Love spicy food? These pickled serrano peppers are for you! I like making them to add a pop of tangy, spicy flavor to tacos, nachos, and more.
Move over, jalapeños! Serrano peppers are my current chile obsession for one simple reason: they’re spicier.
Serrano vs. Jalapeño Peppers
On the Scoville Scale, the official system for measuring the pungency of peppers, serrano peppers score higher than jalapeños. They clock in at 10,000 to 23,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units) versus jalapeños’ Scoville rating of 2,500 to 8,000. That’s 3 to 4 times hotter!
But lately, I’ve felt like the difference in heat level between jalapeño and serrano peppers is even greater than that. I think the jalapeños at my grocery store are tasting more and more like green bell peppers, with a vegetal, grassy flavor but little to no heat at all. Maybe you’ve noticed this too?
So when I want to spice up my home cooking, I’m turning to serranos more often. I use raw ones as a garnish, in salads, and in guacamole, and I use roasted ones to make hot sauces and homemade salsa verde. But my favorite way to use them is in this pickled serranos recipe.
These pickled serrano peppers pack a punch of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavor, and they’re easy to make with 6 basic ingredients. If you’re a fan of hot peppers, you should definitely try them. You’ll love topping them onto tacos, nachos, sandwiches, dips, and more!
How to Make Pickled Serrano Peppers
This recipe is easy to make with 6 basic ingredients:
- Serrano peppers, of course! If you’ve never cooked with these fresh peppers, they look a lot like jalapeños, just thinner and straighter, usually about 3 to 4 inches long. I call for 15 here, so you may want to wear gloves when you handle them. Though they’re not actually jalapeños, they can definitely give you jalapeño hands. 🙂
- Water and distilled white vinegar – They create the tangy brine.
- Cane sugar – It balances the acidic vinegar.
- Garlic – For savory kick.
- And sea salt – It seasons the peppers and helps preserve them.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Start by prepping the peppers. Thinly slice them and place them in a lidded jar with the garlic.
Then, make the brine. Simmer the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt until the sugar and salt dissolve.
Pour the brine over the vegetables in the jar. Allow it to cool to room temperature, then cover and transfer to the fridge.
Chill the peppers for at least 30 minutes before using. They’ll get tangier and spicier as they sit! They keep well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Use Them
If you like pickled jalapeños, you’ll love these pickled serrano peppers too. They’re a lot alike…just hotter.
You can use the two in pretty much the same ways:
- On tacos and nachos. Try them on my breakfast tacos or ultimate loaded nachos!
- In burritos. They’d be great in this vegan burrito recipe.
- On sandwiches and veggie burgers, like my black bean burger.
- In dips and salsas. Use them instead of raw serrano or jalapeño in my avocado salsa or pico de gallo.
- In salads. They’d be a perfect topping for this taco salad!
How do you like to use them? Let me know in the comments!
More Serrano Pepper Recipes
If you love these pickled serrano peppers, try one of these delicious serrano recipes next:
Pickled Serrano Peppers
Ingredients
- 15 serrano peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
- ¾ cup distilled white vinegar
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
Instructions
- Place the serranos and garlic in a (16-ounce) or similar lidded jar.
- Heat the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 1 minute. Pour the brine over the serranos. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before using.
- Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
I made the pickled serranos this morning, but mine did not turn dark like yours. They are still bright green. Will they turn darker green as they sit in the brine? Its been 30 minutes and still bright green. Thanks for any advice on this