The effects of combined infrared and steam blanching (ISB), steam blanching (SB) and infrared blanching (IB) on enzyme inactivation (peroxidase, POD, and polyphenol oxidase, PPO), characteristic bioactive components content (phenolics, carotenoids and flavonoids), 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (5‐HMF), micromorphology and color of Chrysanthemum indicum L. flower were comparatively studied. It was shown that ISB and SB treatments allowed a stable surface temperature at approximately 99°C, while IB caused the temperature rose up to a high value of 129.2°C. ISB treatment enhanced POD and PPO inactivation, and resulted in highest characteristic components, color, and micromorphology retention, as well as the lowest 5‐HMF content. The results demonstrated that ISB can be an alternative to conventional IB and SB for the inactivation of POD and PPO in fresh plants with the added values of higher retention of bioactive compounds, better external appearance, and lower evolution of maillard reaction. Practical applications Chrysanthemum indicum L. flower has a bright yellow color and various pharmacological active compounds. Because of the short blooming period and perishable characteristic, fresh Chrysanthemum indicum L. flower must be dried to extend its shelf‐life for off‐season use. Blanching is an essential step before drying of agricultural products to inactivate enzymes that cause brown discoloration and loss of bioactive components. However, conventional blanching methods are time‐consuming. Therefore, a method of combined infrared and steam blanching was proposed in this paper. The results can serve as a basis to design ISB treatment before drying of fruit and vegetables to save blanching time, control enzyme browning, and non‐enzyme browning and improve product quality.