Haitian Pikliz Recipe (2024)

Pikliz Recipe

If you are a lover of spicy food, Haitian Pikliz is a recipe you need in your recipe collection.

It's perfect for spicing up sandwiches and grilled meats, and can even be served as a simple side dish.

It's also very easy to make, and you can spice it up as much as you'd like.

What is Pikliz?

Pikliz is a Haitian condiment of pickled cabbage with carrot, bell peppers and fiery Scotch bonnet peppers. It is often served with traditional Haitian dishes to balance out fatty meats, or as a complimentary spicy crunch factor.

It's a must for Haitian cuisine, with a wonderful balance of crispy-crunchy vegetables, tartness from the vinegar, and a vigorous spicy kick from the hot peppers.

It's great with Haitian food, but you can enjoy this on many, many dishes. I think this is a recipe you're going to love.

Let's talk about how to make pikliz, shall we?

Haitian Pikliz Ingredients

• PIKLIZ VEGETABLES
• Cabbage. Shredded or thinly sliced.
• Bell Pepper. I'm using red bell pepper for color.
• Carrot.
• Scotch Bonnets. Scotch bonnet peppers are quite fiery, with a heat equal to the habanero pepper, about 300,000 Scoville Heat Units.
• Onion. Shallot is good, too.
• Garlic.
• FOR THE PIKLIZ BRINE
• White Vinegar. I use distilled white vinegar, or use apple cider vinegar for more sweet-tart.
• Lime Juice.
• Salt.

How to Make Pikliz - the Recipe Method

Shred or Chop the Vegetables. Mix the pikliz vegetables - cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, sliced Scotch bonnet peppers, onion, and garlic - in a large bowl.

Jar Them Up. Transfer the vegetables to a large Ball jar.

Make the Pikliz Brine. Whisk together the brine ingredients - vinegar, lime juice, salt, and optional black pepper - then pour it into the jar. Be sure to completely cover the vegetables with the brine.

Let the Flavors Develop. Secure the lid and refrigerate for 3 days or longer to let the flavors mingle.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Scotch Bonnets. If you're unable to find these peppers, use habanero peppers, which are very similar in heat and flavor. Consider other hot peppers as well, or use milder peppers for a less fiery version.
• Other Vegetables. Add other vegetables to your preference for flavor variations, like other hot peppers, cucumber, asparagus and others.
• Seasonings and Herbs. Make this pikliz your own by adding your favorite herbs and seasonings, like fresh basil or thyme, cumin seeds, whole peppercorns, cloves, lemon, or others. Pikliz is very customizable.

Serving Pikliz

Serve Pikliz with fried foods to balance out the greasiness. It is great piled on to grilled meats and sandwiches for a nice spicy crunch factor. Try it on your next shrimp po' boy sandwich!

Try it with your favorite rice and beans recipe, like Jamaican rice and peas. I love it on smoked pulled pork, and on fish tacos.

Storage

Store your pikliz in the refrigerator, properly sealed. Because it is pickled, it will last a month or longer. Vinegar is a preservative as well as a flavoring agent.

Tools Used For This Recipe

Amazon Affiliate links, my friends!

Ball Jars - Makes pickling easy, with large enough jars to accommodate a good sized batch of vegetables or peppers.

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

• Vinegar Coleslaw
• Spicy Creamy Coleslaw
• Curtido (Salvadoran Cabbage Slaw)