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This simple pepper relish recipe is easy to make sweet or hot, and it has a ton of different uses. It kicks up the flavor of sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, cheese platters, charcuterie boards, and more. And it’s a great way to preserve your summer pepper bounty to enjoy it throughout the year!
A couple weeks ago, my fiancé came home one day raving about a sandwich he had for lunch. It had a variety of Italian deli meats and cheese, but the star of the show was hot pepper relish. The way he described it (sweet, spicy, and savory), I was immediately intrigued. You know I had to try my hand at it!
When I was shopping for peppers, I started chatting with one of the grocery store employees in the produce section. I told her I wanted to make spicy pepper relish, but not so hot my mouth would be on fire. She suggested using a variety of peppers, and adding one scotch bonnet or habanero to the batch to start. She explained that when she makes Jamaican jerk chicken and Jamaican curries, she only adjusts the amount of scotch bonnet or habanero peppers based on the desired heat level because they’re where the real heat comes from.
And she was right! Using her advice, I tested this recipe a bunch of times and came up with a formula to easily adjust the heat level, which I’m sharing here. And also, my fiancé was right, this stuff is delicious and (like the Frank’s RedHot commercial), I’ve pretty much been putting it on everything from tuna sandwiches to omelets, grilled chicken, and even cheese platters.
If you have an abundance of peppers from your garden, this recipe is a great way to use them. And if not, pick up a few gorgeous peppers at your local farmers market or grocery store because this relish is well worth it.
What is Pepper Relish?
It’s a condiment made mainly from peppers (frequently a mixture of both sweet and spicy peppers for a balanced flavor), as well as a few other ingredients, such as onions, vinegar, sugar, and spices.
One Change to Go From Sweet to Spicy
For this recipe, use 4 cups of a variety of chopped peppers, ranging from mild to moderately spicy. Adjust the amount of scotch bonnet or habanero peppers depending on how spicy you want your relish as follows:
- No heat – Don’t add a scotch bonnet or habanero. If you want, you can still include some moderately spicy peppers (such as jalapeño) along with sweet peppers because they’ll mellow as they cook down with the vinegar and sugar.
- Mild heat – For relish that’s mostly sweet with just a hint of a kick, add 1 scotch bonnet or habanero per 4 cups of chopped mixed peppers.
- Moderate heat – Add 2 scotch bonnets or habaneros.
- Spicy hot – Add 3 or more scotch bonnet or habanero peppers.
IMPORTANT: Remember, spice level is a personal preference, and what’s hot to one person might not be hot to another. If you don’t tolerate spicy foods well, be cautious and use a small amount of hot peppers to start.
What Do You Eat Pepper Relish With?
This all-purpose condiment has a ton of different uses! A few of my favorites are:
- Along with grilled meats
- Added to a salad or rice bowl
- On burgers, hot dogs, or sausages
- With cheese and crackers or on a charcuterie board
- On top of fried eggs instead of your favorite hot sauce
- Added to sandwiches, subs, heroes, hoagies, or wraps
- As a “secret ingredient” in chicken salad or deviled eggs
- On top of cream cheese (instead of pepper jelly) served with crackers (try it with sourdough crackers!)
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Variety of chopped peppers – You can use any kind of chili peppers (also spelled chile and chilli) you like. I use about 1 cup of chopped mild peppers (here I used red bell pepper, yellow baby bell pepper, and orange baby bell pepper) and 3 cups of chopped medium-ish peppers (here I used fingerhot peppers, jalapeño peppers, and Hungarian wax peppers).
- Habanero pepper or scotch bonnet – This is where the real heat comes from if you want hot pepper relish! For no heat, skip this. For “mild” heat, add 1 scotch bonnet or habanero per batch. For “moderate” heat, add 2 scotch bonnets or habaneros. For spicy hot, add 3 or more.
- White vinegar – Distilled white vinegar (or white wine vinegar) adds clean, tangy flavor and works well here. However, feel free to use experiment with the vinegar to come up with the flavor profile you like (apple cider vinegar would also be great in this recipe). Not only does vinegar help create a balanced flavor profile, but it also helps mellow the pepper’s heat.
- Sugar – Use granulated white sugar or your favorite keto granulated sweetener to cut down on the carbs.
- Yellow onion – You can omit it if you like, but onion adds delicious savory flavor to pepper relish.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic adds depth of flavor to this relish.
- Yellow mustard seeds – Mustard seed is a common ingredient in pickles, relishes, and brines. It adds a subtle warm spicy depth that complements the other flavors.
- Coarse salt – Salt enhances the flavor. If you’re using fine salt instead of coarse, just use less.
- Bay leaf – A bay leaf is optional, but it adds to the overall complexity of flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Make Sweet or Hot Pepper Relish
- Chop the peppers and onions, and crush the garlic.
- Stir together all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and then the heat down to medium and cook (covered) 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and cook (uncovered) until the peppers are softened and the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 20 to 25 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
- Cool to room temperature, and then store.
Storage
You can store homemade pepper relish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 9 months. Or can this relish to preserve it for a longer period.
Tips For Success
- To prevent potential skin irritation and burns caused by the capsaicin in spicy peppers, use food-grade gloves when chopping medium and hot peppers.
- The hottest part of a pepper is the pith (the white membrane holding the seeds inside). If you want to add certain peppers for the flavor but want to reduce their heat a bit, you can remove the pith and seeds.
- For a colorful, flavorful relish, use a variety of different peppers. Even if you want a sweet relish (instead of hot), I recommend using other mild peppers in addition to bell pepper, such as banana peppers, pimentos, or poblano peppers.
- If you like a little bit of a kick, you could consider adding a few moderately hot peppers along with mild peppers, such as jalapeños, cayenne peppers, or Serrano peppers. And if you enjoy spicy hot foods, you could think about including something hotter, such as habanero, ghost pepper, or Carolina reaper. PRO TIP: When adding hot peppers, start with less and work up. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out after it’s added.
- While the relish is cooking, be careful around spicy pepper vapor to not breathe it in or let it into your eyes. Make sure you’re cooking in a well-ventilated area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pepper relish with onion is a balanced blend of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors. And it’s spicy if you add spicy peppers, such as habanero and/or scotch bonnet.
You can use a food processor if you like your relish chopped on the small side. This is beneficial for a couple reasons: 1) it’s a huge time-saver, and 2) you don’t have to wear food-safe gloves to protect your skin the way you would if you were chopping hot peppers by hand. If you prefer your relish with slightly larger pieces of pepper (like me!), I recommend chopping them by hand.
PRO TIP: Even if you chop mild and moderately hot peppers on the larger side, make sure to finely dice spicy hot chili peppers such as habanero or scotch bonnet. In the photo below, you can see the finely chopped red habanero on the bottom right side.
In general, yes, relish needs to be refrigerated (or frozen). However, you can also preserve it by canning and then store it in your pantry.
Yes! You can process pint-sized jars of this relish in a boiling water canner for 10 to 15 minutes, adding time based on your elevation if necessary. Then let the jars sit undisturbed to cool for about 12 hours, and check the seals. After that, store in a cool, dark place (such as your pantry) for up to 2 years.
More Recipes For Pepper Lovers
- Instant Pot Pizza Soup
- White Bean Roasted Red Pepper Salad
- Roasted Red Pepper Smoked Gouda Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Skillet Casserole (aka Unstuffed Peppers)
Let’s Connect
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Pepper Relish Recipe (Sweet or Hot)
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Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped peppers use a variety (see Notes)
- 1 habanero pepper or scotch bonnet (see Notes)
- 3/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar or use keto granulated sweetener to lower the carbs
- 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion about 1 medium onion
- 3 large cloves garlic crushed
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt use less if using fine salt
- 1 bay leaf optional
Instructions
- Stir together all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and then the heat down to medium and cook (covered) 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and cook (uncovered) until the peppers are softened and the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 20 to 25 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
- Cool to room temperature, and then store.
Video
Notes
- Chopped Peppers: You can use any kind of peppers you like. I use about 1 cup of chopped mild peppers (here I used red bell pepper, yellow baby bell peppers, and orange baby bell peppers) and 3 cups of chopped medium-ish peppers (here I used fingerhot peppers, jalapeño peppers, and Hungarian wax peppers).
- Habanero or Scotch Bonnet: This is where the real heat comes from if you want hot pepper relish! For no heat, skip this. For “mild” heat, add 1 scotch bonnet or habanero per batch. For “moderate” heat, add 2 scotch bonnets or habaneros. For spicy hot, add 3 or more.
- Hot Pepper Safety: Use food-grade gloves when chopping medium hot and spicy hot peppers. Cook this in a well-ventilated area and avoid the vapors as it’s cooking.
- Storage: You can store homemade pepper relish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 9 months. Also, you can process pint-sized jars of this relish in a boiling water canner for 10 to 15 minutes, adding time based on your elevation if necessary. Then let the jars sit undisturbed to cool for about 12 hours, and check the seals. After that, store in a cool, dark place (such as your pantry) for up to 2 years.
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 1 pint of relish, or 8 (1/4-cup) servings.
- IMPORTANT: Remember, spice level is a personal preference, and what’s hot to one person might not be hot to another. If you don’t tolerate spicy foods well, be cautious and use a small amount of hot peppers to start.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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