Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy Recipe (Candied Jalapeños)
Texas Cowboy Candy Recipe From Pioneer Woman is the ultimate sweet and spicy mix! Perfect on burgers, sandwiches, nachos, or on their own!
This Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy Recipe has quickly become a family favorite! Ideal for sandwiches and much more.
What Is Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy?
Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy has a unique flavor. To make a powerful condiment, spicy jalapeño peppers are marinated in a sweet sugar glaze. The jalapenos soften while maintaining their fire, which is offset by the sugar-based glaze.
This recipe makes a small amount of Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy, but it can easily be doubled or tripled to produce a huge batch of Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy.
Can I Make This Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy Recipe With Other Peppers?
Absolutely. This Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy can be made with any variety of chile pepper. Simply cut them into rings and continue with the procedure. However, some peppers are clearly larger than others. Cut them into tiny pieces.
The method works well with hotter peppers. Personally, I enjoy candied habaneros. Amazingly delicious. The candying process significantly reduces the heat of Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy or any pepper, so they will not be as fiery as you might imagine. Make these using superhot chili peppers like scorpions or Reapers as well. Oh, no!
Can I Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy Ahead Of Time?
Yes, this Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy dish is ideal for making ahead of time since the jalapenos need a couple of weeks to plump back up and for the tastes to mellow down and mingle together.
If I’m patient enough, I’ll wait 3-4 weeks before opening a jar, but let’s be honest, sometimes I just want the sweet-heat deliciousness now. 1-2 weeks is a nice compromise.
How To Make Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy?
- Remove and discard pepper stems, then cut peppers into 1/4-inch slices. Set pepper slices aside.
- Bring to a boil apple cider vinegar, white sugar, garlic powder, turmeric, and celery seed in a big saucepan. Reduce heat to around medium-low and simmer for five minutes.
- Raise the heat to roughly medium-high to re-boil the mixture. Once it is boiling, add pepper slices. Allow it to bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for four minutes.
- Transfer the peppers to clean glass jars using a slotted spoon, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top rim.
- At this time, just the syrup should remain in the saucepan. Raise the heat to bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Continue to boil for about six minutes.
- Pour the syrup over the jalapeño slices in the jars. If you see any air pockets, slide a clean spoon into the jar to release the trapped air. Fill jars to within 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the top rim.
- Wipe the jars’ rims with a damp paper towel, and then screw on the lids of the jars. If desired, label and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 to 2 weeks (3-4 weeks for optimal flavor). If properly refrigerated, your pioneer woman texas cowboy candy has a shelf life of up to three months.
What To Serve With Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy?
- As an appetizer with cream cheese, goat cheese, or any other cheese of your choice.
- On hot dogs and hamburgers.
- Combine with Avocado Egg Salad, chicken, or tuna salad.
- Chop and combine with 1000 Island Dressing for a spicy kick in salads or as a dip.
- Sprinkle a few sprinkles on top of the Deviled Eggs.
Recipe Variations
- Double: as crazy as it may sounds, once you try this cowboy candy, 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.
- A slider bar will appear if you mouse over the serving size number in the recipe card down below. Simply drag the bar in either way until the desired number of servings appears, and it will automatically calculate the appropriate quantity of each ingredient!
- Peppers: technically, you can “Sugar” any pepper, so if you’re feeling adventurous, try using stronger peppers like serranos or habaneros! Maintain the same procedure.
- Milder: while candying reduces the intensity of the jalapenos, if you’re concerned about the heat, core the peppers before slicing.
How To Use Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy?
This Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy recipe can be used in a variety of ways. Here are a couple of my personal favorites:
- Dip with Candied Jalapenos.
- Serve a jar of cream cheese with crackers and toast. It would also go well with pickled peaches. The combination would be fantastic.
- Beans Baked.
- Add them to your favorite baked bean recipe (we like Slow Cooker Refried Beans).
- Grilled Meat Use these to marinate and/or top your favorite beef and pork meals. Consider how delicious this sweet and spicy glaze would be on chicken wings.
- Cocktail garnish for sandwiches and hamburgers.
Can I Use Frozen Jalapeños?
Yes. If you are making this refrigerated cowboy candy, you can use previously frozen jalapeños. Thaw them in the refrigerator and drain off any excess liquid before using. Keep in mind that frozen jalapeños will be softer than fresh peppers meaning that the finished cowboy candy won’t have quite the same crisp texture.
For the best texture, fresh, firm jalapeños are recommended.
How To Store Cowboy Candy
Store the cowboy candy in clean, covered glass jars in the refrigerator. For the best quality, use within about one month and always keep it refrigerated.
For the best flavor, let the jalapeños sit in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks before serving so they have time to absorb the sweet and spicy syrup.
Can I Water-Bath Can This Recipe?
This recipe is intended for refrigerator storage and has not been tested for shelf-stable home canning.
If you would like to preserve cowboy candy for pantry storage, use a tested home-canning recipe, such as the Ball Candied Jalapeños recipe, and follow its ingredient quantities, processing instructions, and altitude adjustments exactly.
Recipe Tips
There are many additional cooking tips for this pioneer woman’s texas cowboy candy recipe and these are a few of them :
- Fresh is best: the greatest pioneer woman texas cowboy candy is prepared from fresh jalapenos. The skin of the pepper should be firm and free of deep blemishes. Find peppers that are regularly proportioned so that your slices are uniform in size.
- Slicing: because you’ll be slicing 1.5 pounds of peppers, you’ll need a sharp knife and steady hand, a food processor with a slicing blade, or a mandoline.
- Gloves: because pioneer woman texas cowboy candy is known for fluctuating in heat degrees, I like to use disposable gloves while dealing with them. The oils released while chopping peppers may cause burning and skin discomfort. And please don’t do anything like wipe your nose or eyes before thoroughly washing your hands. Don’t ask me how I know how much it’ll hurt… So, believe me, put on your gloves.
Try More Recipes:
Pioneer Woman Texas Cowboy Candy Recipe (Candied Jalapeños)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds fresh jalapenos about 30 peppers
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
Instructions
- Remove and discard pepper stems, then cut peppers into 1/4-inch slices. Set pepper slices aside.
- Bring to a boil apple cider vinegar, white sugar, garlic powder, turmeric, and celery seed in a big saucepan. Reduce heat to around medium-low and simmer for five minutes.
- Raise the heat to roughly medium-high to re-boil the mixture. Once it is boiling, add pepper slices. Allow it to bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for four minutes.
- Transfer the peppers to clean glass jars using a slotted spoon, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top rim.
- At this time, just the syrup should remain in the saucepan. Raise the heat to bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Continue to boil for about six minutes.
- Pour the syrup over the jalapeño slices in the jars. If you see any air pockets, slide a clean spoon into the jar to release the trapped air. Fill jars to within 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the top rim.
- Wipe the jars’ rims with a damp paper towel, and then screw on the lids of the jars. If desired, label and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 to 2 weeks (3-4 weeks for optimal flavor). If properly refrigerated, your pioneer woman texas cowboy candy has a shelf life of up to three months.
Notes
- Fresh is best: the greatest pioneer woman texas cowboy candy is prepared from fresh jalapenos. The skin of the pepper should be firm and free of deep blemishes. Find peppers that are regularly proportioned so that your slices are uniform in size.
- Slicing: because you’ll be slicing 1.5 pounds of peppers, you’ll need a sharp knife and steady hand, a food processor with a slicing blade, or a mandoline.
- Gloves: because pioneer woman texas cowboy candy is known for fluctuating in heat degrees, I like to use disposable gloves while dealing with them. The oils released while chopping peppers may cause burning and skin discomfort. And please don’t do anything like wipe your nose or eyes before thoroughly washing your hands. Don’t ask me how I know how much it’ll hurt… So, believe me, put on your gloves.
If I water bath the cowboy candy do I still need to refrigerate it?
Yes, you do!
@David Lucas,
No you don’t. As long as you sterilize the jars, lids and rings.
Make sure you boil the filled jars for the amount of time recommended for your area.
@David Lucas, if you water bath them, and all your lids seal, you do not need to refrigerate them. Now, after you open a jar, then you should refrigerate the jar you opened. Hope that makes sense.
How many pint jars will I need to make one batch of the Cowboy Candy Jalapeno peppers?
@Robert, I just made and canned a little over 12 oz. of jalapeños. I used 4 of the little half size jelly jars. I would say this recipe might make 2 pints.
How do you keep them crunchy? I’ve made them and they get mushy
Yes, this recipe can be canned using the water bath method. 10 min for half pints. 15 min. For pints. I have made this recipe for a few years now it turns out perfect every time.
Forgot to turn on fan when boiling the jalepino.Coughed so hard broke a rib, but soooo worth it! Even the left over vinegar has not gone to waste!
Love, love, love this recipe. So easy. The best.
Do you let the jars cool before putting in the refrigerator?
@Lessie, Yes, let the jars cool before putting them in the refrigerator. If you can them, they don’t need to be refrigerated until the jar is opened.
I made this for the first time today and did a waterbath afterwards. Does anybody know if doing that will make the slices mushy…as opposed to just jarring them, pouring the hot juice over top and then refrigerating them till using them?
I froze a lot of my jalapeños because I had so many . Can i.still.use them.to make this Cowboy Candy ?
Yes, I prefer to chop mine up like relish instead of doing the slices. Everyone loves my relish, great in deviled eggs!!!
I make this recipe all the time, but I prefer to chop mine up like relish instead of doing the slices. It is very good made with deviled eggs and on hotdogs instead of regular relish; trust me, you won’t go back to regular relish!
You can add bits of carrots and cauliflower too! Looks really pretty that way! Also I take mine and mix with other fresh veggies like zucchini and tomatoes and herbs and take a couple spoonfuls of cowboy candy and its juice acts as the dressing! Delicious!
I hope you will answer my important question
Can I use the cut up jalapeños that froze???
I had so many from my garden last year and I always make this cowboy candy
But I’m nervous about adding frozen jalapeños
Please! … and thank you. Franny
Hi Franny-Yes, you can use your frozen jalapeños. I would thaw and drain them first, then make the recipe as usual. Just keep in mind that frozen jalapeños will be softer than fresh ones, so your cowboy candy may not have quite the same firm texture.
If you plan to water-bath can them for long-term shelf storage, I would use fresh jalapeños and a tested canning recipe instead.