This jalapeño pimento cheese is creamy, spicy, and has a kick from fresh jalapeños! This is a southern-style pimento cheese that's ready in just 10 minutes.
One of my favorite things about living in Georgia is pimento cheese. I lived in Oregon for a couple of years and missed it sorely because I couldn't find it anywhere. It's definitely a Southern thing.
There's a specific jalapeño pimento cheese that I always buy at the grocery store (Palmetto cheese brand; if you know, you know) but when I was living in Oregon, I had to learn to make pimento cheese at home.
It's just so easy to make homemade jalapeño pimento cheese and it allows for a lot more customization! I still make homemade pimento cheese all the time now that I'm back in the South.
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Recipe features
- Quick & easy: Jalapeño pimento cheese is made with just 8 ingredients in only 10 minutes!
- Lightly spicy: This pimento cheese isn't overwhelmingly spicy. It uses diced jalapeno and hot sauce, and you can easily adjust both ingredients to make this recipe less or more spicy.
- Lighter: Made slightly healthier with Greek yogurt in addition to mayonnaise. I find that Greek yogurt adds a nice tang that balances out the sweet undertones of mayonnaise.
- Versatile: Use this jalapeno pimento cheese on sandwiches or as a dip with chips or veggies!
Ingredients
- Cheddar cheese: I love using thick-cut "farm style" sharp cheddar, specifically the Tillamook brand. Regular shredded cheddar also works. I think sharp cheddar is just the right amount of sharpness, but mild or very sharp also work. I don't recommend shredding your own cheese because it has the tendency to clump up in spreads.
- Mayonnaise: Duke's is my go-to mayo, but really any mayonnaise works.
- Greek yogurt adds a bit of tang and lightens up the recipe. Choose plain, whole Greek yogurt. You can use an equal amount of sour cream if desired.
- Pimentos are just a certain variety of diced and jarred red peppers. You can usually find jarred pimentos next to artichokes, olives, and other jarred condiments.
- Jalapeño: I add just one finely diced medium jalapeno because we're also adding hot sauce. You can add more if you prefer, but be warned: this pimento cheese gets spicy quickly!
- Hot sauce like Tapatio, tabasco or Cholula work best here.
Step-by-step instructions
Jalapeño pimento cheese is very easy to make. Here's what you need to do:
- Stir together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, hot sauce, onion and garlic powder.
- Fold in the shredded cheddar cheese, diced jalapeños and drained pimento peppers.
I like to chill pimento cheese for at least an hour before serving because it allows it to thicken up.
Cassidy's tips and variations
- How to lighten up pimento cheese: Honestly, pimento cheese is what it is: cheese and mayonnaise. But if you want a slightly "healthier" option, you can use olive oil mayonnaise in place of regular mayo and choose low-fat cheddar cheese. Try using 100% Greek yogurt in place of mayo for a tangy but lighter option.
- Spiciness: Because we're using jalapeño and hot sauce, this recipe leans on the spicy side. Omit hot sauce or decrease jalapeno for a less spicy result.
- Cream cheese vs sour cream vs Greek yogurt: Mayonnaise is always necessary in pimento cheese, but otherwise things get a little iffy. I use Greek yogurt because I like the tang and texture yogurt provides. More traditional recipes will use cream cheese and sometimes sour cream.
- Sauciness: This recipe errs on the saucier side. You can decrease Greek yogurt to 2 tablespoons for a thicker result.
- To make regular pimento cheese instead of jalapeno pimento cheese, simply omit the jalapeño. I recommend keeping the hot sauce.
Storage tips
Leftover pimento cheese is best within 4 to 5 days. Cover and keep refrigerated.
Freezing: I have not tried freezing pimento cheese but I don't feel like it would work well because the structure of cheese can be affected by freezing.
Looking for more Southern favorites?
Enjoy this pimento cheese with everything bagel crackers, potato chips, spread onto a sandwich, as a black bean veggie burger topping, or in grilled cheese. It also goes well with celery, carrots, and any other fresh veggie.
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating in the recipe card or a review in the comments below. Or check out my cookbook and keep up to date with my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or newsletter!
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Jalapeño Pimento Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups (8 ounces) farm style shredded sharp cheddar cheese see note #1
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup plain whole Greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce adjust for spiciness
- 1 medium jalapeño finely diced
- 4 ounce jar of pimentos drained
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce.
- Fold in the cheddar cheese, jalapeño and drained pimentos until evenly combined. Taste for spiciness and salt. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste. Refrigerate for an hour to chill completely or enjoy immediately. It will thicken up as it chills.
Video
Notes
- Cheese: Mild, sharp and very sharp work. I like to use thick-cut (farmstyle) shredded cheese, such as the kind that Tillamook makes. I don't recommend grating your own cheese as it tends to clump up.
- Make regular pimento cheese by omitting the hot sauce and jalapeños.
- Leftovers: Keep refrigerated in a closed container for up to a week.
- Sauciness: This recipe errs on the saucier side. Decrease Greek yogurt to 2 tablespoons for a thicker pimento cheese.
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