A mason jar of pickled sweet peppers.

Why we love these quick pickled sweet peppers

I made these pickled sweet peppers for our burger night last week, and they turned out awesome. They were so easy to make, and so yummy on our burgers. I will save those details for when I actually post the recipe for them, but I will say that they were the perfect tangy zip to match the smoky chipotle in our burgers. Hmmm. Can you guess what kind of burgers they were?

These pickled peppers would be a really unique homemade gift for the holidays too. Of course, they will need to be eaten within a week or two, and kept in the fridge, since they’re not fully pickled. But, they are so pretty in their jars. How could anyone not be happy with pretty pickled peppers?

They would also be a really beautiful addition to a relish tray.

If you like this recipe, you have to try this roasted chili corn salsa, and this fried pickle dip and this beet tartare.

Searching for more dairy free appetizers? These roasted shisito peppers are a fun way to enjoy your love of peppers, or you could try these bacon wrapped water chestnuts. And one of my favorite, refrigerator pickle recipes is these quick pickled asparagus, they are delicious in a bloody mary!

Sweet peppers sliced and stored in a mason jar in a sweet brine.

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Ingredients & substitutions

  • Sweet peppers – These small, sweet peppers come in red, yellow, and orange and are perfect for pickling whole or sliced.
  • Rice vinegar – This is the sweetest of the vinegars and pairs perfectly with the sweet peppers. Apple cider vinegar will work fine, but the peppers will be more acidic.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

A mason jar of sweet pickled peppers.

The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.

How to make pickled sweet peppers

Prep your jars of peppers. Clean your peppers and distribute them into your mason jars.

Make your pickling liquid. Add vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a saucepan and heat until sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from heat and add garlic.

Pour liquid into jars over peppers. You may need to add a bit of water to make sure the peppers are fully submerged.

Cover and refrigerate.

Overhead photo of a jar of sliced peppers.

FAQs and tips for making quick pickled sweet peppers

  • How long will pickled sweet peppers last in the fridge? If you store these in the fridge, they will stay fresh for about 1-2 weeks. These are not fully pickled so they will not last nearly as long as store bought or canned pickles.
A fork removing sliced peppers from a jar.
4.75 from 12 votes

Quick Pickled Sweet Peppers

By: Melissa Belanger
These quick pickled sweet peppers are so easy to make. Add them to a burger or a relish tray or munch on them for a deliciously fresh, crunchy snack!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 2 cups sliced sweet peppers
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions 

  • Place peppers into a jar.
  • In a small saucepan, heat vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from heat and add garlic.
  • Pour the liquid over the peppers in the jar. Top with additional water if necessary to cover the peppers.
  • Cover jar and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 25kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 0.5g, Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 584mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin C: 48mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

4.75 from 12 votes

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43 Comments

  1. Michele Maddox says:

    5 stars
    I don’t see the jar size indicated. Would it be a quart size Mason jar? And I’m using Swerve instead of sugar. Will Swerve work as a subsitute in a pickling recipe? I find the Swerve far less sweet than conventional sugar but love the authentic flavor. Will it pickle?

    1. Cokey says:

      The recipe says it yields two cups. Hope that helps!❤️

  2. Jeanette Kim says:

    Can I use another vinegar besides rice vinegar?

    1. Melissa Belanger says:

      Yes you can! White vinegar would be my next suggestion.

    2. Lorraine says:

      5 stars
      Delicious! I made these for a recipe that called for pepperoncini liquid. Not being a fan of pepperoncini I subbed for this. The peppers are hot with a touch of sweet. I had no rice vinegar and used white.

  3. Anne says:

    On the Quick Pickled Sweet Peppers – have you tried canning them and if so, how? I have loads of peppers and would like to have some of these over the winter.

  4. Fariah says:

    Hi,

    Can I use regular white distilled vinegar instead of rice vinegar?

    Thanks!

    1. Melissa Belanger says:

      Yes!

  5. YM says:

    I prefer tangy over sweet. Can I omit the sugar?

    1. Melissa Belanger says:

      Yes. You can!

  6. NANCY says:

    ,Made chicken cheesesteaks for dinner tonight. I am from Philly and needed sweet peppers on them. I made your recipe, was wonderful but I did need to add a speck extra sugar and next time I will make it keto. Got rave reviews from my friend who came for lunch and we snuck some

  7. Sarah says:

    5 stars
    I am sharing this recipe with everyone I know! I pile these peppers on my salads and enchiladas. Tonight they are going in my stir fry.

  8. Yvette says:

    These are really yummy. I used Apple Cider Vinegar as I didn’t have rice vinegar – worked great. Anyone tried freezing them? I wouldn’t think they keep their crispiness once thawed?

  9. Carolyn Blake says:

    5 stars
    I used your pickling liquid recipe to make some quick overnight pickled red peppers. I had a store-bought jar of roasted red peppers that were just packed in water. My son is coming over tomorrow for a fancy supper and he loves pickled red peppers. I poured off the juice, used it for the water portion, and then made up the pickling brine from your recipe. I then packed them in a Mason jar and poured the warm brine over them and popped them in the fridge. They are delicious! I am sure using fresh peppers produces a superior result, but I this is all I had to try to make a treat for our fancy meal. Thank you!

  10. Myrtle says:

    I made these yesterday, using apple cider vinegar and they were delicious. They are gone, already. I’ll make more as soon as I go to the store and get more peppers.