This recipe for Soy Pickled Jalapenos came by way of my sister. It was shown to her by her soon-to-be Mother-in-Law who came to the States from China and ran a successful restaurant with her husband for years before retiring.
Soy Pickled Jalapenos
Now when I say “recipe” I mean the term very loosely. You’ll see what I mean, below! There’s really nothing to it and the bonus is these peppers are insanely delish and keep just about forever.
About Soy Pickled Jalapenos:
When my sister told me about these, I actually ran out to the store and picked up some jalapenos. And I was so psyched to make them when I realized there was not enough soy sauce in the kitchen I snuck through my daughter’s room (as she slept) to grab another bottle. See, we live in a weird house without much cabinet space so we have set up shelves for the extra items behind her bedroom.
I think she’ll forgive me once she tries these! They are hot for sure but those jalapenos are utterly transformed into something magical. I didn’t show these Soy Pickled Jalapenos in the photos I took of my Japanese Beef & Rice Bowls (they are not traditional accompaniment) but I added some for sure! I love them and hope you will, too.
You can toss these on or in so many things. Use them anywhere you would like a little pep. My sister uses them on sandwiches (ham, beef, chicken) and on other dishes, paying no mind as to whether or not they have an Asian flair. She swears by them on scrambled (or just about any kind of) eggs and I’m pretty sure she mentioned tacos and nachos or fries. I have found myself several times taking a little forkful as I pass by the fridge…
Soy Pickled Jalapenos
Making Soy Pickled Jalapenos:
The process to make the jalapenos is super simple. Just slice them maybe slightly less than 1/4″, chop about 1/3 to 1/2 of those and add them all to a jar. You can leave the seeds in or not as you desire. If you wish to remove the seeds, slice the jalapenos in half and run the tip of a spoon down the center of each half. Then chop off the stem end and slice them. I went with about 1/2 with the seeds and about half without.
Add in some cilantro that you’ve chopped up as well, a little or a lot (and to me a lot would be about 1/3 of the amount of the jalapenos. Just eyeball it, and when I say 1/3 I mean by volume: the pile of cilantro would be about 1/3 of the pile of jalapenos. Add that to the jar, too.
Then fill the jar to the top of the jalapenos with Soy Sauce. Push the jalapenos down with a spoon, and don’t worry, in a day or two they will absorb enough of the soy that they sink below the level. Add a little more soy if needed; they should at that point be completely covered. These, with time, will absorb so much that they’ll turn into little unrecognizable lumps…not attractive but sooo delicious!
Variations:
I took a little departure after I started making these. I decided to use 2/3rds soy and 1/3rd rice vinegar. Again, just eyeball it. Liz adds in a little sesame oil and I did, too. You can go by taste; some brands can be really strong.
There are other variations. Some people like to add a little garlic, thinly sliced or sliced green onion (my sister thinks it doesn’t keep as well with either of those items) and others might add in a little lime or another citrus. It’s a fun recipe to play with.
Saving Money on Soy Pickled Jalapenos:
When shopping for Asian ingredients you have several options. If you live near an Asian market, you’re likely to find the best pricing. In your grocery store, you may need to check several aisles. You might have an international aisle, an ethnic aisle for Asian foods as well as a section that carries the more common Asian ingredients. If you watch for sales, the most likely one is going to be during the Chinese New Year, which varies every year, and sales may be unadvertised. Stock up when the prices are low.
Jalapenos do go on sale now and then, although in the areas I’ve lived in, I find that they aren’t very expensive (especially compared to bell peppers.) This keeps so well and for so long (they are basically a pickle and can be kept for weeks) that you might want to make a big jar when jalapenos are cheap.
Soy Pickled Jalapenos
Soy Pickled Jalapenos – Ed’s Mom’s Stuff
Jalapenos marinated in soy and any number of other ingredients.
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: varies
- Category: condiment
- Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
- Jalapenos, sliced and chopped (see note)
- cilantro, roughly chopped; about 1/3 the volume of the jalapenos
- soy sauce to cover
Notes:
- Control the heat by deseeding and removing the ribs of the jalapenos before slicing and chopping.
- Variations may be replacing some of the soy (about 1/4 to 1/3 with rice wine or another condiment, adding sugar, using green onion and/or garlic, adding a little sesame oil.
Instructions
Add jalapenos and cilantro to a jar. Cover with soy sauce. Make any suggested changes.
Keep refrigerated. Keeps for weeks.
Keywords: Asian, Chinese, Condiments, Hot Peppers, Jalapeno, pickled jalapeno, pickles, rice vinegar, Soy, Vinegar
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