Meet Candied Jalapeños, the Internet's New Favorite Condiment

When you're building a sandwich or hoping to amp up pizza night, sometimes the same old one-note toppings won’t do. And while there are plenty of delish and simple toppings you can make at home (shout out to pickled red onions, whose bright pink color and zippy taste have perked up many a sandwich), there’s a new condiment in town guaranteed to invigorate whatever’s on your plate. 

What Are Candied Jalapeños?

OK, candied jalapeños aren’t exactly new, but they have been having a resurgence on social media, and for good reason. The condiment, often called Cowboy Candy®, is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy, lending bold flavor to an otherwise “meh” meal.

How Are Candied Jalapeños Made?

Candied jalapeños are typically made by simmering sliced jalapeños in a sugar-vinegar mixture. Many people also add a variety of spices to the mixture for added flavor, such as garlic powder, celery seed, turmeric, cumin seed, anise seed, and salt. 

The chile peppers cook in the mixture and generally get removed so that the sugar-vinegar mixture cooks down to a slightly thickened syrup. After the syrup has thickened, the jalapeños and syrup are combined in a jar where they cool.

The Best Ways to Eat Candied Jalapeños

Candied jalapeños can be used in whatever way you can dream up. Put them on sandwiches, burgers, and pizza; add them to cornbread batter for a side with a kick; ditch the relish and use them to dress up a hot dog, or serve them with crackers and cheese as part of a cheese board. Of course, they're also a piquant addition to taco night, too. And don’t neglect the flavorful syrup. In this recipe for Candied Jalapeños, one user said, “I drizzled some of the syrup on pasta OMG!” And if you’re a hot honey fan, you could use this syrup the same way, drizzling it on pizza, wings, and more.

How to Store Candied Jalapeños

If you’re planning to eat your candied jalapeños in the near future, you’ll need to exercise patience immediately after making it. Most recipes recommend letting the candied jalapeños chill in the refrigerator for at least three days before digging in. The extra time spent cooling gives the flavors more time to meld and infuse for the tastiest experience.

However, many folks making large batches of candied jalapeños may opt to can their product to extend the shelf life. 

Why Are Candied Jalapeños Sometimes Called Cowboy Candy®?

Candied jalapeños, like its delicious friend cowboy caviar, hails from the state of Texas. WHH Ranch is the oldest family-owned cannery in Texas and is the originator of Cowboy Candy®. According to the brand, the current owners’ grandmother, Mindie Heironimus, invented the treat as a way to use surplus jalapeños. In 1922, she pickled the jalapeños the same way she did with cucumbers, and the family took to calling the sweet and spicy result Cowboy Candy®.