Fresh jalapeño relish is an easy, 10-minute, no-cook recipe for a slightly sweet, slightly spicy topping that’s delicious on burgers and hot dogs, tacos and nachos, rice bowls and even eggs!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walmart. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Hiya friends! How is your week going?
We are chugging along here... The kids were off on Monday because of the hurricane over the weekend and M was also off yesterday for a teacher workday. So it's been a bit of a strange week but a fun one!
(They are old enough now to be able to mostly entertain themselves while I'm working and on deadline all morning, so it's not too stressful.)
I've been pretty busy with work this week and am already looking forward to the weekend. All we have planned is J's soccer game Saturday morning, so some lounge time and relaxation are definitely happening.
But now food. You are going to fall in love with today’s recipe for this easy fresh jalapeño relish!
And you’re going to want to put it on ALL the foods!
It’s slightly sweet, slightly spicy, slightly tangy and just ALL kinds of delicious!
(You might also like this homemade pepper jelly for a fun appetizer/spread.)
Also, you can adjust the level of heat in this recipe to make a sweet or spicy jalapeño relish. I’ve got all the tips below.
We love using it for: burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken or fish, nachos, tacos, wraps, sandwiches, rice bowls and even eggs.
Can we say addictive? Can we say obsessed?!
And I’m so happy to be supporting Walmart and their push to work with farmers and use locally grown produce in their stories.
My local store here has gorgeous jalapeño peppers from Bailey Farms of Oxford, N.C. I love being able to buy my peppers local and support nearby farmers.
(Especially when my backyard jalapeño plant hasn’t been, um, very fruitful this summer. I may need to give up on trying to garden in the backyard of this house.)
Also, Walmart teamed up with five chefs across the country to drive awareness of using fresh, locally grown produce. The culinary program is called “Rediscovering America,” and it’s going to be made into a documentary!
One of those chefs is Chef Kato of Upstream restaurant here in Charlotte. It’s been a long-time favorite seafood destination of mine.
Chef Kato has been using these jalapeños on his menu all summer, and I’m honored to be part of this food-loving group showing off the beauty of fresh produce.
Back to this relish though!
There’s no cooking involved, and no canning is needed. And it’s just 5 ingredients and ready in 10 minutes!
It’s going to be your new favorite flavor booster!
Recipe Notes:
- To make a less spicy relish, remove all of the seeds and membranes from the jalapeños before adding them to the food processor. You can also taste the relish and add an extra squeeze of honey if desired for a sweet jalapeño relish.
- For a spicier relish, leave some of the seeds and membranes in for this dish. The more you leave in, the hotter it will be, so be careful! You can also add a few dashes of hot sauce to the final relish to adjust the level of heat.
- If you have whole garlic cloves, you can also roughly chop those and then throw them in with the jalapeños and red onions to get minced in the food processor.
- I use apple cider vinegar, which adds a bit of sweetness along with the acidity of the vinegar. You could also use white wine vinegar or regular vinegar and then add some extra honey to adjust the flavor at the end.
- Want a fruity twist? You can add pineapple or mango to this salsa to make a sweeter, fruity version of jalapeño relish. I’d add that before adding the honey and then taste to adjust to your liking.
In a nod to Chef Kato and his seafood bent, I also tried these over some seared scallops with charred corn and oh my word, was that a good decision!
So, my friends, if you can’t grow a garden or hit up the farmer’s market, now you can just head to your local Walmart and check out their produce from nearby farms in your area!
And definitely snag some jalapeños and try out this relish. You’ll be wanting to keep a jar of it on hand in the fridge at all times!
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. If you are looking for other yummy jalapeño recipes, check these out:
- Jalapeño cream cheese dip
- Mississippi caviar
- Summer corn salad
- Chicken breasts with jalapeño cheese sauce
Easy Fresh Jalapeño Relish
Ingredients
- 7-8 large jalapeño peppers, with stems, membranes and seeds removed; chopped (see notes)
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Add the chopped jalapeño peppers and red onion to a food processor and pulse several times, until broken down and minced. (Be careful not to let it go too long that it turns into mush or soup.)
- Transfer the jalapeño mixture to a bowl and stir in garlic, apple cider vinegar, honey and salt. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
LeAndra
I really like this idea! I'm going to use up the rest of my summer jalapenos and try it on eggs.
Kathryn
It's really good on eggs! I hope you enjoy it LeAndra! 🙂
Dolores
I have some super hot jalapenos. Have you got any ideas on how to tame them? My DH likes spicy but these are too spicy even for him. I would like to try the cheese jalapeno biscuits and the relish, but I'm afraid of not being able to eat them. I'm a new subscriber and I'm anxious to get cooking your recipes.
Kathryn
Hi Dolores! Removing all of the seeds AND all of the membranes will take out most of the heat from your jalapenos (those are the hottest parts). If you want to go a step further, I've heard soaking halved or sliced jalapenos in lemon-lime soda (or soda water with lime juice) can also remove some heat. Cooking them also takes out some of the heat, so that could help depending on how you use them. Finally, pairing them with dairy or sugar are other ways to balance that heat and take some of the sting out. I hope that helps!
Nancy
Can you freeze it when done. I have a lot of peppers
Kathryn Doherty
I haven't tried freezing the leftovers, so I'm not sure whether it would work and still be tasty after defrosting. Would love to hear if you try! I've also used extra jalapeños from my garden to make and freeze cheese stuffed jalapeños (like jalapeño poppers you'd make for an appetizer) or in soups or stews or chili that would freeze well. Hope that helps!
Lisa Brownrigg
I made a huge batch of this recipe last year... and froze in one cup tupperwares. It was just as fresh and delicious when thawed months later!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear that Lisa! And thanks so much for sharing that freezing it works great, too! Now I need to go make a huge batch myself... 😊
Mickey
How long will this stay good in the fridge?
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Mickey, this stays good in the fridge for up to 10 days. Hope you enjoy it!
Susan Conboy
My new FAVE way to use my garden jalapenos! The second time I made it, I realized I was out of ACV; used rice vinegar instead and it was amazing! Thanks so much for this recipe!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy you love this recipe Susan! And that's great to know about the rice vinegar substitution - thanks for sharing! 😊
Sue
Delicious! I bought some jalapenos and don't normally cook with them. I found your recipe on Pinterest. I added some red pepper and everything is perfect! I will be making this again and again! Thank you for the great recipe.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved this Sue! Thanks for sharing! 😊
Leland
Hello,great recipe!! I put in 2 cloves garlic,1.5TBS Honey,1.5 a.c.vinegar just rite for me!! Thank you very much!!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Rhonda
What can you substitute for honey? Thanks!!
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Rhonda! You could use agave syrup in place of the honey, I think it would be the best option. (I substitute maple syrup for honey in baking sometimes, but I don't think it would work as well with the flavors here.) You might also be able to substitute regular granulated sugar, but I haven't tried it and I'm not sure if that would affect the consistency. Hope that helps!
Linda
Can you jar and preserve this?
Kathryn Doherty
I haven't tried that myself, but I think you could. Just follow your canning instructions. Would love to hear if you try it!