Easy Candied Jalapeños
These Candied Jalapeños are awesome on burgers, sandwiches, nachos or even by themselves. This recipe only takes 30 minutes to make.
I will admit that we eat dishes with Jalapeños pretty frequently so making these Candied Jalapeños instead of pickling gave us some delicious options.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
How Hot Are the Peppers
The Scoville Scale is the measurement that tells you the spiciness of a given type of pepper.
| Pepper Type | Scoville Rating (Heat) |
|---|---|
| Bell Pepper | 0-0 |
| Banana Pepper | 0-500 |
| Poblano Pepper | 1000-1500 |
| Jalapeño Pepper | 2500-8000 |
| Serrano Peppers | 10,000-25,000 |
| Manzano Pepper | 12,000-30,000 |
| Tabasco & Cayenne | 30,000-50,000 |
| Habanero Pepper | 100,000-300,000 |
| Ghost Pepper | 855,000-1,000,000 |
| Carolina Reaper | 1,500,000-2,300,000 |
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.
How to Seal Mason Jars
- Using a ladle, fill sterilized mason jars leaving about 1/2 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.
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 the 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.
Easy Candied Jalapeños
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fresh Jalapeño, roughly 18 to 20 jalapeños
- 2 Cups White Sugar
- ⅔ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tsp Celery Seed
- ½ Tsp Ground Turmeric
- ½ Tsp 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
Nutrition
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.
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.
Glad you liked this recipe! I have a few jalapeño bushes and make this all the time!
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!
Technically as soon as everything has cooled down but the flavor intensifies with time. I usually wait overnight.