Pickled Jalapeños

To find the best sliced pickled jalapeñosfor cooking, we tasted nine widely available brands, sampling them plain and cooked into cheese quesadillas. We evaluated each for flavor, acidity, heat and texture.

Our top pick was Mt. Olive Jalapeño Slices. Tasters praised their “super crunchy” texture and “bright, spicy flavor.” One summed them up as having the “perfect balance of heat, acidity and snap.” In cooked dishes, they retained their crunch and brought just the right kick.

La Costeña Sliced Jalapeños were a close second. These packed more heat than Mt. Olive’s and were just
as crunchy. Tasters loved their bold spice, which was especially good in quesadillas. A few noted they were “very hot” when eaten plain.

Middle-of-the-pack performers included Mezzetta Hot Sliced Jalapeños, which were good but leaned mild, and Goya Sliced Jalapeño Peppers, which had a pleasant pickled tang. Jeff’s Garden and Old El Paso disappointed with soft textures and muted flavor. At the bottom were Hatch, La Preferida and Mrs. Renfro’s; all three were mushy and bland.