Hot and fiery and sweet and savoury, these candied jalapenos chilli peppers (aka cowboy candy) will tickle your fancy and make everything from burgers to cheese on toast and even cocktails into something totally amazing.
My little chilli pepper plant has been going mad this summer and this cowboy candy recipe is a great way to use up some of that fiery colourful bounty.
What’s to love about this recipe
- This cowboy candy really is something different, especially for us here in the UK. It’s a great addition to your condement cupboard!
- These candied chillies will brighten up all sorts of dishes by adding sweetness, heat and a mixed spicy flavour too.
- Candied jalapenos are super easy to make.
- Another great foodie gift idea, who wouldn’t love a jar of candied peppers!
So self-respecting taco should ever be seen without this amazing cowboy candy! Check out my mixed fish tacos recipe, they are even better with some of this added to the toppings, or my easy chilli con carne taco bowl.
Ingredients for cowboy candy
Jalapenos chilli peppers. You know those red and green peppers that you can grow on your own windowsill plant or buy in every supermarket, not the tiny ones that blow your socks off. Jalapenos are a more moderate chilli pepper.
The other ingredients for this cowboy candy recipe are cider vinegar, sugar and a spice mix. I’ve used turmeric, ground ginger and ground garlic. I like having these candied jalapenos as a savoury treat.
Miss out the garlic if you want them to be less savoury.
How to make candied chilli peppers
First, you have to chop up those jalapeno peppers. Take care here for goodness sake. You don’t want to get that chilli juice in your eyes or anywhere else that is, er, delicate!
Wear plastic gloves for this task even if you are using a food processor with a chopping blade to cut your chilli peppers.
If you are using a mandoline cutter please ensure that you use the hand protector guard or those metal mesh cutting gloves. Mandoline cutters are lethel!
Don’t want too much fire?
Then remove the membrane and seeds from the chilli peppers before you cook them in the syrup. a faffy job I know, but if you want to cut the heat you’ll find that this helps.
From my own point of view don’t bother. If it’s hot for you just use less cowboy candy and your jar will last even longer!
You want to heat the cider vinegar with the spices and sugar on a gentle heat till the sugar is completely dissolved then raise the heat to a boil just for a minute then back to a simmer until you get a thickening syrup.
Now chuck in all those rounds of hot chilli peppers and let them simmer in the spicy syrup for about 5 minutes.
That’s it.
Carefully ladle the candied jalapenos into a sterilised jar and screw on the lid.
The complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this recipe can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How much does this recipe make?
I got one 200ml jar from this recipe for cowboy candy and I had some syrup leftover which I kept in a little jar and added to chilli con carne and other Mexican inspired dishes.
How long does this keep?
Candied jalapeno chilli peppers will keep for up to 6 months in the fridge.
Can you can this recipe?
Yes you can can your cowboy candy/candied jalapenos using the water bath method for 15 minutes.
Serving suggestions
Here I’ve served my cowboy candy on a chicken taco. I also love to use this on my super quick and easy mixed fish tacos. Or with my easy chilli con carne taco bowl.
These candied chillis are perfect on a toasted cheese sandwich.
Add cowboy candy to your cheeseboard or mixed sharing platter to add some spicy sweet fire.
Candied peppers are just perfect with burgers and BBQ.
You can even add one of these candied chilli rings to a martini for a real hot kick!
This recipe makes a great foodie gift, so why not check out my post on how to make Christmas hampers.
Looking for more great recipes using chilli peppers? Then check these out before you go;
Hot crispy chilli peppers in oil (+Video!)
Blackcurrant jam with chocolate and chilli
Scotch whisky hot chilli sauce
How to make chilli and basil jelly
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Candied Jalapeno Chilli Peppers (Cowboy Candy)
Ingredients
- 200 g jalapeno peppers
- 200 g sugar
- 100 ml cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground garlilc
Instructions
- carefully chop the jalapeno peppers into 3mm rounds either using a knife, mandoline or the cutting blade on a food processor. Whatever method wear plastic gloves!
- Mix all other ingredients in a pan and heat gently till sugar has dissolved then bring to boil for 1 minute, lower heat to simmer for 5 minutes till syrup
- Add the chopped peppers and cook in the syrup for 5 minutes
- Carefully ladle into a sterilised jar and cover with the syrup. Store remaining syrup in a jar in fridge to use in chilli con tarne etc.
Hi! This sound yummy and I’m getting all my ingredients together as we speak to make it. However, I used a converter for changing grams to ounces and I just want to check w/ you that it’s correct~ 200 grams is 7.05 ounces? Same for the sugar. Just sounds like quite a bit of sugar to me but hey~ never made these so could be right huh? Would appreciate your input.
Hi Autumn
Yes 200g is just over 7oz. You are candying the chillis so need rather a lot of sugar.
K
A kitchen scale is a nice addition to your recipes, more accurate !
I use a kitchen scale and you get both metric and imperial measurements with my recipes. I can’t see what more you could possibly want.
Can I use other chillies? I have a variety of chilli plants of varying heat and tons of peppers, it almost becomes a surprise candy but would appreciate your thoughts on whether this would work!
Hi Kelly
You can really use any chilies you have to hand.
K
Great recipe – perfect Christmas gift for my “chilli mad” friends
Hi Cheryl
Glad you like the recipe so much, sure your friends will love it at Christmas.
K