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    Home » Recipes » Sauces & Rubs

    Easy Candied Jalapeños

    Published by Rodney on April 20, 2021 - Jump to Recipe - 4 Comments

    These Candied Jalapeños are awesome on burgers, sandwiches, nachos or even by themselves. This recipe only takes 30 minutes to make.
    easy candied jalapeños

    I will admit that we eat dishes with Jalapeños pretty frequently so making these Candied Jalapeños instead of pickling gave us some delicious options.

    celery seed

    Super easy to make and can last for months when stored correctly. If you have a lot of jalapeños on hand and not sure what to do with them I suggest you try this candied jalapeños recipe.

    ingredients for cowboy candy
    Sugar, Celery Seed, Garlic Powder and Turmeric

    So what's the difference between Candied Jalapeños and Pickled Jalapeños you ask? Well not very much actually.

    The main difference is this recipe uses a couple of cups of white sugar and a few different seasonings for the cooking process.

    sliced jalapeños
    1 Pound of Sliced Jalapeños

    Sometimes referred to as Cowboy Candy, these candied jalapeños can be eaten in a variety of ways.

    Put some on your salad, on sandwiches, on nachos, over chicken or you can simply enjoy them as a snack.

    Just recently I added some of these candied jalapeños to my breakfast eggs. The possibilities are endless.

    jalapeños boiling in saucepan
    Sliced Jalapeños in Sugar Mixture

    The end result is some sweet and spicy jalapeños that bring tons of flavor to whatever dish you add them to.

    We love to add these candied jalapeños to our burgers. Way better than pickles. Especially if you like your burgers to have a kick!

    candied jalapeños in glass jars

    While I like my pickled jalapeños recipe a lot, which is just as easy to make, I prefer this candied jalapeños recipe a little more. Probably because they bring a little sweetness to the equation.

    But I will leave that up to you to determine which you prefer best. Try both recipes and let us know which you prefer in the comments below!

    fresh jalapeños

    🌶 How to Handle Hot Peppers

    The capsaicin in hot peppers is what makes peppers hot. If you handle hot peppers gloveless, it’s a guarantee that you’re in for a nasty case of chili burn, both on your fingers and anywhere you rub. Like your face. Ouch!

    Even if you wear disposable gloves, be careful about what you touch. The gloves are going to protect your fingers, but touching any part of your body with the gloves after you’ve handled hot peppers can lead to severe chili burn.

    Resist the temptation to rub your eyes. Wait until you’ve removed your gloves and washed your hands thoroughly with soap.

    candied jalapeños on strawberry chicken salad
    Candied Jalapeños on Strawberry Chicken Salad

    🌡️ How Hot Are the Peppers

    The Scoville Scale is the measurement that tells you the spiciness of a given type of pepper.

    Pepper TypeScoville Rating (Heat)
    Bell Pepper0-0
    Banana Pepper0-500
    Poblano Pepper1000-1500
    Jalapeño Pepper2500-8000
    Serrano Peppers10,000-25,000
    Manzano Pepper12,000-30,000
    Tabasco & Cayenne30,000-50,000
    Habanero Pepper100,000-300,000
    Ghost Pepper855,000-1,000,000
    Carolina Reaper1,500,000-2,300,000
    candied jalapeños on carnitas tacos
    Candied Jalapeños on Carnitas Tacos

    Once cooled, the jars of jalapeños should be kept in the refrigerator. If your plan is to make a batch and keep them "long term", I would suggest using a method similar to this one to seal the jars.

    ground turmeric
    Ground Turmeric

    💭 How to seal Mason Jars

    Using a ladle, fill sterilized mason jars leaving about ½ inch of headspace.
    Remove any air bubbles by inserting a flexible spatula down the sides of the jars. Adjust headspace if necessary.
    Wipe jar rims, place lids on jar and screw on bands finger tight.
    Place jars in a large pot of boiling water for 20 minutes. Move jars to a cooling rack and let cool until the lids "pop". Do not tighten bands. Let jars cool for at least 4 hours. Test seal by pressing the center of the lid. It should not give. If it makes a popping sound, it has NOT been sealed.

    For more great recipes with Fresh Jalapeños, I suggest you check these recipes out:

    • spicy relish on hot dogs
      Super Simple Spicy Relish
    • steak tacos
      Easy Steak Tacos
    • spicy egg salad sandwiches
      Spicy Egg Salad Sandwiches
    • carne asada tacos
      Easy Carne Asada

    📋 Gather your Ingredients

    You will need the following ingredients to make this Candied Jalapeños recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Jalapeños, White Sugar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic Powder, Celery Seed, Ground Turmeric and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes.

    🥣 How to make Candied Jalapeños

    Slice the Jalapeños into rounds. Set aside.
    In a saucepan, add the sugar, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, celery seed, turmeric, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until sugar is completely melted.
    Add the sliced jalapeños. Bring the mixture back to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    Remove the Jalapeños from the pot with tongs or a slotted spoon into pint jars. Bring the remaining liquid up to a boil to reduce mixture, approximately 5 minutes.
    Using a funnel, pour the leftover liquid into the jars, covering the jalapeños.
    Let the jars cool completely. Secure each jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator.

    📖 Recipe

    Easy Candied Jalapeños

    Easy Candied Jalapeños

    These Candied Jalapeños are awesome on burgers, sandwiches, nachos or even by themselves. This recipe only takes 30 minutes to make.
    4.09 from 12 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep TimePrep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook TimeCook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total TimeTotal Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Sauces & Dry Rubs
    Cuisine American
    Author Rodney
    Servings 12
    Calories 145 kcal

    Equipment

    • Saucepan

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 lb Fresh Jalapeño, roughly 18 to 20 jalapeños
    • 2 Cups White Sugar
    • ⅔ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Celery Seed
    • ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

    Instructions
     

    • Slice the Jalapeños into rounds. Set aside.
    • In a saucepan, add the sugar, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, celery seed, turmeric, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until sugar is completely melted.
    • Add the sliced jalapeños. Bring the mixture back to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionaly.
    • Remove the Jalapeños from the pot with tongs or a slotted spoon into pint jars. Bring the remaining liquid up to a boil to reduce mixture, approximately 5 minutes.
    • Using a funnel, pour the leftover liquid into the jars, covering the jalapeños.
    • Let the jars cool completely. Secure each jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator.

    Notes

    → I recommend wearing disposable gloves when handling Hot Peppers.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 113mgFiber: 1gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 432IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg

    Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.

    Tried this Recipe?Leave a Comment below and share a picture on Instagram and tag @hot_rods_recipes and hashtag #hotrodsrecipes!

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    hot rods recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lisa

      June 23, 2023 at 7:07 am

      How long before you can enjoy eating them? Is it one day? One week? One month? Maybe I missed this part somewhere..... thanks! They sound great!

      Reply
      • Chef Rodney

        June 23, 2023 at 11:57 am

        Technically as soon as everything has cooled down but the flavor intensifies with time. I usually wait overnight.

        Reply
    2. Cathy Napier

      July 27, 2023 at 6:28 pm

      Our harder produced way too many jalapeños and I made plenty of pepper jelly. I wonder what to do with all of these peppers and then I saw your recipe. Tried a batch of 8 jars and gave a few away. Everyone including my family went wild over these. They are wonderful. My sister used them on toasted cheese sandwiches and said I have to have more. Wonderful recipe and is will be making many more.

      Reply
      • Rodney

        September 06, 2023 at 6:55 pm

        Glad you liked this recipe! I have a few jalapeño bushes and make this all the time!

        Reply

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