The Underrated Flavors You Should Be Adding To Pickled Jalapeños

For those who crave the iconic kick of jalapeños, there's almost no wrong way to enjoy them, from guacamole to fried poppers filled with cream cheese. But the pickled jalapeño stands alone in its unique appeal, being slightly milder in heat level and chewier in texture, while delivering a tart acidity that pops in any dish.

You can easily find pickled jalapeños on your grocer's shelves, but when you make them at home, you also have the opportunity to customize them with flavors that will bring extra depth — the only conundrum is which ones to use. Fortunately, Chowhound had a chance to speak to an expert for guidance on where to start. Angelo Sosa, executive chef of Kembara and Tía Carmen in Phoenix, Arizona, and Carmocha and Tía Carmen in Indian Wells, California, took the time to share his thoughts on elevating your acidified jalapeños.

"I like to add allspice, cinnamon, cumin, chimayo chile, and bay leaf," he tells Chowhound. He added that this combination of ingredients offers "a unique balance of floral/warm spice levels to the jalapeños."

Allspice and cinnamon are common for baking projects, but here, their familiar flavor profiles shine in a savory application. Cumin has a touch of nuttiness along with a smoky quality, while bay leaves bring an herbal touch of mintiness and black pepper. And the unique chimayo pepper contributes a sweet-spicy X factor. Such a combination complements not only the peppers themselves, but each dish to which they are applied. You may have found that your guacamole tastes ridiculously good with pickled jalapeños — and the added complexity Sosa recommends only elevates it more. Swap out one of the five ingredients in your classic pico de gallo recipe and see how it also transforms your tacos. 

And once you have your peppers prepared, don't sleep on the liquid. If you do, you're not using the best part of canned pickled jalapeños. You can use it as a marinade for meats like chicken or even as a surprising (and spicy) addition to a classic martini.

Thanks to chef Angelo Sosa's advice, you may find yourself whipping up pickled jalapeños on the regular. When you have a jar of these little flavor bombs on hand, you never have to worry about having a bland meal.