Jalapeño
A jalapeño is a variety of chilli usually picked and sold green, mild to medium by chilli standards, with a grassy, vegetable flavour that sits well with lime and agave. Its heat is in the pale pith that holds the seeds, so taking both out leaves the green flavour and a gentle warmth. It is the chilli our Spicy Margarita names: three slices, pressed briefly in the shaker.
Quick Facts
Whole and dry in the fridge; sliced, use the same day. Wash hands with soap, or wear gloves, after cutting.
None of the 14 listed allergens.
About Jalapeño
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Grass-green vegetal snap in front of a clean, building warmth: assertive but civilised, which is why bars use it over hotter fruit.
A jalapeño is a named chilli, usually picked green
The jalapeño is one cultivar of Capsicum annuum. It is usually sold green and unripe, which gives the grassy, vegetable flavour that sits well with lime and agave; left on the plant it ripens to red. By chilli standards it is mild to medium, and the heat still varies from one pepper to the next.
Our Spicy Margarita names it: three slices pressed two or three times in the shaker with 60ml of blanco tequila, 30ml of lime and 15ml of agave, shaken hard and double strained over fresh ice into a glass salted on half its rim.
Jalapeño and the other ways to add heat
Jalapeño
- Usually sold
- Fresh and green
- Flavour
- Grassy, vegetable
- Heat
- Mild to medium; varies by pepper
- Used for
- Pressed in the shaker; a slice on the rim
Red chilli
- Usually sold
- Fresh and ripe
- Flavour
- Sweeter, fruitier
- Heat
- Set by the variety
- Used for
- Shaken slices; a garnish stood in the drink
Hot sauce
- Usually sold
- Bottled
- Flavour
- Vinegar and cooked chilli
- Heat
- Set by the brand
- Used for
- A dash, where vinegared heat suits
| Usually sold | Flavour | Heat | Used for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalapeño | Fresh and green | Grassy, vegetable | Mild to medium; varies by pepper | Pressed in the shaker; a slice on the rim |
| Red chilli | Fresh and ripe | Sweeter, fruitier | Set by the variety | Shaken slices; a garnish stood in the drink |
| Hot sauce | Bottled | Vinegar and cooked chilli | Set by the brand | A dash, where vinegared heat suits |
Seeds and pith set the heat
In a mild pepper such as the jalapeño, the capsaicin sits in small sacs on the pale pith that the seeds hang from, not in the flesh. Seeds read as hot because they come out covered in it.
That gives a simple dial. Take out the pith and seeds and you keep the green flavour with a gentle warmth; leave them in for fire. Start with them out, since there is no way to take heat back out of a finished drink.
Press it per drink, or steep it in the bottle
Pressing fresh slices in the shaker gives control over each drink and a brighter, greener heat. Steeping slices in tequila gives every glass an even heat, which suits a party, and a rounder burn. The heat of an infusion keeps climbing, so taste it often and strain the slices out as soon as it tastes right.
Keep it whole until you need it
In our bar whole peppers keep about a week, dry, in the fridge; slices dry at the cut edges, so cut them on the day. Capsaicin does not rinse off with water, so wash with soap or wear gloves. Riper red chilli, tinctures and chilli-salt rims are the other ways to bring heat; see chilli.
Using Jalapeño
Usage
Three slices pressed two or three times in the base of the shaker, then shaken hard with blanco tequila, lime and agave and double strained over fresh ice; one more slice sits on the rim. Take the seeds and pith out for a gentle warmth, or leave them for more.
Pro Tip
Pick firm, glossy jalapeños with tight skin. A soft one has lost water, pulps under the muddler and gives a muddier heat than a fresh one.
Top Tips
- Try a thin sliver before you slice for a drink. Heat varies between peppers from the same bag.
- Press the slices two or three times and stop. Pulped chilli is harder to judge and leaves flecks for the strainer to catch.
- For a party, steep slices in the tequila ahead and taste it often; strain them out once it is as hot as you want.
- Use soap on your hands afterwards, or gloves from the start.
Possible Substitutions
- Hot Sauce: a dash: blunt but controllable
More to explore
Common Questions
What is a jalapeño?
Seeds in or out for a Spicy Margarita?
How hot is a jalapeño?
Should you muddle or infuse jalapeño?
Can I use a red chilli instead of jalapeño?
How long do jalapeños keep?
Made with Jalapeño
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Often Used With
Updated 18 October 2026