
So we have a single jalapeno plant growing in a pot this summer. But this one single plant has suddenly produced over a dozen jalapeños! What do you do with over a dozen fresh jalapeños straight from the garden?? OK, so you guessed it, I made some jalapeno cilantro chutney!
Once you try this chutney you will not be able to live without it!! First of all it tastes amazing! It's crazy simple to make! I'm telling you, it will be such a staple in your fridge! Make some and it will last a few days, or for as long as you can keep your hands off it.
What is Chutney?
A chutney is a spread that is widely used in Indian. They are most commonly served with chaats. You might notice that they both sound similar, chutney and chaat. Well that's because they are both derived from the same the hindi word 'chaat', which is literally translated to 'lick' but meaning to 'eat with appetite'. Essentially chutneys provide a freshness and balance to meals, most often snacks or street foods.
Chutneys are dipping sauces for Indian snacks. Often times, chutneys are thought to be just spicy, similar to a hot sauce. But they can be sweet, spicy, tart, tangy, or really just about any combination of flavors. Green chunteys like this jalapeno cilantro chutney are pretty common, but they are usually made with cilantro, mint (pudina) and green chilli peppers instead of jalapeno peppers.
You might also be interested in these other chutney recipes: Avocado Cilantro Chutney, Cranberry Chutney, Spicy Cilantro Chutney!
What Ingredients do you need for Jalapeno Cilantro Chutney?
- Jalapenos - this is the main ingredient. Jalapenos will provide a nice slightly smoky heat.
- Cilantro - fresh bunch of cilantro, just cut off the stems. But there is no need to pluck every leaf off the stems. The blender should be able to pulverize all of the tender stems
- Garlic - a couple of fresh garlic cloves, no need to prep these any more than just peeling them!
- Sour Cream - you need a little creaminess, plus it helps to balance the heat from the jalapenos. You can also use mayonnaise or yogurt instead.
- Olive Oil - You need just a little to help get a nice consistency. Without it, you would end up with just minced peppers and garlic
- Lime - for a sour/tart flavor tart
- Sugar - optional, but a touch of sugar really helps to balance the flavors
- Salt - absolutely needed! This will help bring all the flavors together.
How to make Chutney
Never made chutney before?? It's really quick and easy. Just set out the blender on the counter in front of you and start dumping the ingredients in. The reason I'm not really prepping the ingredients is because everything is going into the blender, it will all get blended and pureed anyways! So there is really no need for any additional work.
- I used 4 whole jalapeños. I would start off with 2 jalapeño peppers if you are looking for less heat. Prep the peppers by cutting off the stems and slicing them in half or smaller pieces if your blender needs that extra help. If you are looking to keep the heat level tamed, make sure to go the extra step to de-seed and devein the peppers before adding them to the blender jar.
- Next rinse the fresh cilantro several times to remove all dirt. I just chop off the roots and throw most of the stems and leaves into the blender. I grew up cutting the cilantro and only using the leaves, but I don't have that type of patience! Plus I've found out that the cilantro stems carry more of the flavor than the leaves do, check out this article!
- Add the remaining ingredients: garlic cloves, sour cream, salt, sugar, olive oil and lime juice. Blend for a few seconds until it's all combined and smooth.

What to serve with Jalapeno Cilantro Chutney?
That's it, ready to enjoy!! It's perfect for any type of Indian snacks (pakoras, samosas, vada pav) or Mexican meals (tacos, fajitas, nachos) or even just your morning scrambled eggs! This chutney is perfect with chaat and all of these recipes too!
- Mango Spring Rolls
- Baked Chipotle Chicken Samosas
- Cheesy Pull-Apart Keema Pav
- Crispy Oven Baked Curry Masala Wings
- Tandoori Crab Cake Sliders
- Dabeli Sliders with Pomegranate Relish
📖 Recipe

Jalapeno Cilantro Chutney
Ingredients
- 2-4 jalapenos adjust according to how hot you can handle!
- 1 cup cilantro rinsed
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prep the peppers: Cut the stems off the jalapenos and slice in half. I like to leave the seeds for additional heat sometimes but remove if you need to keep it milder.
- Add all of the ingredients into a blender. Blend for about 20-30 seconds. Add a teaspoon of water at a time if the consistency is too thick. Check the consistency, pulse a few times to get the consistency you want.
- Transfer to a glass jar and keep refrigerated for up to 10 days.
Laura
Jill, this sounds fantastic! A magic green sauce to be sure! I love jalapeños, although I usually remove the seeds, and often have extra, because for some reason I can’t buy just one! Anyway, I think this would be divine on fish tacos! Thanks for the recipe!
jill.patel
Thanks Laura!!! I always buy too many as well! I go in knowing I just need 1 or 2 and always come home with more! But I think this would just amazing on fish tacos! Love the idea!!
Priya
sounds fantastic! I never thought using jalapenos in my chutney recipes:) this looks absolutely gorgeous.
jill.patel
Thanks Priya!! Try it with jalapenos!, they have a milder heat than the smaller green chillis so its ok to use more!
heather (delicious not gorgeous)
this looks ridiciulously tasty!! i'm a sucker for anything herby and garlicky (:
jill.patel
Thanks Heather!! Hey I don't see any problem with that..maybe bc I am too!!
Luke Ratford
We made this chutney and had it with vegetable samosas, and it was awesome 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing, will be making it again this weekend when the family come over!!
Jill Patel
That is awesome!! Love it!
Jeri
I made this chutney as I planted a dozen jalapenos in pots this year! What a great recipe! It was so fresh and flavorful. Thanks for the recipe!
Amy
This chutney was super yum! I had some leftover jalapenos from making poppers the other day and wow..... it was lip smacking good! We had it with our lamb roast and such a great combination.
Alexandra
This chutney is incredibly delicious - it has the most wonderful flavour, and I love all of the ways it can be enjoyed, I used my homegrown jalapenos.
Leslie
This is the perfect chutney recipe!! I love how easy this was to make as well!