Quick Pickled Peppers

5 from 9 votes

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These easy Pickled Peppers are perfect for sandwiches, salads, charcuterie boards, omelets… the list goes on and on! In just a day, you can have jars of deliciously crisp pickles to spice up your meals or share with family and friends.

large mason jar with red yellow orange and green pickled peppers


You don’t have to wait days on end for a jar of crisp, crunchy pickles. With this quick pickled peppers recipe, you can have an abundance of zingy, zesty pickles to give all of your favorite dishes an extra kick.

I’ve developed this pickling brine with a carefully selected spice profile for just the right level of heat. If you use hotter peppers, you’ll get an even hotter brine, so keep that in mind as you select your veggies for pickling.

Note: these are “quick” pickled peppers, meaning that this recipe is not suited for canning and must be kept refrigerated. 

I bet you never knew that it could be so easy to make your own pickles at home! Try your hand at these Mexican Carrots, Red Onions, and basic Home Vegetable pickling recipes for even more ways to enjoy your favorite garden veggies.

pickled cherry peppers in small bowl with jalapeno slices and banana pepper slices

INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS 

  • Assorted Peppers – This is when I use my leftover garden vegetables of the season: banana peppers, jalapeños, pepperoncinis, or whatever else is laying around. It’s great to make a whole variety at once!
  • White Vinegar – The preferred pickling vinegar for its neutral, sharp acidity. Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar are good alternatives, but will have a slightly different flavor. 
  • Water – We’re not pickling for an overly-long shelf life, so we’ll dilute with a bit of water.
  • Salt & Sugar – For flavor, but also for utility. Using kosher salt will keep the veggies crisp as they pickle.
  • Garlic Cloves – Smashed, not minced, to help diffuse the spicy, pungent aroma and flavor of the garlic.
  • Mustard Seeds – These seeds have a strong scent and even stronger taste when you bite right down on them. Instead, we’ll add them to the pickling brine to give a hint of their spicy, earthy flavor.
  • Celery Seeds – In addition to their distinct celery flavor, these seeds are bitter, with a warm and herbal heat.
  • Black Peppercorns – We’ll use 10 whole black peppercorns. If that seems a bit specific, that’s because it is! This adds just enough “fruity” spiciness that isn’t too overpowering.

HOW TO MAKE PICKLED PEPPERS

  1. Stem and Seed the Peppers.  Wear gloves before proceeding with the recipe to keep the pepper oils off of your skin, and keep your hands away from your eyes. Remove the stem from each pepper, and the seeds if you wish. Chop the chilis into ¼“ rings and transfer them to your jars.
  2. Boil the Brine.  Add all of the spices and seasonings, water, and vinegar to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir regularly. Once the salt and sugar granules have dissolved, remove from heat. 
  3. Pack the Peppers.  Slowly and carefully pour the liquid into the jar with the veggies. Pack down them with a spoon, releasing any air pockets that might interfere with the pickling process.
  4. Seal, Refrigerate, and Serve. Allow them to come to room temperature, seal the jars, and refrigerate for at least 2 days before eating.
large glass jar of spicy refrigerator pickles

How long do refrigerator pickled peppers last? 

These quick pickled peppers will last in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. And because this is a refrigerated pickle, not a recipe for canning, these pickles must remain refrigerated.

What are the best peppers to pickle? 

Any pepper will pickle well, so it all comes down to your preferences and what you’ll want to use the slices for. The mild banana pepper and pepperoncini are a couple of very popular choices, but you could use jalapeños or other chilis for extra spiciness. 

Pickling is a great way to utilize garden veggies, so I recommend looking into the pepper varieties that grow well in your area and trying your hand at those.

I had an over abundant season of peppers and decided to do a medley for this batch. There’s nothing more satisfying than growing and cooking your own veggies!

How long does the pickling process take?  

For a quick refrigerator version, it takes 30 minutes to prepare the vegetables and brining liquid and at least 24 hours for the pickling process. The longer you pickle, the more the vegetables will take on the flavors of the spice blend.

What are the best storage containers for pickled peppers?  

Mason jars are a popular, great choice, but any airtight plastic, glass, ceramic, or stone container will do the trick.

small dish with slices of red, yellow and green chiles
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large mason jar with red yellow and green pickled peppers

Quick Pickled Peppers

5 from 9 votes
My quick pickled peppers brine is made with vinegar, black pepper, mustard, and celery for a crisp bite and intoxicating heat.
Servings: 10
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Pickle Time: 2 days
Total: 2 days 35 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 Ball Canning Jar (64 oz wide mouth)

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Wearing gloves, carefully stem and seed (optional) the chilies. Slice them into 1/4-inch rounds and pack them into clean and sterilized jars.
  • In a small saucepan, add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, garlic, mustard and celery seeds and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove from heat and carefully pour the hot brine over the jarred peppers.
  • Use the back of a spoon to press the peppers down and release air bubbles.
  • Place the lids on the jars and screw on the rings until tight. Let the jars cool to room temperature. Store the pickles in the refrigerator. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — wait at least 2 days before opening. These will last for 2 months refrigerated (See Note 2).
  • These are fantastic to top sandwiches, salads, served with cheese on crackers, in guacamole, on top of chili, in scrambled eggs, etc.

Notes

  1. I use whatever I’ve grown that year: banana, jalapeno, fresno, Pepperoncini, gypsy, etc.
  2. This is a “refrigerator pickle” recipe. It’s not for canning in a water bath, and hasn’t been tested for canning safety. Follow a recipe written specifically for canning instead if that is what you are looking for.

Nutrition

Calories: 40kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 701mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 490IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Appetizers, condiments, Snacks
Cuisine: American
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
titled image: bowl of marinated green yellow and red chiles

Kevin

Whether in the kitchen or on the grill, you’ll find me cooking American favorites with a love for BBQ, Mexican and Tex Mex. I’m passionate about making tasty food because life’s too short to be bland!

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29 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Hi Kevin, this recipe is great. Tried it last week and the result was excellent. My friend grew some Trinidad Scorpions that I added (4) and dang is it good and spicy! Today I made another batch without any super hots. I will let you know how it turns out. Again thanks for this simple yet effective recipe. Btw, I live in Germany and this made my German friends happy as well.

    1. Excited to try recipe. Question will recipe above fill one quart size. What size jar is recommended for recipe. Thank you.