Mexican Pickled Peppers Recipe (2024)

Chiles en Vinagre (Escabeche)

At every mom-and-pop restaurant in Mexico, you will find a bowl of pickled peppers and vegetables on the table to accompany your meal.

The tang from the vinegar, the heat from the serrano peppers, and the crunch from the vegetables whet your appetite. These peppers are so easy to make and the taste is superior to the canned versions.

How to Make

If you have ever thought that pickling would be difficult, no worries. This is a no-cook pickle recipe. That means no boiling, no canning, and almost no prep time.

Prep and clean up will take you less than 15 minutes. There are no reasons not to give it a try.

Gather Your Ingredients

There is a good chance that you already have the ingredients on hand. You can substitute jalapeño peppers for the serranos if you’d like. The end result won’t be as hot.

Ingredient List

• 10 serrano chili peppers
• 2 carrots
• ½ white onion
• 12 ounces apple cider vinegar
• 8 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon whole black pepper

Prepping the Vegetables

Cut the stems off the peppers then slice the chiles in quarters lengthwise. Leave the seeds and veins. (You can remove them if you prefer less heat.)

Chop the onion into ½″ pieces.

Cut the carrot into ¼″ rounds.

Coarsely chop the garlic.

Pickling

Layer the vegetables and the spices.

Cover completely with apple cider vinegar. Put the lid on the jar.

Cure for 3 Weeks

Place the jar in the refrigerator. Every three days give the jar a gentle shake to ensure that the vegetables cure evenly.

After 3 weeks, it is ready to serve. You can use the pickled peppers before but for best results wait for the full 3 weeks. You will love the results.

Pro tip: Label the top of the jar with the date that you placed the jar in the fridge.

The Finished Product

Use the hot pickled peppers and vegetables a tangy side-dish or hors d’oeuvre. They are great as a bar snack (botana) with an ice-cold Mexican beer. Pop a pepper in your mouth. Take a few swigs of beer and repeat.

How will you serve them?

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