Whip up a batch of these candied jalapeños to go along with any of your favorite foods/drinks. They’re sweet and spicy and pair along with nachos, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, margaritas, and so much more!

candied jalapeños in small glass jar

Most people scoff their noses up when it comes to spicy or more heat-intense type of foods but not me. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m def not into those nuclear, burn-your-damn-mouth-off kinds of spice, just gimme a ‘lil bit of heat. Hot sauce is an absolute must have for me…and not just because Beyoncé said it, ha! When making or eating foods that are sweet/tangy/savory, I love the punch and kick that spiciness brings.

I’ve been making candied jalapeños for some time now and I keep a batch in my fridge for when I want to add a touch of heat to something. A while back I shared some clips of me making them via my IG stories and received so much feedback on them. To be honest I was hella surprised because as I said earlier, I assumed that most folks didn’t care for the heat like me. However, that goes to show just how much I underestimated my fellow jalapeño lovers out there! So, here I am sharing my love for candied jalapeños, hope ya enjoy!

spoon going into a jar of candied jalapeños

Ingredients To Make Candied Jalapeños

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

  • Jalapeños: The star of the show! You’ll want to grab fresh, nice + firm, and not heavily blemished jalapeños. Frozen jalapeños *will not work* as good as fresh jalapeños for this recipe!
  • Granulated sugar: For candied jalapeños to be sweet, we need that good ole suga.
  • Apple cider vinegar: Typical ACV for acidity- my favorite brand is from Bragg’s!
  • Red wine vinegar: Another acidic component that adds more flavor and a bit of color.
  • Curry powder: Love using curry powder spice- you can also use turmeric too!
  • Garlic powder: Everything benefits with some garlic in it, ya know.
  • Celery seed: Such a great aromatic vibe in these candied jalapeños, y’all. Be careful not to confuse celery seed (the actual little seeds) and not ground celery seed powder or celery salt!
  • Chipotle powder: More flavor here, but you can also use smoked paprika or ancho chili powder.

I know these joints to be called candied jalapeños but they are also referred to as “cowboy candy” too. They’re the perfect addition or topping to basically anything you may want to garnish with some heat. In addition to that, making candied jalapeños is probably as easy as 123, seriously! And they only require a few ingredients to make. Once you make a batch, they last for months when stored in the refrigerator.

Other Great Recipes To Make

ingredients for candied jalapeños

How To Make Candied Jalapeños (Video)

As I said earlier, making candied jalapeños could not be easier– check out this video!

  1. Clean/rinse and dry jalapeños.
  2. Carefully slice the jalapeños into rounds.
  3. Combine the sugar, apple cider + red wine vinegar in a saucepan over heat.
  4. Let the mixture come up to a rolling boil.
  5. Add the seasonings into the saucepan and stir together.
  6. Then add in sliced jalapeños and let them cook for a few minutes.
  7. Remove jalapeños from the heat and allow them to cool for a bit
  8. Transfer them into a cleaned airtight jar with a lid.
  9. Store the candied jalapeños in the refrigerator.
  10. Serve them up as a snack/garnish/topping!
sliced jalapeños in speckled bowl with knife on the side
candied jalapeños in small white saucepan

Tips + Tricks For Candied Jalapeños

  • Wear gloves: A jalapeño is a hot pepper with a compound called capcaisin which makes this pepper spicy. Wearing gloves will prevent you from getting jalapeño hands/skin irritation and accidentally touching/rubbing your eyes, nose, etc- and burning yourself. Trust me, you don’t want this kind of pain!
  • Picking jalapeños: Earlier I mentioned that you want fresh (not frozen) jalapeños! Grab jalapeños that are firm to the touch, uniform in size, and not overly covered in blemishes. Once achieved and ready to make, give them a quick wash/rinse to make sure they’re good to go and free from any residue.
  • Slicing jalapeños: I like to use a small sharp pairing knife when slicing my jalapeños. However, you can also use a mandoline slicer if you’d like too! Just be sure to slice them all evenly.
  • Want a more mild flavor?: Whimp! Haha only kidding! Okay, if you wanna make these candied jalapeños with less heat, it’s possible. Simply scrape out the inner portions of the pepper along with the seeds as that is where most of the heat lies. After that, proceed with the rest of the written recipe.
close up of sliced jalapeños

Ways To Use Candied Jalapeños

Here are a variety of ways to use up these candied jalapeños:

  • Alongside…nachos, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, sub sandwiches, tacos, cornbread, with crackers and cheese, charcuterie boards, salads, pizza, chopped up in dips and spreads, and so much more!
  • Aside from food, you can also use candied jalapeños with beverages too. For example, whip up a spicy margarita or other cocktails featuring these gems. They’re so amazing + delicious with drinks!

Don’t Discard The Jalapeño Syrup

Even the syrup within this recipe has so many uses, y’all…

  • I just love me a recipe that allows me to use it up in a variety of ways! Preserve the syrup to use in cocktails (as a spicy simple syrup), brush it on bacon slices (mmm candied bacon, hot damn!), go on and drizzle it on coleslaw, meats, poultry, fish, deviled eggs, mixed nuts, in your hot tea, and more. For my bakers out there, get creative and use it as a glaze on cakes and everything in between!
black hand spooning candied jalapeños in glass jar

REMEMBER TO LEAVE A ⭐️STAR RATING⭐️AND TAG ME ON THE ‘GRAM IF YOU MAKE ANY OF MY RECIPES! I ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE IT WHEN YOU DO!

UNTIL NEXT TIME…LOVE AND BUTTER,

Q.

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candied jalapeños in small glass jar

How To Make Candied Jalapeños

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 10m
  • Cook Time: 10m
  • Total Time: 20m
  • Yield: 1 cup candied jalapeños 1x
  • Category: Appetizers and Snacks
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

Whip up a batch of these candied jalapeños to go along with any of your favorite foods/drinks. They’re sweet + spicy and pair with nachos, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, margaritas, and so much more!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 13 medium-sized fresh jalapeños
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

Instructions

  1. Cleanse/rinse jalapeños: Using disposable gloves, place the jalapeños into a large colander or bowl and rinse clean under water. Then pat dry jalapeños with a paper towel.
  2. Slicing jalapeños: Still wearing disposable gloves, carefully slice each jalapeño into rounds and set them aside. *If opting for a more mild flavor, also remove inner portions along with the seeds.
  3. To make candied jalapeños: In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar, apple cider vinegar, and red wine vinegar together. Mix well to combine and allow the mixture to come up to a rolling boil. Once achieved, stir in the curry powder, garlic powder, celery seed, and chipotle powder. Then reduce the heat to low and add in the jalapeños. Stir together well to fully combine and allow the jalapeños to simmer in the mixture for about 5 minutes. Jalapeños will begin to shrivel up slightly and go from bright green to a more pale green color.
  4. Storing candied jalapeños: Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool down slightly, about 10 minutes. Transfer the jalapeños and syrup mixture using a ladle/spoon into a cleaned glass jar/mason jar that can be fitted with an airtight lid. Wipe the rim of jar(s), if necessary, and close with lid. Store the jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months and use the candied jalapeños and syrup as often as desired.

Notes

  1. Candied Jalapeños will keep stored in an airtight jar for up to 3 months in the refrigerator.
  2. Please read the blog post in its entirety for the video and more tips + tricks.

Keywords: snacks, jalapeño, candied jalapeños, spicy