Jalapeno pesto with roasted jalapenos, cilantro, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and toasted pine nuts is everything you want in a spicy, creamy green sauce that pairs well with meats, vegetables, pasta, and more. We’re keeping a jar of this lovely concoction in the refrigerator for all of our last-minute I-need-pesto emergencies.
Y’all. You need to make this jalapeno pesto RIGHT NOW. This stuff is so good. I do love basil pesto, and if I don’t make it myself, I keep a jar of the Kirkland brand in my fridge all the time.
But this jalapeno pesto with cilantro is such a nice change and has so much yummy flavor. We love it on fish, baked potatoes, roasted vegetables, pork chops, and basically anything.
Testing results for jalapeno pesto with cilantro
- We’ve roasted the jalapenos and toasted the pine nuts to give this recipe a more complex flavor profile. I encourage you not to skip these steps!
- We tested with walnuts, pistachios, and pecans, and preferred the traditional pine nuts. Everything else overwhelmed the other flavors.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Jalapenos: Use the freshest jalapenos that you can find.
Cilantro: This recipe uses a good bit of cilantro, so you’ll probably need 2-3 bunches.
Pin this now to save it for laterHow to make jalapeno pesto
- Place the jalapenos on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and roast for a few minutes.
- Place the pine nuts on a baking sheet and roast until lightly toasted.
- After steaming in a bowl for a few minutes, the jalapeno peppers should be easy to peel.
- Dump everything into your food processor and let it do its magic.
- Add additional olive oil as needed.
- Your pesto should be smooth and creamy.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Jalapeno Pesto with Cilantro Recipe
Ingredients
- 8-10 jalapenos
- 1-2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 ½ cups tightly packed cilantro leaves
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- salt
- pepper
- additional olive oil if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Place 8-10 jalapenos on a cookie sheet, drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive or canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast peppers for 20 minutes or until skin is blistered and starting to darken.
- Remove peppers from the pan, place in a bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let peppers sit for 15-20 minutes, then remove from the bowl. Peel the peppers (to the extent you can) and remove the seeds. It's fine if some peel and seeds remain.
- Place 1/4 cup pine nuts on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes until just turning lightly brown.
- Combine jalapenos, 1 1/2 cups tightly packed cilantro leaves, pine nuts and 3 cloves garlic in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil while motor is running and process until smooth.
- Add 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, a little salt and pepper, and pulse a few times until blended. If the mixture is too thick, add additional olive oil one teaspoon at a time and pulse.
Nutrition
Questions and tips
Storage
Store the jalapeno pesto in a jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.
You can freeze this jalapeno pesto by placing dollops in an ice cube tray or silicone tray (we like Souper Cubes). Once frozen, pop the pesto cubes out and store them in an airtight bag in the freezer.
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!
We don’t even have to guess that I’ll be making this soon. Especially with most of my grilling being done in the Fall, I can’t wait to try this over chicken.
P.S. I could really take a fork to that whole buffet in the photo 🙂