This jalapeno relish is amazing. It’s bright, fresh, zingy, zesty, spicy and seriously easy to make. It was tricky to name this one because there’s not a category of foods quite like it. I could have called it jalapeño salsa but it’s not as saucy as that and it has relish ingredients, just not cooked, so fresh relish it is. Whatever you call it, it tastes good!
- Bright, fresh and zingy, it tastes a little sweet and a little spicy.
- It takes all of 5 minutes to make and it’s so easy.
- A bit chunky or blend it all the way into a puree if you prefer.
- It’s perfect on burgers, tacos, nachos, pizza – you name it.
I now want to top everything with this fresh jalapeño relish. It has amazing vibrant flavour and is wonderful for cutting through rich foods and adding zing to just about anything. As well as all the ways mentioned above, try it on grilled meats, hot dogs, rice.
This fresh jalapeño relish is a no cook alternative to pickles and relishes that normally require cooking. It’ll sit happily in your fridge for a week – plenty of time to use it all up – and can be frozen too.
If you love this, you’ll also love this mojo verde or try this jalapeno mayo.
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Ingredients you’ll need
Just 7 simple ingredients are all you need and you can easily double this recipe if you expect to be going through a lot of it.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Jalapeño peppers: I use fairly large fresh jalapeños and about 6 of them.
- Lime: Lime juice adds a lovely lime flavour but also an amazing tang. You can swap it for apple cider vinegar or just add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar if you want even more of a tang.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds a robustness to the relish but not enough to give you garlic breath.
- Sugar: Sugar for that classic relish sweetness. You can add more or less to taste.
- Shallot: Just one small shallot is perfect here as you don’t want an overpowering onion flavour.
- Herbs: A combination of fresh coriander (fresh cilantro) and fresh parsley are great here but you can add other herbs to taste too. Mint would be lovely.
How to make jalapeño relish (step-by-step)
This homemade jalapeño relish is incredibly simple to make. There is no cooking involved keeping it easy and the flavour fresh but it also means it won’t last as long as a relish. For that reason, this recipe only makes around ¾ cup total.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Chop the jalapeños: Cut away the stems of the jalapeños, then slice them down the middle. Remove the seeds but just set the seeds aside for now. You can use them to add more heat to your relish if you want it later. Roughly chop the jalapeño flesh and add it to a small food processor.
- Add the rest: Simply add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and process to a fine but chunky texture. You can keep processing until you have a puree if you prefer.
How to use jalapeno relish
Here’s a few recipes that benefit beautifully from this jalapeno relish;
Yield and storage
This recipe makes about ¾ of a cup of fresh jalapeño relish.
Store your relish in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 7 days – if it lasts that long.
It can also be frozen (in ice cube trays or in a ziplock bag, flattened out so you can break off just what you need). If using ice cube trays, transfer them to an airtight container or ziplock bag once solid and freeze for up to 3 months.
More recipes you’ll love
- Mojo verde
- Quick pink pickled onions
- Pickled red cabbage
- Avocado cream sauce
- Easy roasted tomato salsa
- Homemade basil pesto
- Tomato chilli jam
Did you try this recipe for sweet jalapeno relish?
Leaving a rating and comment below the recipe is so helpful!
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Ingredients
- 6 medium to large jalapeno peppers
- ¼ cup packed fresh coriander (cilantro)
- ¼ cup packed fresh parsley
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (notes 1 & 4)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (or agave or honey)
- 1 small shallot, roughly chopped (notes 2)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Small food processor
- Mason jar or similar
Instructions
- Cut away the stem from the jalapenos then slice them in half down the length. Scoop out the seeds and membranes but just set the seeds aside for now. Roughly chop the jalapeno flesh and place into a small food processor.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and process until fine but still chunky or keep going if you want to puree it further.
- Taste the relish. If you’d like more a spicier relish, add some of the seeds back to the mixture.
- Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- Shallot: You can substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons of roughly chopped red onion for the shallot.
- How to use jalapeno relish: On tacos, nachos, sandwiches, hotdogs, burgers, burritos, grilled meats, quesadillas, pizza, stirred through rice, on cheese and crackers – the list goes on.
- Lime juice: Some or all of the lime juice can be swapped for white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
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