What temperature do I smoke jalapeños at?

110 to 120°C (230 to 250°F). Use a small bed of lumpwood charcoal, about a quarter of a football, with a couple of smoking wood chunks such as apple wood, and put the jalapeños on the upper rack.

How long do I smoke jalapeños before pickling?

About 20 minutes. Smoke them for 10 minutes, turn them over and smoke for another 10 minutes, until they look wilted with smoky bits. Let them cool before adding them to the pickle juice.

Which wood is best for smoked jalapeños?

Apple wood gives a sweet, mild smoke that suits the heat of the jalapeños. Cherry or hickory also work well. A couple of chunks is enough, as the charcoal supplies the heat and Charlie contains the smoke.

How long do pickled smoked jalapeños keep?

Several weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge. They can be used after just 10 minutes in the brine, but they develop more flavour the longer they sit and are best after 24 hours.

Outdoor Cooking & Charcoal Oven Recipes / Smoke

Cooked in the Charlie Charcoal Oven

Pickled and Smoked Jalapeños

Name: Pickled and Smoked Jalapeños
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: Multiple
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 500g jalapenos; 300g cider vinegar; 200g water; 100g white sugar; 2 sprigs of dill; 1 tsp coriander seeds

Smoke first, pickle second. These jalapeños take on a little applewood flavour in Charlie before going into a sweet cider vinegar brine with dill and coriander seeds. Sharp, smoky and hot, ready to wake up tacos, burgers or grilled meat.

Mark O'BrienChef

Smoke

Prep5 minutes

Cook30 minutes

ServesMultiple

DifficultyEasy

Oven temperature110 to 120°C (230 to 250°F)

RackCharlie Oven Cooking Rack on the upper rack

CharcoalA quarter of a football of good quality lumpwood charcoal, with a couple of smoking wood chunks (apple wood works well)

Ingredients

500g jalapenos
300g cider vinegar
200g water
100g white sugar
2 sprigs of dill
1 tsp coriander seeds

Equipment

Everything used in this recipe. Already have Charlie? Add the accessories in one go.

Charlie Charcoal Oven$6,400.00Choose your oven, Charlie Charcoal Oven
Charlie Oven Cooking Rack$300.00
Charlie Oven Tongs 55cm$46.00

Method

Setting up Charlie

Place a small bed of charcoal (about a quarter of a football) in the base of the Charlie Oven.
Add a couple of smoking wood chunks such as apple wood on top of the charcoal.
Light the charcoal and allow it to come up to temperature.
Adjust the vents to maintain a low smoking temperature of 110 to 120°C (230 to 250°F).
Place the cooking rack in the upper position.

Set up the Charlie Oven with a small bed of charcoal and a couple of smoking wood chunks such as apple wood. Adjust the temperature to 110 to 120°C (230 to 250°F).
Place the jalapenos directly on the grill rack in the upper part of the oven. Smoke for 10 minutes, then turn them over and smoke for another 10 minutes, or until they appear wilted with smoky bits. Remove and allow them to cool.
In a container, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, herbs, and spices. Stir well to ensure the sugar is fully dissolved.
Add the smoked jalapenos to the prepared pickle juice.
Transfer the pickled jalapenos into an airtight container. They are ready to use in as little as 10 minutes and will last a long time when stored properly.

Tips

Apple wood gives a sweet, mild smoke that pairs beautifully with the heat of the jalapenos, but cherry or hickory wood also work well.
For a milder pickle, slice the jalapenos in half and remove the seeds before smoking.
The pickled jalapenos will develop more flavour the longer they sit in the brine. They are best after 24 hours but can be used after just 10 minutes.
Store in the fridge in a sealed jar and they will keep for several weeks.
Try adding a few cloves of garlic or a bay leaf to the pickle juice for extra depth of flavour.

More recipes

The cook

Mark O'Brien

Chef

Mark O’Brien was a finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals 2026 and the first Irish chef to reach the final. After more than a decade in top London restaurants, he now runs Snake Oil Barbecue in Margate, bringing serious chef skills to his love of American BBQ and cooking over fire.

More recipes by Mark O'Brien

Frequently asked questions

What temperature do I smoke jalapeños at?

110 to 120°C (230 to 250°F). Use a small bed of lumpwood charcoal, about a quarter of a football, with a couple of smoking wood chunks such as apple wood, and put the jalapeños on the upper rack.
How long do I smoke jalapeños before pickling?

About 20 minutes. Smoke them for 10 minutes, turn them over and smoke for another 10 minutes, until they look wilted with smoky bits. Let them cool before adding them to the pickle juice.
Which wood is best for smoked jalapeños?

Apple wood gives a sweet, mild smoke that suits the heat of the jalapeños. Cherry or hickory also work well. A couple of chunks is enough, as the charcoal supplies the heat and Charlie contains the smoke.
How long do pickled smoked jalapeños keep?

Several weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge. They can be used after just 10 minutes in the brine, but they develop more flavour the longer they sit and are best after 24 hours.