recipe; including, cactus. That’s right, cactus improves the overall variety of textures and adds a touch of acidy. The cauliflower can also be considered a special add on, which is a classic when making escabeche. Personally, it is my favorite.

Jars/Prep and more…

Pickling can be so much fun and choosing the right container for the task shouldn’t be intimidating. Mason Jars have been my choice and an overall popular one for many year. Having said that, it is important to clean, sterilize and dry the jars completely before using them.  

“This is an outstanding recipe. I have made this for several people as a gift and they all love it.”

— YouTube subscriber

Pickled jalapeños can kept for up to 2-3 months in the fridge tightly sealed.

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Pickled Jalapeños/Escabeche Recipe

Recipe by Villa Cocina

4.6 from 14 votes

Course: SidesCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

1

Jar

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

Pickled Jalapenos or chiles en escabeche are present in almost every single dish made in Mexico. Wether on a, taco, torta, soup, stew or carne asada, they will always be used to enhance the flavor experience. Try them and you won’t go back to the canned ones. 

Ingredients

• 1 lb jalapeños

• 8 oz  carrots

• 10 oz cauliflower

• 1 ea medium white onion

• 12 garlic cloves, peeled

• 3 TBSP olive oil

• Aromatics

• 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed

• 3 bay leafs 

• 5 ea sprigs thyme, fresh 

• 1 tsp dry marjoram

• 1 1/2 tsp dry Mexican oregano

• 4 ea cloves 

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 TBSP brown sugar

• Salt kosher to taste (1 TBSP + 2 tsp)

• Liquid

• 2 cups white distilled vinegar

• 2 cups water

Directions

• Prep the veggies:
  *Jalapeños- cut the stem off, cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Feel free to wear kitchen gloves when handling the peppers.
  *Carrots- Peel and cut both ends. Then cut diagonally into thick slices (about 1/2 inch thickness). 
  *Cauliflower- cut into small bite size pcs, as close in size as possible to the rest of the veggies.
• Cook the mix: Heat 3 TBSP of oil over medium-low heat. Once hot add the carrots first because they are tougher. Cook for about 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Stir as needed.
  
  Add the jalapeños, cauliflower, garlic and stir for another 5 minutes (You can cook them for a longer period of time to achieve your desired doneness.) When al dente, add the onion, aromatics, sugar, salt, liquids and mix well. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool down. 
• When warm, add to the mason jar and allow it to cool completely.
• Finally: Once cooled, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator. Allow it to pickle for 3 days before serving. Keep in mind, the longer it pickles, the better it tastes. Can keep up to 2-3 months in the fridge, tightly closed.

Recipe Video