It’s hard to imagine a better party dish or appetizer than jalapeno poppers. These stuffed jalapeno poppers are amazing bite-size flavor bombs and they will make you forget all about ordinary jalapeno poppers.
These party snacks make excellent pre-meal appetizers while you are waiting for dinner to cook, or just as an afternoon treat to look forward to. Keep this recipe on standby for any events you host or get invited to. Wherever you and your friends enjoy these stuffed jalapeno poppers, they are going to be the most popular dish.
Make sure to have plenty of refreshing beverage options lined up as well. This recipe is incredibly easy and the payoff is huge, but before we get started there are some safety and procedural aspects of this that I want to make sure you know ahead of time.
Safely Working with Jalapenos
Jalapenos are spicy but fun for lots of people. Even though they are known for being hot peppers, they rarely produce too much heat to handle. That’s because in most cases when you eat jalapenos, they have been seeded.
Were you to eat the seeds, it would be a whole other ball game. Few people enjoy eating jalapenos with the seeds intact. However, my delicious deep fried crispy jalapenos do have the seeds intact and is a FAVORITE appetizer recipe that is requested time and time again. They’re absolutely delicious!
Seeding jalapenos is an easy task, but it is one where you should exercise care. The seeds are small and they pack a wallop. Plus, there are so many of them in a single pepper.
Proper technique and safety are important. In order to safely remove seeds from your jalapenos, first, be sure to wear gloves. This will keep the spicy juices off of your hands so you don’t spread them around the kitchen. Be especially careful not to touch your face.
To seed the peppers, slice them in half and use a paring knife to carve out the insides. insert the tip into one end of the core and drag it down to separate the seeds in one clump. You should be left with just the outside finish quartering the jalapenos. They should resemble potato skins, another popular appetizer.
How to Properly Dredge Your Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers
Another element in creating delicious stuffed jalapeno poppers is dredging. Dredging sounds horrible, but it’s what you do when you batter chicken prior to deep frying. You must have a dredging process that you stick to and I’m not only referring to the order of the things you coat your peppers in.
Dredging your stuffed jalapeno poppers involves three separate mixtures. These are wet and dry, so separate is an operative word. Just as you keep these dredging ingredients separate, it’s essential that you assign a function to each of your hands and do not stray from the formula. Do as much as possible to keep wet with wet and dry with dry or you will have a mess on your hands (and everywhere else) in no time.
The dreaded dredging station uses three shallow dishes. One contains flour. The middle one contains egg and buttermilk. The last one contains the bread crumb mix. Remember to alternate the hands you use as you move your peppers along the process, coating them with flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
What are “Stuffed” Jalapeño Poppers?
Stuffed is an important distinction. Ordinary jalapeno poppers seem boring and flavorless compared to the new and improved stuffed jalapeño. First of all, I have to acknowledge that the peppers themselves are not actually stuffed. That’s something more like a chili Relleno, which is great, but not what this dish actually is.
What jalapeno poppers generally are is a type of appetizer similar to loaded potato skins. The jalapeno pieces are loaded with an intensely flavorful filling that contains a mixture of cheeses, seasonings and even bacon. If you like bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers, these are even better.
So stuffed jalapeno poppers are loaded with more flavor than an average jalapeno popper, but since the entire loaded jalapeno is entirely coated in breading and then fried, the contents become “stuffed” in the fried outer shell. So the stuffed part of it is more about the added content, than the actual process of stuffing a pepper.
How do You Cook Jalapeño Poppers?
Cooking Jalapeno poppers is easy. But just like knowing how to seed and dredge your jalapenos, it’s important to know a few things about frying bite-size foods in oil.
To begin with, the oil is very hot. It will be about 350 degrees hot to be more precise. When you submerge your stuffed jalapeno poppers, use caution. try a slotted spoon or gently use tongs, to maintain distance between you and the oil as you gently place the papers inside the skillet.
Another thing to bear in mind is that the heat of the oil changes depending on how much you try to cook at once. Be careful not to overcrowd the skillet with all of the jalapeno poppers. Cooking eight at a time is plenty. That’s two whole peppers. watch for the poppers to become golden brown and you will know they are done. Remove the poppers one by one and place in a dry paper towel, then begin adding the next batch to the skillet in the same way.
That’s it. It’s literally as simple as one, two, three. Don’t pass jalapeños as you walk through the produce section anymore. Now you will always have a use for them. What’s your favorite drink to enjoy with jalapeno poppers and other spicy/cheesy foods? Share them all below.
Ingredients Needed to Make Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers
- Jalapeños
- Flour
- Buttermilk
- Egg
- Panko bread crumbs
- Tempura
- Cajun seasoning
- Garlic salt
- Cream cheese
- Sharp cheddar, shredded
- Bacon, crumbled
- Green onions, diced
- Vegetable oil
How to Make Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers
For the Bacon Cream Cheese Filling
- Cook the bacon until crispy, them crumble once cooled enough to handle.
- In a small bowl combine cream cheese, bacon, green onions, and shredded cheese. Set aside.
For the Poppers
- Using gloves, cut and remove the seeds from the jalapeños. Cut jalapeños vertically down the center and then cut each half in half horizontally. Each jalapeño should give you 4 pieces.
- Set up your dredging station using three shallow dishes. One with flour, one with egg and buttermilk, and the last with panko breadcrumbs and tempura mix.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
- Take a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture and place inside each of the jalapeño pieces.
- Dip each loaded jalapeño into the flour first, then the egg buttermilk mixture, and lastly the breadcrumb tempura mixture.
- Place each breaded jalapeño into the hot oil and cook until golden brown.
- Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
Try These Delicious Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers Today
Here are a few more delicious recipes that can be found on the blog:
Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers
Ingredients
- 8 jalapeños, stems and seeds removed
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup tempura
- 2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, I use Slap Ya Mama®
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
For The Bacon Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
- 1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
- 8 strips bacon, crispy, crumbled
- ¼ cup green onions, diced
- 1½-2 cups vegetable oil
Instructions
For the Bacon Cream Cheese Filling
- In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, bacon, green onions, and shredded cheese.
For the Poppers
- Using gloves, cut and remove the seeds from the jalapeños. Cut jalapeños vertically down the center and then cut each half in half horizontally. Each jalapeño should give you 4 pieces.
- Set up your dredging station using three shallow dishes. One with flour, one with egg and buttermilk, and the last with panko breadcrumbs, tempura mix and seasonings.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
- Take a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture and place inside each of the jalapeño pieces.
- Dip each loaded jalapeño into the flour first, then the egg buttermilk mixture, and lastly the breadcrumb tempura mixture.
- Place each breaded jalapeño into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides.
- Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
Notes
Nutrition
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Arby’s has the BEST poppers!