Learn how to freeze jalapeños in just a few simple steps! This easy tutorial will guide you through how to freeze jalapeños to enjoy throughout the year. Preserve your garden harvest and enjoy homegrown peppers all winter long.

Sliced jalapeno peppers on a baking sheet.

When I first dove into the world of seasonal eating, I found it extremely difficult to go without peppers in the winter.

They are an important part of Mexican rice, homemade salsa, vegetarian tortilla soup, and Louisiana red beans and rice, all go-to winter dishes for me!

I quickly realized that you can freeze your jalapeños and enjoy them in cooked dishes. They have the same texture once cooked and it saves time when preparing meals!

Now I can enjoy homegrown and local jalapeñopeppers that were harvested in their peak season all year long.

Why Freeze Jalapeños?

Preserve the bounty: If you are a home gardener or farmers market regular, you may find yourself with more jalapeños than you can eat! Freezing is an easy and effective way to preserve your peppers for later use.

Save time cooking: Having jalapeños prepped and ready to go in the freezer saves a lot of time cooking. A little time upfront can make cooking a breeze later on.

More eco-friendly: Jalapeños that are purchased in the off-season are often shipped in from far away. Freezing local peppers to avoid purchasing imported peppers is a great way to support your local economy and reduce carbon emissions.

Save money: In-season produce is usually much less expensive than out-of-season produce. In addition, you can often buy in bulk to get an even better price. By purchasing jalapeños when they are the most affordable and freezing for later, you can save a lot of money!

A frozen jalapeno cube being held up over an ice cube tray.

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What You’ll Need

Fresh jalapeños: Whether they are from your garden, the farmer’s market, or the grocery store, freezing fresh jalapeños is a great way to preserve them! This will also work with any of your other favorite hot peppers.
Knife and cutting board: Whichever method you choose, you’ll need a knife to remove the stem, ribs, and seeds.

you may also need:

Food processor: If you decide to make frozen cubes, you’ll need a food processor to mince them quickly.
Ice cube trays or baking sheets: Again, this will depend on the freezing method you choose. If you mince your jalapeños, you’ll need ice cube trays (I recommend silicone). Baking sheets are important for flash-freezing slices and whole peppers.

How to Freeze Jalapeños

Freezing jalapeños is a quick and simple process. You can select one of the three methods below for how you’d like to accomplish pepper preservation.

Each method has different benefits and will yield a different final product! You can’t really go wrong, though. Frozen jalapeños will be useful in a variety of dishes however you freeze them.

Method 1: Jalapeño Cubes

This method involved mincing the jalapeño peppers and freezing them in an ice cube tray. You’ll have cubes of peppers that can be tossed into soups, chili, stir-fries, and more to add a kick without any additional prep work.

Step 1. Remove the stem of the jalapeños and optionally remove the seeds and ribs (depending on how spicy you want them). Place in a food processor.

Step 2. Pulse the food processor until the jalapeños are finely minced.

Step 3. Spoon the minced peppers into ice cube trays, packing them in with the back of the spoon. Place in the freezer until frozen solid.

Step 4. Once the cubes are frozen solid and hold their shape, remove from the ice cube trays and transfer to a freezer-safe container, like a ziplock bag or glass jar.

Method 2: Sliced Jalapenos

Slicing your jalapeños and flash freezing them on a baking sheet is an easy way to have jalapeño slices for any use! You can use the frozen slices as-is or chop them smaller before using them.

Slicing jalapenos on a wooden cutting board.

Step 1. Slice the jalapeños into ⅛-¼ inch slices. Remove the seeds if you want them to be less spicy by poking them out of the center.

Step 2. Place pepper slices on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Avoid them touching as much as possible.

Frozen jalapeno slices on a piece of parchment paper.

Step 3. Place in the freezer for a few hours until the outside is completely frozen. This prevents them from sticking together in the bag or jar.

Looking down on a jar of frozen jalapeno slices.

Step 4. Transfer the frozen slices to a freezer-safe container and promptly return to the freezer.

Method 3: Whole Jalapeños

Freezing jalapeño peppers whole gives you a lot of options for how to use them. You can toss them into the blender for salsas and sauces or chop them up to add to dishes. This is also the easiest method if you are short on preservation time.

Step 1. Remove the pepper stems. If you want to keep them less spicy, you can cut them in half and remove the seeds and ribs.

Step 2. Place the peppers on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Place in the freezer for a few hours to flash freeze so they don’t stick together in the bag or jar.

Step 3. Transfer the peppers to a freezer-safe container and promptly return to the freezer.

Three whole peppers on a piece of parchment paper.

Expert Tips

Wear gloves when chopping jalapeños to prevent burning of the skin. If you’ve ever cut hot peppers without gloves, you know what I mean!
If you are sensitive to spice, remove the seeds and ribs. I usually like to remove a portion of the seeds but also leave some for a medium spice level.
Process peppers in a well-ventilated area and don’t breathe in close to the minced peppers. When processing a lot of peppers, the air can get quite spicy.
I like to preserve peppers using all three of these methods as they each have different benefits and uses. If you want a one-size-fits-all method, freeze them whole and chop them as desired when you’re cooking them.
To prevent freezer burn, be sure to remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible. If you have a vacuum sealer, this can also be a great option for freezing the peppers.

How to Use

Frozen jalapeños, once thawed, will have a softer texture than fresh peppers. For that reason, I avoid using them for jalapeño poppers, taco toppings, and other dishes in which the jalapeño is uncooked or a major part of the dish.

Frozen jalapeños still have so many uses in the kitchen! I blend them straight into salsa, sauces, and marinades. I also add them to soups, stir fries, and rice dishes. You can even thaw minced jalapeños and add them to guacamole! They will have a different texture, but I don’t find it noticeable in guacamole as they are so small.

In most cases, add your jalapeños straight to the dish without thawing them first. If you are blending or cooking the peppers, they can go straight in. The only case in which you will want to thaw them first is if they’re being eaten fresh and minced, such as in guacamole or pico de gallo.

FAQs

Are jalapeño peppers spicy?

Yes, jalapeños are considered hot peppers, but the spiciness varies from pepper to pepper. I’ve found that homegrown peppers are typically much hotter than store-bought! It’s a good idea to add jalapeños a little bit at a time to ensure you don’t make a dish too spicy for your liking.

Do frozen jalapeños have the same texture as fresh?

No, frozen jalapeños don’t have the same texture as fresh, even once they have thawed. Once-frozen peppers will have a much softer texture and lack the crunch that peppers are known for. I only use frozen jalapeños for cooked dishes, blended salsas, or guacamole where the texture won’t be noticeable.

Can I freeze jalapenos?

Yes! Freezing jalapeños is very easy and a fantastic way to preserve your bounty of peppers. In fact, you can freeze any peppers (I like to freeze poblano peppers and bell peppers every year!)

How to Freeze Jalapeños

This easy tutorial will guide you through how to freeze jalapeños to enjoy throughout the year. Preserve your garden harvest and enjoy homegrown peppers all winter long.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 10

Freezing time 3

Equipment

Knife and cutting board
Food processor for jalapeño cubes
Ice cube trays for jalapeño cubes
Baking sheet for whole and sliced peppers

Ingredients

Fresh jalapeños

Instructions

Minced Jalapeño Cubes

Remove the stem of the jalapeños and optionally remove the seeds and ribs (depending on how spicy you want them). Place in a food processor.
Pulse the food processor until the jalapeños are finely minced.
Spoon the minced peppers into ice cube trays, packing them in with the back of the spoon. Place in the freezer until frozen solid.
Once the cubes are frozen solid and hold their shape, remove from the ice cube trays and transfer to a freezer-safe container, like a ziplock bag or glass jar.

Sliced Jalapeños

Slice the jalapeños into ⅛-¼ inch slices. Remove the seeds if you want them to be less spicy by poking them out of the center.
Place pepper slices on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Avoid them touching as much as possible.
Place in the freezer for a few hours until the outside is completely frozen. This prevents them from sticking together in the bag or jar.
Transfer the frozen slices to a freezer-safe container and promptly return to the freezer.

Whole Jalapeños

Remove the pepper stems. If you want to keep them less spicy, you can cut them in half and remove the seeds and ribs.
Place the peppers on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Place in the freezer for a few hours to flash freeze so they don’t stick together in the bag or jar.
Transfer the peppers to a freezer-safe container and promptly return to the freezer.

Notes

- Check out the post above for step-by-step images!
- Wear gloves when chopping jalapeños to prevent burning of the skin. If you’ve ever cut hot peppers without gloves, you know what I mean!

- If you are sensitive to spice, remove the seeds and ribs. I usually like to remove a portion of the seeds but also leave some for a medium spice level.

- Process peppers in a well-ventilated area and don’t breathe in close to the minced peppers. When processing a lot of peppers, the air can get quite spicy.

- I like to preserve peppers using all three of these methods as they each have different benefits and uses. If you want a one-size-fits-all method, freeze them whole and chop them as desired when you’re cooking them.

- To prevent freezer burn, be sure to remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible. If you have a vacuum sealer, this can also be a great option for freezing the peppers.

Keyword freezing, how to freeze, jalapenos, preservation

How to Freeze Jalapeños the Easy Way | 3 Different Methods

Why Freeze Jalapeños?