Easy Jalapeño Salt Recipe

It's fall time, and there are tons of fresh jalapeños ready for the picking. But, you may wonder, "How can I use so many?" If you love spicy food and have a fire-roasted taste for salt, why not make your own jalapeño salt? It's easy to make. So, follow these simple steps and have your own chunky jalapeño salt.

I know what you're thinking: "I don't like spicy stuff!" or "Omg...this food is going to burn the roof of my mouth! What have I done?!" Chill out; it'll be fine; unless you use more peppers than called for, we'd have to detox your mouth with room temperature water and a toothbrush.

Oh, how I love those jalapeños! When it comes to peppers and their heat levels, the jalapeño pepper takes the cake (I will refrain from referring to that immediately). I've roasted them, fermented them in honey, dried them, made a spicy simple syrup, pickled them and who knows what else I'll do!

Jalapeño salt adds just enough heat and a hint of spice to add excitement to bland dishes. This blend is excellent for finishing dishes and seasoning foods like eggs, pasta, popcorn, and more.

Jump to:

• How to Make Jalapeño Salt
• Equipment
• How much jalapeño salt should you use?
• How to use this spicy salt
• Storage
• How to adapt this recipe
• More Easy Food Gifts 
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

How to Make Jalapeño Salt

Ingredients

If you've never thought about making your seasoning salts and mixes before, this recipe has come in at the right time! From now on, instead of buying those expensive jars of season salts, you can make them at home.  Easy, peasy, right? 

To make this recipe, you'll need:

• Sea salt is an excellent choice for this recipe. It's got a better flavor than table salt and won't overpower the jalapeño flavor. I recommend using Maldon salt. Another coarse sea salt will do just fine if you don't have it.
• Jalapeño peppers: You can purchase fresh jalapeño in the produce section of your local grocery store. Hot peppers like the jalapeño bring heat to the flavor spectrum. Removing seeds and membranes inside the pepper can also bring down a few notches.

Make your dried peppers

Instructions

Wash and dry fresh jalapeños. Remove stems and slice into ¼-inch slices or rings.

Place them on a dehydrator tray under a mesh sheet. Make sure they are not touching as they will shrink during drying. 

Make your spicy seasoning salt

Add your dried peppers into a blender or food processor. Pulse 3-5 times or until they are as small as your salt.  

Add your peppers and salt to a small bowl and mix to combine. I like to do this to make sure the two ingredients are mixed.

Add this mixture back to the food processor and pulse 1-3 times until salt and jalapeños are entirely mixed. Be careful not to overmix the pulse, or your salt blend will be fine!  

Once the mix is at the ideal consistency, pour it into an airtight container.

Equipment

I've got you covered if you're looking for a way to make your own jalapeño salt. But first, you'll need some tools. 

Food processor: If you don't have a food processor, you can use a mortar and pestle. Set like this one here if you have one (it creates a finer texture that helps the jalapeño flavor blend perfectly with the salt in your mouth). Once you've made your jalapeño salt, store it in a mason jar like this: linker. 

How much jalapeño salt should you use?

 So it's a common question—what's the right amount of jalapeño salt to season food with? 

And while there are no firm answers, it depends on what food you're working with. 

If it's pasta, use about half a teaspoon. If it's meat or vegetables, it's best to go for about two teaspoons.

Some recipes claim it should be one teaspoon per pound of food, but that can be overpowering, depending on your use. So instead, I recommend going for around two teaspoons of jalapeño salt. 

Salting is easy on most occasions—either added during cooking or later at the table. But some recipes require salt to be added extremely early in preparation before certain ingredients begin to break down.

How to use this spicy salt

Spicy jalapeño salt makes a terrific rub for turkey breasts or mashed potatoes. This seasoning is also good on veggies like potatoes, carrots, and squash!

If a recipe calls for jalapeño salt, you can usually add ¼ teaspoon per serving. However, if you will also serve the dish with other sauces or condiments, reduce the amount of jalapeño salt accordingly.

Storage

You can store jalapeño salt in a cool place for a long time. However, keeping it in a glass jar that seals airtight is best.

How to adapt this recipe

Mix some fresh herbs with your jalapeño salt blends, such as basil or oregano. Start with just a few leaves and add more if needed.

Zest lime, lemon, or orange rinds for added flavor. Experiment with other types of citrus to find the combination you like best.

More Easy Food Gifts 

Make your own seasoning salt with leftover jalapeño and give it as a gift. Add other fall herbs or spices to make different flavored salts.

If you have more jalapeño you know what to do with, you can infuse it into honey, make your own tea, and more. 

Seasoning salts are a great gift, whether you are looking for a hostess gift or a basket for a new neighbor. Other gifts such as fermented garlic honey or some honey-preserved lemons are other ideas for a foodie.