To know me is to know my unwavering, unabashed, and (perhaps) unhinged devotion to the jalapeño. I’m practically Dr. Seuss with the stuff: I like it here, there, and everywhere; with my eggs, on my pasta, submerged in my soup. To the extreme displeasure of nearly everyone I’ve ever dined out with, I also kindly request a side of jalapeños — fresh, never pickled — with every dish, at any restaurant I enter, no matter its cuisine or where I am in the world. (Needless to say, results may vary.)
Why I am the way I am is a question for my therapist, but I’d venture to guess my upbringing played a part. I spent half a decade of my formative years living in Mexico City, where even the candy is spicy, so I’ve got a penchant for food that burns going down. When I’m eating, I want to sweat, sniffle, and maybe regret it later. Over time I’ve learned that there’s no quicker way to a fiery hell, at least without overpowering the meal, than with a heap of raw jalapeños. Nothing, second to salt, can make a meal feel complete quite like them.
You can imagine my delight, then, in announcing this long-awaited culinary news: the jalapeño pepper is trending.
Recently you may have seen it used as a garnish in a glass of spicy rosé, or frozen and grated like cheese to sprinkle atop salads and pizza. That proves the fruit (yes, fruit) unexpectedly versatile, but this, experts predict, is only the tip of the iceberg. In fact, you can expect to see more creative additions to your plates — especially this season.
“Peppers are in abundance in the summer time,” chef Chris Dane says of why they’re trending. Plus? “Jalapeños have a huge impact on spice, flavor, texture, and aroma on dishes you want to add them to. They can be roasted, grilled, pickled, fried, stuffed, and even eaten raw. They have seemingly unlimited potential.”
If you need more convincing, behold: my completely biased — albeit expert-backed — push for a jalapeño-everything summer.
Experts Featured in This Article:
Chris Dane is a chef and the cofounder of Lucky Bird Fried Chicken in Los Angeles.
Cerise Zelenetz is the owner of Cherry On Top, a natural wine bar in Brooklyn.
First, a Note on the Jalapeño’s Spice Level
One argument for the pepper’s rise in mainstream popularity is that its losing its heat; one chef I spoke with pointed to viral commentary against Texas A&M University researchers, who reportedly engineered a milder jalapeño that even the spice-averse person can enjoy. She now opts for serranos in her recipes.
Cerise Zelenetz of Cherry on Top wine bar says this isn’t implausible, as “most produce seems to be shifting to cater to the widest majority of consumers possible.” Still, for those who are interested in the spiciest kick in the ass-kind of jalapeño (slowly raises hand), there are a few things to keep in mind when doing your grocery shopping.
First, consider the source. “Look for ones grown locally, even from someone’s back yard, and I guarantee they will be hot,” chef Dane says, adding that commercially grown peppers — think: store bought — can have less heat. “Also, peppers that are smoother without any creases at the end tend to be milder. If you see a pepper that has some creases and a little webbing, I find those tend to have more heat.”
That said, heat is relative. If you ever want to tamper the sizzle, remove the seeds. (No judgement. Kind of.)
The Best Jalapeño Pairings
Again, the glorious thing about the jalapeño is that it’s relatively subtle in flavor. “The aspect of adding a little ‘kick’ that doesn’t interfere with the original flavor profile gives it appeal,” Zelenetz says. “It can draw out more subtle savory flavors as well to dishes or drinks that are thought of as primarily sweet.”
That makes it the perfect accompaniment to fruit or citrus-forward cocktails. “When it’s hot and you need a drink to cool you off, a spicy margarita always hits the spot,” chef Dane says. Like the recent spicy rosé trend implies, it can also go well with wine. Zelenetz agrees. “I could see a white sangria pairing nicely with sliced jalapeño for a refreshing brunch drink,” she says. (If you’re looking for specific recommendations, we’ve asked wine experts to help rank the best bottles of rosé to pair with the pepper.)
When it comes to food, the same logic applies; a little heat complements fruit-based dishes like a watermelon feta salad, grilled peaches, or mango salsa, Zelenetz says. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but anyone who’s ruined an omelet knows: every dish is only as good as the sum of its parts, so make sure they’re fresh. To help, chef Dane adds, “I believe in roaming around a farmers market and seeing what else is in season.” Summer is prime time for corn, he says, which makes for the perfect base to a corn salsa or salad with roasted jalapeños. Melons are also in season, and when paired with lime juice, salt, and olive oil, “sliced jalapeños [add] a little kick to counteract the coolness of the melon.”
If all else fails, there’s always pickling the pepper, which can add a completely different type of spice to a dish. In those cases, you can pop it on sandwiches, throw it on top of nachos, or toss it in the blender to make a dressing or dip. That’s the approach chef Dane brings with the cheddar jalapeño biscuits at his restaurant Lucky Bird Fried Chicken. They pickle the jalapeño and add it to the biscuit dough along with cheddar “to give you that gooey cheesy feeling with some heat and acidity to cut through the richness,” he says.
In the end, you can’t go wrong in a jalapeño-everything summer. Till next time, stay hot.
Kelsey Castañon is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and content strategist with more than 13 years of experience in publishing. She is currently the senior content director at PS, where you can find her stockpiling (and reporting on) everything from skin care to wine. You’ll find her work on Refinery29, Seventeen, Shape, Allure, and Teen Vogue, and she has appeared on TV segments on The Dr. Oz Show, Cheddar News, and Good Morning America. She still doesn’t know where all the bobby pins go.