Whether you are making salsa, poppers, or your favorite chili recipe, knowing how to cut jalapenos is an important component in creating these meals. Due to their smaller size and internal seeds, preparation does require a little bit of finesse for the best results. Keep reading to learn how to seed jalapenos with ease.

Tip!

Any knife work requires a sharp blade, so if yours is dull then read How to Sharpen Knives At Home for some guidance.

How to Cut Jalapenos

It doesn't matter if you are working with jalapenos or other chili peppers – the principle is pretty much the same across the board. The only difference is that some chilis are smaller than others, meaning you may have to make a few adjustments. There are three different ways to cut jalapenos, just depending on your skills and what you intend to cook. The methods are below

Tools

• Paring knife
• Cutting board
• Spoon (if needed)

Method 1: How to Seed a Jalapeno for Beginners

Step 1: Cut Chili in Half
Start by using your paring knife to cut your jalapeno in half lengthways to expose the center where the membrane and seeds are found.

• Take a spoon to scrape out the membrane that holds the seeds
• Working from the bottom to the top, drag the spoon along to remove any pieces you will not need and discard.

Step 2: Cut Into Slices
If your recipe calls for long slivers, place the jalapeno halves on the cutting board (open side down) and cut along the length of the pepper in a julienne style.

• Repeat the process with any remaining peppers.
• If you just need long slices of jalapeno, you can stop there, but if you want to know how to dice jalapeno peppers, keep reading.

Step 3: Chop the Chiles
While holding your slivers in your hand, use the knife to cut crosswise in the other direction to chop the jalapenos up into smaller diced pieces.

Method 2: How to Cut Jalapenos With Intermediate Skills

Step 1: Discard Tip
Start by using a sharp paring knife to cut the very tip off the chili. This is to create a flat surface to balance the jalapeno on.

Step 2: Stand Jalapeno Up
Using the new flat end of the pepper, stand it up while holding onto the stem. This makes the jalapeno more stable and easier to hold as you perform the cuts.

Step 3: Start With One Slice
While you hold the base of the chili stem, use your knife to cut straight down along the side of the pepper. Make sure not to cut too deeply into the flesh as you want to leave the seeds attached to the core inside the chili.

Step 4: Separate the Core & Flesh
Repeat this process going all the way around the chill until you have a pile of strips on one side and the core, seeds, and stem on the other (these are waste bits you can discard).

• If you are cutting multiple jalapenos, then repeat this process over and over until they are all cut to this point.

Step 5: Keep Cutting
Stack all your slices of jalapeno together in a pile, hold them steady with one hand and cut them along their length to get thinner slices. This process can be done with around two chilis at a time.

Step 6: Dice the Jalapeno
If you intend to dice the jalapeno, then simply continue as step three in method one, and hold the pile of slivers while cutting crossways to get diced pieces.

Method 3: How to Core a Jalapeno With Expert Skills

Step 1: Cut the Stem Off
Start with your paring knife and cut off the stem of the pepper. Carefully insert the paring knife into the jalapeno and work your way around to free the core from the sides of the chili.

Tip!

This is the best method to prepare for stuffing jalapeno poppers, or slicing jalapeno rings.

Step 2: Slice As Needed
If you intend to slice the jalapeno into rings, hold it in one hand and use your knife to cut across the length of the pepper.

• If you don't want rings, then it is best to cut the pepper in half and slice down the length again into slivers and/or chop again into diced pieces as you need.

Now you know how to cut jalapenos, you can prepare the most delicious meals with your newly learnt skills.

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