Chile Lemon Simple Syrup Recipe

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June 26, 2020

Cutting a slit in a fresh chile without splitting it open infuses this lemony syrup with a little heat. If you want a really spicy syrup, you can split the whole chile in half or slice it.

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2 to 3 lemons, preferably unwaxed

½ cup granulated sugar

1 fresh serrano chile, slit

Scrub the lemons well under warm water. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest in strips directly over a small saucepan, letting them drop into the pan. Try to not peel off the white pith beneath the yellow layer. Squeeze ½ cup juice from the lemons and add to the zest, along with the sugar.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add the chile. Let cool to room temperature.

If you’d like, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a jar. Otherwise, simply pour the solids and liquid into a jar. Use right away or refrigerate until cold.

Make Ahead:

The syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Genevieve Ko

Genevieve Ko is the former cooking editor for the Los Angeles Times. She is a cookbook author and has been a food writer, editor and recipe developer for national food media outlets. Ko graduated from Yale after a childhood in Monterey Park.