This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
Pickled Chilies - Popular condiment that accompanies many Southeast Asian street food and Asian noodle dishes.
This is the first time I made pickled green chilies at home and was pleasantly surprised that it took only a jiffy and the chilies were ready practically overnight.
Pickled green chili is a popular condiment that accompanies many Southeast Asian street food and Asian noodle dishes.
The tartness from the rice vinegar and the pickled green chilies are best served with Penang Char Hor Fun, Rad Na, Fried Rice Vermicelli, dry wonton noodles, etc.
In many Cantonese noodle joints and Thai restaurants here in the US, you will always find a small container of picked green chilies on the table, together with other sauces such as soy sauce, chili sauce, and pepper…
While you can buy pickled green chilies from Asian stores (there is a close cousin which is Made in Mexico), home-made pickled chilies just taste so much better and “fresher” knowing that they are not packaged months ago and have been sitting on the shelves forever!
Here is my simple pickled green chilies recipe. It’s really painless to make and they keep for a while in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jalapeños aren’t quite the same as the ones from KL food stalls, but you’ve got options! Try serrano peppers or Thai chilies—they’re closer in heat and flavor. JalapJalapeños aren’t quite the same, but you’ve got options! Try serrano peppers or Thai chilies—they’re closer in heat and flavor. Jalapeños will work if that’s all you have, but they’re milder and taste a little different.
They’re a lot spicier than regular green chilies, so the heat can be pretty intense. But if you’re all about that extra kick, go for it! Just know they’ll pack way more heat.
If you’re sensitive to chili heat, wearing gloves helps prevent burning your hands. But I get it—removing the seeds with gloves on can be a bit tricky. If you go without, just make sure to wash your hands really well after handling the chilies… and whatever you do, don’t touch your face or eyes!
You won’t be able to get rid of all the seeds, but you can reduce them. After slicing, just give the chilies a good shake or tap them on the cutting board to loosen the seeds. You can also run your fingers through the slices or use a small spoon to scoop out any extras before pickling.
Yes. If you love the heat, keep the seeds in. The more seeds, the spicier the pickled chilies—so if you’re all about that extra kick, go for it.
Leave them in! The vinegar keeps the chilies fresh and flavorful. Just store them in a sealed jar in the fridge, and they’ll be good for weeks.
They’ll keep in the fridge for about 1 to 2 weeks. Just make sure they’re fully submerged in the vinegar solution and stored in a clean, airtight jar. The flavor gets even better after a day or two!
This recipe is 84 calories per cup.
What To Serve With Pickled Chilies
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Pickled Chilies
Ingredients
- 4 oz (125g) green chilies, discard the seeds and sliced into pieces
- 1 cup Chinese rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup water, boiled
Instructions
- Prepare the green chilies and transfer them to a small bowl. Bring water to a boil, then pour it over the chilies in the bowl. Let the chilies sit in the boiled water for about 10 seconds. Drain and discard the hot water.
- In the same bowl, add the rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. Stir to mix well. Transfer everything into a small glass container or jar and refrigerate overnight. The pickled green chilies will be ready by the next day.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
You said ‘discard the seeds’. But how do you do that if you needs them sliced into rings?
Just rinse with water and the seeds should come out. If not, use a small spoon to push them out.
Great! Thanks! But second time I don’t seeded the chilies, more heat, more joy for me :)
I wish I knew what chillies to use here in the US. JALAPEÑO is just not the same as what I had at the food stalls back in KL 40 years ago!
Jim – if you can get Malaysian type of red chilies then please use it but you can’t find those in the USA. So you have to improvise and use what you have! I used jalapeno.
Hi Bee, keen to try this recipe. Can I please check why you don’t recommend using bird’s eye chilli?
They are too spicy!
hi… was wondering why brids eye chillies r not recommended
hi bee
recipe worked well as u said, even with apple cider vinegar, forgot I had rice vinegar in the cupboard.
I couldn’t find the right type of chili as in Malaysia where I’m from, living in Switzerland so did the next best thing, bought from a turkish store. Wasn’t sure if it would work, overnite when I first tasted it, it was a bit hot/spicy but after a few more days, it became just right, yippy.
Think you forgot to mention that we should use gloves to handle the chilis, burning hands the first time I did it, the next time I used gloves but much harder to remove the seeds when you got gloves on, anyone else had the same problem?
How long do these chilis last once made?
Hi Kwok, it lasts for a while once pickled, just keep in the fridge. :)
Mine are at 2 months in the fridge, just a few left, but still crunchy and delicious.
I made this! Oh, I love it. Had it with Cantonese noodles. Delicious. Thank you!
Awesome!
I like what you said about putting in stirring in vinegar and salt into your peppers. I need to get green chiles for my salsa. I’ll have to consider getting a new recipe for our party.
Thanks.
This was so easy to make. I grew up in Thailand so I was exposed to this condiment at a very young age. I looked at a lot of recipes out there but this one is the most like what I had when I lived in Thailand. I made over a pound of them because I know they won’t last long otherwise. I’ll eat these things on so many foods!! Thank you!
Thanks!