Candied Jalapeno are the perfect combination of sweet and spicy! Perfect on burgers, sandwiches, nachos, or just by themselves!
This candied jalapenos recipe has rapidly become a true family favorite! Perfect on sandwiches and so much more. We also love easy condiment recipes like my Creamy Beer Cheese, and Refrigerator Dill Pickles.
I don’t know about you, but this time of year I go condiment crazy. Give me all the pickles, all the bbq sauces, and all the candied jalapenos!!
If you’ve never had a candied jalapeno, boy oh boy are you in for a treat my friend. They’re truly the perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness. The sugar tames the sharp heat from the jalapeno, turning it into this mouthwatering little gem.
They’re great on so many things… I’d be hard pressed to list them all! Nachos, pulled pork/chicken, burgers, sandwiches, chopped up on hot dogs, in potato/macaroni salads, in egg salad, on a cracker or bagel with some cream cheese, or just with a fork.
I found a similar recipe in an old church cookbook I’d had for a long while, and did some tweaking to our tastes a couple years back… and ever since then, it’s been a staple in our refrigerator!
And don’t worry if you’re nervous about canning or worried you don’t have the necessary supplies to can, as there’s actually no canning going on here! Just like my Refrigerator Dill Pickles, these babies just hang out in the refrigerator. No water baths necessary!
Of course, you can actually can them if you’d like. They’ll have a much longer shelf life that way, but I wanted to share the shortcut way here today 🙂
How to make candied jalapeños
- Slice peppers. You’re looking for slices about 1/4 inch thick. Set them aside for now.
- Bring syrup mixture to a boil. Add vinegar, sugar, and spices to a large pot and heat until boiling. Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. If you notice your mixture starts to foam up a lot, like the picture on the right, decrease your heat and stir it a bit to get it to calm down.
- Bring back to boil, then add peppers. Increase the heat and bring the mixture back up to a boil. Once boiling, add your sliced peppers, and allow to come back to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 4 minutes.
- Transfer peppers to jars. I like to use a slotted spoon to leave as much of the liquid in the pot as possible. Fill the jars to within about 1/4-1/2″ of the top of the jar.
- Boil the syrup and add to jars. Increase the heat again and bring the syrup to a full rolling boil. Boil for about 6 minutes. Either ladle, or transfer syrup to a pitcher to pour into the glass jars with the peppers. Fill the jars to within about 1/4-1/2″ of the top of the jar.
- Wipe rims, seal and refrigerate. Wipe the rims of jars with a damp paper towel and screw on canning jar lids. Refrigerate for at least 1-2 weeks (3-4 weeks for optimal flavor and texture).
ADDITIONAL COOKING TIPS
- Fresh is best – The best candied jalapeños are made with the freshest jalapeños. The pepper skin should be firm, with no deep blemishes. Try to find consistently sized peppers, so your slices will be uniform in size.
- Slicing – since you’ll be slicing 1.5 lbs of peppers, you’ll want a sharp knife and steady hand, a food processor with the slicing blade attached, or a mandoline.
- Gloves – jalapeños are notorious for varying in heat level, so to error on the side of caution, I like to wear disposable gloves when working with them. The oils from cutting peppers can get onto your skin and cause burning and skin irritation. And god forbid you do something like rub your nose or eye before you’ve THOROUGHLY washed your hands. Don’t ask me me how I know just how bad it’ll hurt… So trust me, glove up.
VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE
- Double – as crazy as it may sounds, once you try these sweet and spicy jalapeños, you might want to make a double batch the next time. This recipe is easily doubled… just make sure to double ALL the ingredients, but keep the cooking process and times the same.
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If you hover over the serving size number in the recipe card down below, a slider bar will pop up. Just slide the bar in either direction, until the number of servings you want shows, and it’ll automatically calculate the correct amount of each ingredient!
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- Peppers – technically you can “candy” any pepper, so if you’re up for it, you can try using hotter peppers, like serranos or habaneros! Keep the process the same.
- Milder – while candying tames the heat of the jalapenos quite a bit, if you’re really worried about the heat, you can core the peppers before slicing.
Making candied jalapeños ahead of time
This is a natural make-ahead recipe, as the jalapenos need a good couple of weeks to plump back up and for the flavors to mellow out and mesh together.
If I’m patient enough, I like to wait for 3-4 weeks before opening a jar, but let’s face it… sometimes I just want the sweet-heat goodness before then. 1-2 weeks is a good middle ground.
Storage
Candied jalapenos should be sealed in an airtight container and refrigerated. They should last about 2-3 months when kept refrigerated and the lids are sealed after each use.
I like to take a permanent marker and write down the date I made the pickles on the lid, so I’ll know when it’s been 2-3 months. Honestly, our’s never last that long before we devour them!
If you wanted to can them via a traditional water bath, they can last a good year in the pantry. But again, that’s only if you’ve canned them.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE
- Pint-sized Jars – I prefer these wide-mouth jars, as they’re easier to fill.
- Large pot – you can use any large pot, but I like to bust out my trusty dutch oven for this.
- Disposable gloves – your grocery store will likely have a much better price on these, but I wanted to show you the kind I like to use.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs fresh jalapenos (about 30 peppers)
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
Instructions
- Remove and discard stems from peppers, then slice into 1/4" slices. Set pepper slices aside.
- To a large pot, add cider vinegar, white sugar, garlic powder, turmeric, and celery seed and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to about MED LOW and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Raise the heat to about MED HIGH to bring mixture back to a boil. Once boiling, add the pepper slices. Allow to return to a boil, then reduce the heat again (to about MED LOW) and simmer for 4 minutes.
- Transfer the peppers using a slotted spoon to clean glass canning jars, filling jars to within 1/4 inch of the upper rim of the jar.
- Only the syrup should remain in the pot at this point. Increase the heat to bring to a full rolling boil. Boil like that for approximately 6 minutes.
- Ladle the syrup into the jars with the jalapeno slices. If you notice any air pockets, take a clean spoon and insert it into the jar to get rid of the trapped air. Fill jars to within 1/4-1/2" from the upper rim of the jar.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel, then screw on canning jar lids. Label if desired and refrigerate for at least 1-2 weeks (3-4 weeks for optimal flavor). Candied jalapenos are good for up to 3 months if kept properly refrigerated.
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Chef Tips
- Recipe makes enough to fill approximately 2 pint sized jars.
- This recipe has not been tested with sugar substitutes or with reducing the amount of sugar – make changes at your own discretion and using your best judgement.
- Leftover syrup can be stored in glass jars as well. I love to add it to my macaroni/potato salad. It’s also amazing brushed on bacon!
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Red squier says
Like it
Nikki says
How long does it last?
The Chunky Chef says
All of the storage instructions and tips are located in the post above the recipe, under the heading “storage”.
Paula says
I am curious if I could make these with a jar of jalepenos. Instead of fresh?
The Chunky Chef says
I honestly couldn’t say, as I didn’t develop this recipe to use pickled jalapeños, and it wasn’t tested. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out.
Phil says
Killer
J. Anderson says
I had a beloved candied shishito recipe saved and lost it! this is pretty much the same sans the turmeric and celery salt! Thank you for unknowningly helping me recover that! I will have to try your variation with Tam Jalapeños since I’m not a real spicy girl!
Todd Morgan says
I’ve made your recipe before. It’s very good. Would you know the ratios to prepare a gallon of these? I’d be greatful for any help you can offer.
The Chunky Chef says
So glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t tested this recipe on that scale before, but seeing as how this recipe makes 2 pint sized jars, and there are 8 pints in a gallon, I think you’d just multiply all ingredients by 4.
Ed monk says
I love these.l increase to a little over 2 pounds peppers and increase ingredients according. After simmering I put them in jars and microwave them 30 seconds. Clean the tops and put the lid on tight. Turn them upside on counter. Later I make sure they are sealed and they are cannery d. I usually get 4 to a batch and I do 2 batches I eat them fast.
Angie says
does microwaving them take the place of water bath?
Edward monk says
Make over and over
Jane says
My go to for sandwiches, potato or macaroni salads. My family absolutely loves this recipe.
Larry says
I made these and they are excellent.They also stay in the fridge much longer than stated here as long as they are sealed they don’t lose their strength or flavour.I love them all ways but with mashed potatoes are to die for.thanks for the recipe.
Edward monk says
Make these canned all the time
Darlene M Kaur says
How would I go about canning them? Would love to know.
ARCHIE says
Fantastic stuff! I use it on so much!
Sarah Chanel says
Omgosh. I made some 3 weeks ago. Opened a jar this evening. These are delicious. I’ll not be buying them from the farmers market anymore, because mine are way better. Many thanks for the recipe..
Lynn says
An easy recipe to make and so yummy! I made it exactly according to the recipe. It’s delicious on a tuna sandwich and on toasted mini bagels with cream cheese. I would definitely make this recipe again
Rebecca Wright says
I’ve made this recipe several times now . I love it it’s easy to make and delicious. I put the jalapeño on everything, even in my jalapeño cheddar sourdough bread. Will definitely keep making it ❤️ thanks for the recipe!
Darcey Nash says
The chucky chef that’s so cute I love it!
Charleen says
I have doubled recipe twice❤️
The second time, I actually slightly sautéed peppers for a few minutes before adding to recipe and enjoyed even more.
They were a bit softer( not too soft).
Love this recipe.
Andrew Lewis says
This makes my second time making cowboy Candy ever and both times I used this recipe. I highly recommend figuring out what size jars you’ll be using and how many of them. After prepping 6lbs of peppers and taking the middles out I was left with 4lbs. My batch made 8 half pint jars and 1 pint jar. I like to gift it so I give the half pints and keep the pints for myself. For the servings I used (80) for this batch. Now that I’m gaining confidence, I will double my numbers on the next batch.
Angela kellam says
I work for a non-profit that rescues produce. I had about 6lbs of jalapeño and made 15 jars of this. It’s amazing!
Gloria Z Estrada says
I was this and it was awesome. Next time I will double the recipe 😋 😉
Jacob says
Made it for the second time today. I triple the batch because it goes so fast