10 Ways To Use Up Those Jalapeños In Your Fridge

Jalapeños are one of the most widely used fresh chili peppers in the U.S., offering a mild to moderate level of heat and subtle vegetal flavor that makes them exceptionally versatile. These peppers come in both red and green varieties, with the former leaning a little sweeter, and both can be used raw, roasted, or pickled in a wide range of dishes.

Jalapeños often come in packages of multiple peppers, but all too often, a recipe will call for a single chili only. This leaves you with leftovers that easily get forgotten once tucked away at the back of the fridge. However, there's no need to let them go to waste. If you find yourself with a surplus of jalapeños, there are plenty of delicious ways to put them to good use.

Whether you fancy something sweet or savory, simple or decadent, these nifty peppers are the perfect tool for injecting some heat. Countless meals, snacks, and desserts can benefit from a fiery twist, and the peppers blend seamlessly into everything from dips and sauces to dinnertime classics and comforting bakes. So, dig out those leftover jalapeños, and get ready to whip up something bold, creative, and packed with warming flavor.

If you've never ventured outside of savory uses for jalapeños, this is a fantastic place to start. By coating the peppers in chocolate, you add a layer of sweetness and indulgence that transforms the crisp, spicy chili into a tempting treat. It's a wonderfully simple technique, and the result is a fun and unique snack or dessert that provides a bold contrast of heat and sweet.

Making chocolate-covered jalapeños is a simple case of dunking whole, washed, and dried peppers into melted milk, white, or dark chocolate. To create an even smoother, shinier coating that also sets faster, you can also melt a few spoonfuls of coconut oil or Crisco into the chocolate. Once you've dunked the chilis thoroughly in the mixture, lay them out on a piece of parchment paper, and leave them to harden at room temperature.

You can absolutely get creative with extra ingredients here if desired. Try sprinkling over toppings such as flaky sea salt, chopped nuts, colorful sprinkles, or shredded coconut before the chocolate has set, or using two varieties of chocolate for a striking two-tone look. Another great option is to cut the tops off the peppers and carefully scrape out the seeds and white parts, making room for a rich filling like peanut butter or cream cheese.

The classic margarita cocktail is the perfect candidate for spicing up, and jalapeños are a top pick for making this beloved drink a little more lively. If you've got some leftover peppers lurking in the back of your fridge, a round of spicy margs is always a good idea, and there are a few different ways the chilis can be incorporated.

To turn a basic margarita into a spicy jalapeño margarita, one of the simplest options is to muddle the sliced pepper in a cocktail shaker before adding the other ingredients (tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and agave syrup). Then, as you shake everything up, the chili will gently infuse the boozy, zesty blend, giving your cocktail an irresistible kick of heat. Of course, you can also use a few extra slices of jalapeño to garnish your sip, whether that means floating them on top or resting them on the edge of the glass.

Another great approach is to infuse the tequila with sliced jalapeños beforehand, by letting the two ingredients steep overnight, and then straining out the peppers. This way, there's no muddling required, and the cocktail can be shaken and strained in the traditional way. A Tajín coating on the rim of the glass also works brilliantly here, adding an extra dose of tangy, citrusy heat to every sip.

You've heard of sriracha mayo, but how about jalapeño mayo? Using fresh peppers yields a sauce with a bright flavor and a striking green (or red) hue, and it's a great way to give the creamy base a punchy makeover. While you could absolutely keep it as straightforward as blitzing mayonnaise with the fresh, sliced peppers in a food processor, incorporating a few extra ingredients will help you craft a more flavorful and well-rounded sauce. Try adding some fresh garlic and cilantro, or a squeeze of lime juice, to build aromatic depth and give the mayo a tangier edge. Or, you can add extra warmth with dried spices like cumin or paprika.

For a sweeter take on jalapeño mayo, candy the sliced peppers by boiling them with sugar and water until soft and syrupy. Then, you can blitz these up with the mayo and other add-ins as normal. The additional sweetness works to balance out the heat, and the resulting sauce tastes especially great dolloped over burgers or tacos.

Garnishing your meal with something spicy can make all the difference, and while you might typically reach for a drizzle of hot sauce or pinch of red pepper flakes, jalapeños also make the perfect finishing touch. We're not talking sliced or diced peppers here, but rather grated, frozen jalapeño. This way, you add heat and freshness in equal measure, and it's super easy to distribute the chili evenly across your bowl or plateful.

Just pop the peppers into a sealable plastic bag or box, and place everything in the freezer until the jalapeños have frozen solid. They'll keep well here for up to six months, so you can reach for them whenever your meal is in need of a spicy upgrade. When it comes to grating, a microplane is an ideal tool to use, as this will allow you to create an ultra-fine dust that'll add plenty of warmth without overwhelming the dish or dramatically impacting texture. The grated jalapeño will make an excellent addition to pizzas, omelets, rice bowls, or even desserts like brownies and ice cream.

Pesto is already packed with rich, herbaceous flavor, but there's something the classic Italian sauce is missing — a hint of heat. If you prefer your meals on the fierier side, pesto serves as the perfect base for spicing up, and jalapeños can help.

The subtle, vegetal notes of jalapeños fit right in alongside the traditional components of pesto. There's earthy basil, aromatic garlic, and rich Parmesan, pine nuts, and olive oil, all of which are flavorful enough to hold their own against the warmth of the peppers. To incorporate the chilis, just remove the stems and add them to the blender or food processor with the other ingredients. You can also remove the seeds and white parts if you prefer a milder finish. Using green jalapeños will preserve that classic hue, but you can always reach for red peppers if you prefer a sweeter taste, or if you're whipping up a tangy sun-dried tomato pesto.

Once blitzed up, your elevated pesto can be used much like the regular version. Stir it through pasta or gnocchi, spoon it over fried eggs, or drizzle it atop pizza. It also works great as a sandwich spread or tossed with roasted veggies.

It doesn't get much more comforting than a steaming bowlful of melty mac and cheese, and this indulgent family favorite is simply begging for the jalapeño treatment. The heat of the peppers cuts through the creamy richness of the cheese sauce brilliantly, and jalapeños will pair well with a whole host of other savory add-ins, too.

To incorporate the chilis, dice them up finely, and add them to the cheese sauce. You can either saute the peppers with a little butter at the beginning, before you add the flour to create a roux, or stir them in later, after adding the cheese. If you're baking your mac, consider sprinkling some extra diced chilis on top of the pasta-sauce mixture in the dish before you pop everything in the oven. Or, simply use the sliced or diced jalapeños as a fresh garnish, adding them right before you tuck in.

We love pairing the jalapeños with bacon to give the sauce a dose of smoky, savory flavor, or throwing in some greens like broccoli or peas for an extra pop of color. The peppers are also the perfect starting point for crafting a Mexican-inspired mac. To further build on the warmth, try stirring a few spoonfuls of taco seasoning through the sauce, or scattering the spicy mac and cheese with crumbled tortilla chips before baking. Toppings like black beans, crumbled Cotija cheese, or fresh cilantro will also complement the cheesy base beautifully.

Candied jalapeños (aka cowboy candy) are a deliciously sweet and spicy condiment that'll fast become a gamechanger in your everyday cooking. These syrupy morsels are amazing for piling into sandwiches, burgers, or tacos, where they bring a bright, balanced flavor and moreish mellow heat. And making your own batch is a fantastic way to put leftover peppers to good use.

First up, you'll need to prepare the syrupy base, which is essentially a sweeter take on a traditional pickling liquid. Sugar is mixed with vinegar and other flavor-boosters like mustard seeds, celery seeds, and spices on the stovetop, before the sliced jalapeños join the party. The mixture is then boiled until the peppers are tender and the liquid is nice and syrupy. Once cooled, the cowboy candy will keep well in a lidded jar in the fridge for up to a month.

As well as being an excellent topping or garnish, candied jalapeños can also be chopped up and incorporated into other dishes. They'll fit seamlessly into a creamy potato salad or crunchy slaw, or you can mix them into cornbread batter for a sweet hit of warmth. The infused syrup is just as versatile, ideal for brushing over grilled meats, or even drizzling over ice cream.

Savory muffins make for a wholesome and satisfying breakfast or snack, and popular add-ins include cheese, bacon, veggies, and herbs. But have you considered throwing jalapeños into the mix? The fiery peppers bring a touch of excitement to every bite, all while flecking the batter with striking pops of green and enhancing the flavor of other savory elements.

For the base of the muffin batter, you'll need the usual staples, including butter, sugar, eggs, and all-purpose flour. Alternatively, you can swap some of the flour for cornmeal to create a more crumbly, cornbread-style muffin. Once you've prepped the mixture, fold in the diced or sliced peppers, along with any other mix-ins of your choice (shredded cheddar is always a good idea), and bake the batter in muffin cases until risen and golden. The fluffy jalapeño-spiked muffins will taste incredible served warm with a swipe of butter or drizzle of honey, and they make an ideal side dish for soups, stews, or brunchtime classics like bacon and eggs.

Jalapeños might sound like an odd choice of an ice cream mix-in, but the spicy peppers pair incredibly well with sweet, creamy flavors, making them a surprisingly perfect match for the frozen treat. When enjoyed in this luscious, frosty format, the jalapeños offer a subtle warmth that brings balance to the otherwise sugary base, and the resulting dessert feels wonderfully elegant.

Ice cream is typically made with sugar, heavy cream, milk, and sometimes egg yolks. The jalapeños can either be blitzed up with the cream in a blender before you combine everything, or finely diced and warmed with the cream and sugar to gently infuse the mixture, perhaps alongside a splash of vanilla. Once everything has cooled, you can churn the creamy blend in an ice cream maker as normal for an ultra-smooth result.

If you're going for a simple no-churn ice cream, just fold the diced peppers into the thickened blend of cream and condensed milk before freezing. Feel free to experiment with other mix-ins here, too. Pairing the jalapeños with a sprinkle of cinnamon will help to continue the warming theme, and lime zest adds an irresistible tang that further contrasts the sweet notes. Chunks of mango, strawberry, or pineapple will also bring a welcomed dose of color and fresh, fruity flavor.

There's no denying the versatility of hummus. This creamy, protein-packed dip can be flavored with a wide variety of ingredients, from sweet caramelized onions to earthy beets and nutty edamame beans. However, if a fiery finish is the goal, reach for those leftover jalapeños. The peppers blend effortlessly into the chickpea base, tinting the hummus a pleasing shade of green and livening things up no end.

You'll want to de-stem and de-seed the peppers before you add them to the food processor. Then, simply blitz up them with the drained canned chickpeas, a dollop of tahini, glug of olive oil, and any other add-ins that take your fancy. Garlic, lemon juice, cumin, and cilantro are all top picks. Roasting or broiling the jalapeños beforehand will also give the hummus a slightly sweeter, smokier flavor. Garnish-wise, extra sliced jalapeños are sure to boost the presentation, and a final drizzle of olive oil on top wouldn't go amiss. The spiced-up hummus can then be served with all of your favorite dippers, such as tortilla chips, pita bread, and fresh, crunchy crudites.