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Home » Recipes » Rubs Sauces and Salsas

Homemade Jalapeño Relish

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Tex-Mex flavors are abundant in Austin, Texas and peppers play a key role. This Homemade Jalapeño Relish is a good example. This relish is unique, vibrant and is a great way to enjoy fresh jalapeño peppers.

Homemade jalapeño relish is a perfect condiment to add a burst of flavor to a variety of dishes. It's delicious on your favorite Mexican dishes including tacos, tamales, enchiladas, fajitas, huevos rancheros, migas, Mexican street corn and tortilla soup. Add some jalapeño relish to an omelet with shredded Oaxaca cheese. Use it to add some kick to hot dogs, sausages and hamburgers. Serve it with tortilla chips. Add some to your favorite queso. Mix some with a little sour cream and serve it with veggie sticks. It really is that versatile.

This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe by Lisa Fain in her book, The Homesick Texan. I modified her recipe for my taste but the original recipe was from Ms. Fain. Make a batch and discover how many ways you can use it to enhance your favorite dishes.

Jalapeño relish

Try my other recipes for Fire Roasted Salsa Roja, Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde and Tex-Mex Pico de Gallo.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Variations
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Top Tip
  • Final Thoughts
  • Related
  • Pairing
  • 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

  • Jalapeño peppers
  • White onion
  • Tomato
  • Garlic cloves
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Granulated sugar
  • Fine sea salt

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Safety First: Use gloves when working with raw jalapeño peppers. These peppers can be very spicy and their oils will irritate your skin and eyes. Years ago, I diced a few jalapeños peppers bare handed. I didn’t realize that the oils penetrated my cuticles and fingertips. I probably washed my hands 10 more times that day. But the next morning, I washed my face and some of the oils released and got into both of my eyes. It was like getting hit in the face with pepper spray. Do yourself a favor and wear gloves.

Slice the tops off the jalapeños, then cut them in half lengthwise. Most of the heat is contained in the seeds and ribs. Remove them for a mild relish. Dice the jalapeños, onion, tomato and garlic and place them into a small food processor along with the cilantro, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, sugar and fine sea salt. Pulse a few times until the mixture is finely chopped.

Taste the relish and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Hot dog with homemade jalapeño relish.

Variations

This versatile relish is easy to modify for your taste. Want more color? Add another tomato. Want more heat? Leave the jalapeño seeds and ribs in. Want a different flavor? Try using serrano peppers. Want crazy hot? Add a habanero pepper. Good luck with that.

Equipment

The jalapeño relish in this recipe was made using a food processor. It could have also been made by finely dicing all of the ingredients by hand. Use a plastic cutting board that can be cleaned in the dishwasher. The oils from the jalapeños can linger on cutting boards.

Storage

Store leftover jalapeño relish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Top Tip

Remember to wear gloves!

Final Thoughts

This homemade jalapeño relish may well become your new favorite condiment. Try it on anything that needs a burst of flavor.

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

  • Chorizo stuffed jalapeño poppers.
    Chorizo Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers with Oaxaca Cheese
  • Fire Roasted Salsa Roja
    Fire Roasted Salsa Roja
  • Salsa verde.
    Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
  • Pice de gallo
    Tex-Mex Pico de Gallo

Pairing

These are my some of my favorite dishes to serve with jalapeño relish.

  • Grilled steak fajitas.
    The Best Beef Fajitas Made With Wagyu Skirt Steak
  • Chicken tortilla soup.
    The Best Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Tamales
    Poblano Pepper and Cheese Tamales
  • Brisket Stuffed Chile Relleno
    Tex-Mex Comfort Food: Brisket-Stuffed Chile Rellenos

📖 Recipe

Jalapeño relish

Jalapeño Relish Recipe

Here is a delicious, fresh-tasting relish with just enough heat to spice up you next tailgate party. This recipe is a modification to a recipe by Lisa Fain in her book The Homesick Texan. I modified her original recipe for my tastes, but the original recipe was by Lisa.
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Prep Time 8 minutes mins
Total Time 8 minutes mins
Course Condiment
Cuisine American, Tex Mex
Servings 20 servings
Calories 8 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz jalapeño peppers stemmed and seeded
  • ½ white onion medium, chopped
  • 1 tomato chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro chpped
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbs lime juice fresh
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt fine

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse three times for one second each time. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with spatula then pulse three more times for one second each time. Adjust the salt to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 8kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 0.2gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 88mgPotassium: 54mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 201IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.1mg
Keyword jalapeno
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Dave
Dave

I'm Dave, just a guy who likes to cook for family and friends and take pictures of what I make. I am not a chef. While some of my recipes might look complicated and intimidating, I assure you that they are all really quite easy. If you can cut an onion, you can make any recipe on this website. Have some fun and make something new.

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