Pepperoncini are a low-calorie snack, at about 5 calories an ounce on most jar labels, but most of their nutrition story is about the jar. Fresh, they are a good source of vitamin C. Pickled, which is how almost everyone eats them, most popular brands list 390 to 550 milligrams of sodium in a 1-ounce serving of a few peppers, and many jars add a yellow dye and a sulfite. Here’s what’s in them, what the labels say, and which health claims hold up.
One quick note first: we know chili peppers, but we’re not doctors. If you’re watching your sodium or blood pressure, react to sulfites, or have questions about food dyes for your family, talk with your doctor about how pepperoncini fit into your diet. They know your health, and we know peppers.
What are pepperoncini?
Pepperoncini, also called golden Greek peppers, are small chilies from Italy and Greece, usually 2 to 3 inches long. They are about as mild as chilies get, at 100 to 500 Scoville heat units, and most are picked green and pickled. That’s why the jar matters so much: the nutrition you get from a pickled pepperoncini depends heavily on the brine it was packed in.
What’s in a serving of pepperoncini?
USDA doesn’t have a nutrition record for pepperoncini by name, so we used its two closest matches: raw banana peppers, which are near twins of pepperoncini, and pickled hot peppers. Here’s what USDA’s FoodData Central shows for 30 grams, about three peppers.
| Per 30 grams | Fresh | % DV | Pickled | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 8 | 6 | ||
| Vitamin C | 25 mg | 28% | 3.7 mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 1 g | 4% | 0.8 g | 3% |
| Potassium | 77 mg | 2% | 34 mg | 1% |
| Vitamin A | 5 mcg | 1% | 13 mcg | 1% |
| Sodium | 4 mg | under 1% | 429 mg | 19% |
The two columns tell the story: a fresh serving has more than a quarter of your daily vitamin C and almost no sodium. USDA’s pickled numbers show much less vitamin C and nearly a fifth of the day’s sodium. Everything else, from fiber to potassium, comes in small amounts either way.
Most jar labels list little besides calories and sodium, so treat the pickled column as a ballpark. If you grow your own or find them fresh at a farmers market, our guide to vitamin C in peppers shows how they stack up against other chilies.
How much sodium is in jarred pepperoncini?
Quite a bit, and the amount varies by brand, so here is what seven jars list for a serving on their labels, along with the two additives you’ll see most often.
| Jar | Serving | Sodium | % DV | Yellow 5 | Sulfite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mezzetta Golden Greek | 3 peppers (30 g) | 390 mg | 17% | Yes | Yes |
| B&G Whole | 1 oz (28 g) | 400 mg | 17% | Yes | Yes |
| Great Value Whole | 3 peppers (30 g) | 420 mg | 18% | No (turmeric) | Yes |
| Vlasic Mild | 2 peppers (28 g) | 440 mg | 19% | Yes | Yes |
| Mt. Olive | 1 oz (28 g) | 450 mg | 20% | Yes | Yes |
| DeLallo Mild | 5 peppers (30 g) | 550 mg | 24% | Yes | Yes |
| Divina Greek | 3 peppers (30 g) | 200 mg | 9% | No (turmeric) | No |
Against the Daily Value for sodium of 2,300 milligrams, most of these jars come in at 17 to 20 percent for a few peppers. The FDA counts 20 percent or more per serving as high, so Mt. Olive and DeLallo cross that line. Divina’s Greek pepperoncini come in at less than half the sodium of the rest.
And the brine is even saltier than the peppers. Giuliano sells its pepperoncini brine on its own, and the label on its spicy version lists about 580 milligrams of sodium per ounce. So if you’re stirring pepperoncini juice into a Bloody Mary or a marinade, count it the way you’d count soy sauce.
Why are jarred pepperoncini so yellow?
Often it is dye, since most of the jars in our table list FD&C Yellow No. 5, and several store brands color theirs with turmeric instead. According to the FDA, certified colors like Yellow 5 have to be listed by name on the label. The agency says most children have no adverse effects from color additives, but some evidence suggests certain children may be sensitive to them, and parents who want to limit them can check the ingredient list.
That may be changing. In April 2025, the FDA said it was working with food companies to remove Yellow 5 and five other petroleum-based dyes from the food supply by the end of 2026. Want a jar without it today? Look for turmeric on the label.
What about the sulfites in pepperoncini?
Nearly every jar we looked at lists sodium bisulfite or sodium metabisulfite, often noting that it’s there “to preserve color.” Both are sulfites. For most people that is a non-issue, but some people with asthma are sensitive to sulfites, and according to the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program at the University of Nebraska, U.S. rules require them to be declared on the label. If you need to avoid them, Divina’s Greek pepperoncini are sulfite-free, and so is 365’s organic sliced pepperoncini.
Do pepperoncini have enough capsaicin to matter?
Barely. Capsaicin is the compound behind a chili’s heat, and pepperoncini have very little of it. They’re 5 to 80 times milder than a jalapeño, and much closer to a bell pepper. So the capsaicin research you’ll read about, from cancer cells in a dish to small bumps in calorie burn, doesn’t say much about a few pepperoncini on a sandwich. Our look at chili peppers and cancer covers what’s known in people.
Are pepperoncini good for weight loss?
They are an easy low-calorie add. At about 5 calories for three jarred peppers, they bring a lot of tang to a salad or sandwich for next to zero calories. Just keep the sodium in mind if you eat them by the handful.
Pepperoncini health claims: fact or fiction?
- “Pepperoncini are rich in vitamin C.” Fact when fresh, at roughly a quarter of the daily value in three peppers. Pickled, USDA’s numbers drop to about 4 percent.
- “They’re a good source of calcium and iron.” Fiction, because a pickled serving has about 1 percent of the daily value for each.
- “They’re a good source of fiber.” Mostly fiction, since three peppers have only about a gram.
- “Their capsaicin fights cancer.” Fiction for pepperoncini, because capsaicin research has mostly been done in cells and animals, and these peppers hold very little of it.
- “They help prevent heart disease and colorectal cancer.” We couldn’t find any research on pepperoncini and either one.
- “Pickled pepperoncini are high in sodium.” Fact for most jars, at 17 to 24 percent of the daily value per serving.
- “They’re low in calories.” Fact, with about 5 calories in three jarred peppers.
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Related reading
- Banana Pepper Nutrition: How Healthy Are They?: The pepperoncini’s near twin, by the numbers.
- Jalapeño Nutrition: How Healthy Are They?: A hotter pepper that also spends a lot of time in brine.
- Is Hot Sauce Good For You?: Sodium and sugar across eight popular bottles.
I love eating pickled peppers I eat them every time I order them from papa john’s
I eat pepperoncinis practically everyday. I knew about the sodium in pickled peppers, so I limit my intake to 3 or 4 peppers during one sitting. I fell in love with these a long time, ago, and have never stopped. Glad to hear there are other benefits to eating these.
I absolutely fell in love with the pickled ones
I am amazed that pepperonicini has benefits to our diet. Thanks for sharing this article that will help everyone to stay healthy.