Learn how to make homemade jalapeño salt with fresh jalapeños and salt. This easy seasoning adds a spicy kick of flavor to vegetables, potatoes, meat, pasta, popcorn, and more.
"OMG, this salt is the BEST!! It's so good on everything...fries, popcorn, any kind of grilled meat/seafood/veggies. The flavor is fantastic and it's really nice to package up to give to family/friends who love spicy flavors too."
★★★★★- Karrie
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🔍 Quick look: Homemade Jalapeño Salt
🧂 Main Ingredients: 2 ingredients - jalapeños and coarse kosher salt
⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
⏰ Dehydrating Time: About 15 hours
🕒 Total Time: About 15 hours 15 minutes
👥 Yield: Large batch seasoning salt
🥣 Method: Dehydrate, blend, and store in an airtight container
🌶️ Best Uses: On vegetables, meats, potatoes, pasta, popcorn, margarita rims, and Bloody Marys
🔥 Heat Level: Medium, depending on the jalapeños used
⭐ Difficulty: Easy
A note to my reader
When jalapeños are in season, I always harvest a big batch from my garden and, if needed, pick up extra from the store to make this jalapeno salt and jalapeno relish. They're two of my favorite ways to preserve that fresh jalapeño flavor and enjoy it long after summer is over.
If you have a bunch of jalapeños growing in your garden, I highly recommend making both. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.
I can hardly keep this seasoning in stock at my house. It is delicious on just about EVERYTHING, from vegetables, watermelon, and potatoes to meats, pasta, and popcorn. It also makes the best rim seasoning for margaritas and Bloody Marys!
Every year, I make extra jars to share with family and friends or tuck into hostess gift basket. It's one of those simple homemade gifts that people genuinely get excited about and always ask for again. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Xoxo -Katie.
Ingredients
You will need the following simple ingredients to make jalapeno pepper salt.
- Coarse Kosher salt- Any coarse salt will work. Do not use fine salt.
- fresh jalapeno peppers- Do not substitute with pickled jalapeno peppers.
*Full recipe with measurements is located at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Steps
Follow these simple steps to make jalapeno salt.
- Using gloves, quarter 3 lbs fresh jalapeños and remove stems.
- In a dehydrator, dehydrate the jalapeños according to your directions. I dehydrated the peppers at 145 for 15 hours. I recommend doing this outdoors because of the strong fumes, otherwise your house will smell like roasted jalapenos for the entire time of dehydrating.
- Check on jalapeños. They should be brittle and easy to break. Discard any fleshy soft peppers or dehydrate them until fully brittle.
- In a blender, grind peppers and coarse salt until the peppers are finely ground down into a powder. Store in an air tight container.
Watch how to make
Can you dehydrate your jalapeno peppers in the oven?
I read that you can dehydrate the jalapeños in the oven, but I don't recommend it. They release a powerful fume and I would imagine if you cooked them in the oven, there would be no escaping the smell....This is particularly important for people who have respiratory problems. The fumes are very strong and could also possibly burn your eyes if you get too close when they are dehydrating.
For your safety and to prevent your house from smelling like a jalapeño, dehydrating outdoors is a really smart idea. I dehydrate mine on my back porch. But you can risk it indoors if you are brave.
*This post contains affiliate links.
For this recipe, you will need a dehydrator. I use the NESCO FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator. 
It works wonderfully. I have been using it for years to make spices, snacks, dried fruits, dried soup mixes, etc. Keep it in mind if you are looking for a great dehydrator!
Jalapeño Seed Tip
For a milder jalapeno salt, start with removing the seeds. This will tame down the heat.
Rather than discarding the jalapeno pepper seeds, dehydrate them and save them for mixing in with your chili pepper flakes. They add tons of great flavor.
Glove Tip
USE GLOVES WHEN CUTTING PEPPERS!!! You are cutting 3lbs of peppers. Your skin will absorb the hot pepper juice if you don't wear gloves. BELIEVE ME! I know from experience. It will burn your hands for days. Be careful not to rub your eye in the process.... another mistake I have made in the past.
If you can not find food safe gloves, you can buy them at the store or order them on Amazon here: Disposable PE Plastic Gloves / BPA - Rubber - Latex Free / Food Preparation - Cleaning Poly Gloves Size Large Box of 500.
How do you store jalapeño salt?
You will want to store your jalapeño salt in air tight container. This will help maintain that vibrant flavor. I use glass spice jars.
What if you want your salt to be hotter?
Jalapeno peppers have a reputation of being hot and add a nice heat in this seasoning recipe. However, they are relatively mild when compared to other hot peppers.
I have some friends that want more heat intensity in their jalapeno seasoning.
If you want a hotter jalapeno salt, you can mix in red chili peppers or habanero peppers. Keep in mind that when you dehydrate the peppers, the heat does intensify. If you add the hotter peppers, I don't suggest adding too many. You don't want the salt so overbearingly hot that you can't eat it.
The jalapeno salt is meant to be a seasoning, not a hot sauce. You want that true pepper flavor.
However, I personally make a few batches with the hotter peppers for my crazy friends that like their salt to burn their mouth and make them sweat.
I often label it "Hot as fire Jalapeno salt," to warn them before eating it.
For a milder salt
If you want a milder jalapeno salt, start with removing the seeds. This will tame down the heat.
If you want an even milder salt with that same wonderful peppery flavor, substitute in a bell pepper or banana peppers for some of the jalapenos.
I would still keep the majority of it jalapeño, after all it is a "jalapeño salt;" but this will mild it down for your mouth sensitivity.
Please leave me a comment below if you make this jalapeno salt, and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.
Also post your picture of your salt on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Jalapeno Salt Recipe
Equipment
- dehydrator
- disposable food prep gloves
Ingredients
- 3 pounds fresh jalapeños
- 1 cup coarse salt like Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Using gloves, quarter jalapeños and remove stems.3 pounds fresh jalapeños
- In a dehydrator, dehydrate the jalapeños according to your directions. I dehydrated the peppers at 145 for 15 hours. I recommend doing this outdoors because of the strong fumes.
- Check on jalapeños. They should be brittle and easy to break. Discard any fleshy soft peppers or dehydrate them until fully brittle.
- In a blender, grind peppers and coarse salt until the peppers are broken down into a fine powder. Store in an air tight container.
Craig Johnson says
Very good and what a way to kick start your meal.
Carlos says
How long will this jalapeño salt keep, sealed in spice jars? I'd like to make a bunch now, for gifts throughout the year, as well as for Christmas, which is several months away. Thanks!
Katie Crenshaw says
When stored properly, homemade jalapeño salt will easily last 1 to 2 years, and often even longer. Salt is a natural preservative, so the biggest concerns are moisture and loss of flavor, not food safety.
Penny says
The recipe says 288 servings. How big is a serving? I'm thinking about making this to give as Christmas gifts and have 4 oz jars. Thanks!
Katie Crenshaw says
One serving is a ¼ teaspoon. The recipe makes roughly 1½ cup jalapeno salt. Hope that helps.
sindy plummer says
this is good stuff!!!
i leave the seeds in and freeze dry my jalapeños.
this is amazing.
this is now a staple in my house.
thank you for the recipe.
Sabrina says
Is it normal for the peppers to darken and even brown during the drying process? Ours took even longer than the expected time to dry out.
Katie Crenshaw says
Mine are always darker. I don't recall mine ever turning brown though.
Nana says
Could you just add the seeds of the jalapeños to the salt in the blender and blend away?!!
Katie Crenshaw says
Hi Nana. No. The seeds alone would not add the same flavor of the jalapeno to the salt. It would only add heat.
Maria says
My husband loves jalapenos...me, not so much. LOL
Can't do spicy. We grow jalapenos in our garden and have lots. I was looking for something different to do and am in the process of trying this. Peppers are in the dehydrator. I do them in the house, I love smelling them, it doesn't bother me but I don't like eating them. LOL!
Can't wait for hubby to try this. Thanks for sharing.
Angela Campos says
This is such a great idea! I made it and it was so easy. I have been adding the salt to just about everything to give it an extra kick!!
Angela Campos says
This was so simple to make and has great flavor! I have been adding it to just about everything I eat too give it a little kick!!
Carla says
What can you do if you don’t have a dehydrator? Can I dehydrate them on my grill?!
Katie Crenshaw says
I honestly do not know how to dehydrate on a grill. Others have dehydrated jalapenos in an oven. I think the fumes can be too strong and could potentially burn your eyes. However, I have been told others have had no problems.
Peach says
Have you tried roasting the jalapenos on the stove for a smokey flavor and then dehydrating and making the salt? Wondering if it would taste smokier?
Katie Crenshaw says
No, I am sorry, I have not.
Deb says
I have fresh garlic. Do you think it could dehydrate and add garlic to the jalapeños and kosher salt
Katie Crenshaw says
If you want to dehydrate the garlic and jalapeno to incorporate with the salt, that will work. Keep in mind the garlic takes longer to dehydrate unless you pre-slice very thin. Be sure to completely dehydrate the garlic because if there is any hydration, it will turn the salt clumpy and harden up over time.
Daryl Campbell says
The Jalapeno Salt turned out fantastic. I put it on EVERYTHING!
Sue Brooks says
First time I made this I followed your recipe but my friends thought it should be less salt. Now I pulse the peppers so that I have tiny chunks left, then add 1/4-1/2 c course salt and barely pulse it. It is a big hit!
I tried Carolina reaper salt and should have used a mask also. They are brutal and only the bravest soul will try it. Thanks for this great idea. Great Christmas present.
Carol Davis says
Thinking using the freeze dryer would be great for this. Thanks for the idea.