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.
Robyn says
We bought a pack of bell pepper seeds to plant in our garden this year, but there must have been a mistake during packaging, because about half of them turned out to be jalapeños! I had no idea what to do with them all, but stumbled across this recipe and decided, “what the heck, let’s try it out!”
Happiest mistake of my life and I will be planting jalapeños on purpose next year just to make more of this!
My family doesn’t enjoy spice as much as I do, so I did remove seeds/membranes. I feel like the result is more just a pleasant hint of heat, not exactly spicy. If that’s helpful to anyone.
Seriously SO good! Most of it never made it to the jars…
Thank you for sharing! Any tips on getting the syrup to thicken a little more? I want to try and make a jam out of this!
The Chunky Chef says
Love those happy mistakes! So happy to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe 🙂 You could try boiling it longer, or adding some pectin, but I haven’t tested that so I can’t say for certain how much to add, or how long it needs to cook for.
Brenda Smith says
Why do you not say how many pints this recipe makes? How can I double it if I don’t know what one batch will make?
The Chunky Chef says
I do say… it’s the very first “chef tips” point, right under the directions.
Jacquelyn M Smith says
Hello this is my favorite recipe for cowboy candy. I added a twist to mine and incorporate sweet peppers with my jalapenos and water bath. Every person that samples my peppers are requesting a jar lol. My cousin now grows jalapenos for me to can lol. Love the recipe!
Danise says
How long do you water bath for? Are they still crisp? Thanks!
Richard Gilpin says
I purchased store bought for about $9.00 Canadian , but with this recipe I was able to make 4 jars for $9.00 and I was left with the excess brine that if you add olive oil makes one of the best salad dressings with attitude that I’ve ever had. Thank you from the Great White North!
Gemma says
All time favourite in my home
MINDY RING says
Love this recipe. Its easy to follow and a great way to use freshly grown jalapeños. I have a friend that uses the syrup for spicy margaritas.i eat the candied jalapeños on alot of my foods. So yummy!
kennyhh says
These candied peppers sound fun and delicious!
Deb says
Can you use frozen jalapeños for this recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe using frozen jalapeños, so I can’t say for certain if that would throw the texture off or not. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Brenda Cunningham says
Have made this about 3 times already and my family and friends love it !!!
Denise Hediger says
First time making the Candied Jalepenos, but I can tell that I will do it again. Don’t think I can wait for the 2-3 weeks though!!
Nancy W says
I make this every year. Yummy, cant make enough. There is always extra brine. I simmer it down until its thick and use it for a glaze on bbq meat.
Ml says
Wonderful recipe frr the candied jalapeños. We love them!
Susan Gebhardt says
Easy recipe to follow. I have two medium sized shopping bags filled with jalapenos from the garden at Whitney Plantation where I work, so I got the honors! I have 1 1/2 left. More candy!
Amy says
I am getting ready to make this and curious if I can put the jars in a water bath to add additional shelf life?
The Chunky Chef says
While I’m sure it could be water bath canned, I don’t have the canning expertise to advise you on the specifics. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Courtney Morrison says
Curious if you tried water bathing? I’d like to prolong the shelf life as well
David Layman says
Yes. Process like you would any other pickled pepper. There’s enough vinegar and this recipe so you don’t have to pressure can. For most altitudes, 10 minutes for pints is all you need.
Less than 1,000 feet: Process for 10 minutes
1,001 to 3,000 feet: Process for 15 minutes
They do lose a little bit of the firmness from the additional time in the canner however they’re still fantastic.
Terra says
Yes you can waterbath!
Marcy says
How many half pint jars does this recipe do?
The Chunky Chef says
The first “chef tip” (which is under the directions), indicates that this recipe makes enough to fill approximately 2 pint sized jars. So if you’re using half pint jars, it will fill about 4.
Janene Hall says
I made these for the first time and oh my gosh they where so good!!!!
I also put some chunk pineapple pieces and that was amazing. I am ready to make more..thank you for the recipe.
Susan Gebhardt says
That sounds great! I’d like to try figs from my tree sometime
Sue says
Thank you for great instructions with pictures! Made this today, the hardest part is editing 4 weeks to try them. Hahaha.
Snowman4god says
I’ve made this recipe several times. Also tried a couple others, but this is the house favorite. I do let my peppers get red before I pick them and just mix with the regular green jalapeños. I grow them all so their very fresh,. I think that helps. We always use cider vinegar with mother also. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Ruthie Stuhlman says
Excellent, great instructions.
Starla says
I made these and cannot sing enough praises for this recipe! My peppers were too hot to eat straight but I still wanted to find a way to use them. This recipe caught my eye and I am so thrilled with how easy it was to make. I did seed the peppers and removed the membranes which cut the heat. I also added one red onion (chopped). I think I will use the leftover syrup with baked Brie, but love the Chef’s suggestion to brush it on bacon!
Delaney says
I’ve tried a couple of different recipes for candied jalapenoes (different ratios of vinegar to sugar, different types of vinegar, etc.), but keep coming back to yours.
I’m wondering if the reason it’s so good is because of the different boil times and the times we return the mixture to boil. Is the logic for the final boil to thicken up the syrup and sweeten it some more?
The Chunky Chef says
So happy to hear how much you love this recipe! Yes, the final boil is to thicken it up into that sweet and slightly thick syrup.