These easy to make jalapeno poppers are perfectly crispy and irresistibly spicy – stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese then coated in a flavorful batter before being deep fried to perfection! Game Day has never tasted so good!
I used to think that jalapeno poppers were an appetizer I could only enjoy when eating out – I didn’t know how incredibly easy they are to make, and assumed that more than a handful of ingredients were needed. I was wrong and I am happy to admit it.
How to cut a Jalapeno
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I want to start with a little how-to for cutting the jalapeno because it is important to note a couple of things (if you’ve done this before you can skip along to the recipe!).
Firstly I highly recommend that you get yourself a jalapeno corer/cutter for doing these – it will make your life so much easier! This particular one even comes with a popper stand which is amazing for when they come out of the oil.
To begin you want to cut the top off the jalapeno (right where the stem is, take a paring knife and cut the top right off. Then you will use your coring tool and slide it inside and give it a twist back and forth to remove the seeds and membrane. Easy peasy!
As you can see I also like to wear food safe gloves when working with any kind of hot pepper – you DO NOT want to accidentally rub your eyes after cutting one of these guys. Now you can set the pepper aside and do the others until it is time to stuff.
How to make Jalapeno Poppers with Photos!
- Prepare jalapenos (as mentioned above) by removing the top and taking out the seeds/membranes and set aside.
- In a large pan (I like a Dutch oven for deep frying) add about 2″ oil and heat over low while preparing filling.
- In a medium bowl combine softened cream cheese with shredded cheddar, garlic powder and salt.
- Using a small spoon scoop some of the filling into each jalapeno, gently pushing down and adding more until it is just at the top but still flat.
- Set up a dipping station (3 small bowls – one with milk, one with flour and the last with bread crumbs) and begin dipping your poppers. First milk then flour, then milk again before final dip in breadcrumbs. Set on a tray lined with foil.
- Turn the heat up on your oil to medium and allow it to reach a deep-fry temperature (you can use a thermometer for this) Once temperature is reached use a pair of long metal tongs to gently place the jalapeno poppers in the oil to cook.
- Turn once or twice while cooking to allow all sides to get golden and crispy. Remove from oil and allow to cool slightly before enjoying!
More Entertaining Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Corned Beef Dip
- Greatest Game Day Dips
- White Sangria
- Best Drink Recipes – including Grumpy Old Man and Beer Cocktail!
Homemade Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers
Easy to make homemade jalapeno poppers are filled with gooey cream cheese and shredded cheddar and then double dipped before being fried to crispy perfection.
Ingredients
- 6 fresh jalapeno peppers, cored with seeds and membrane removed
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat Dutch (or another heavy bottomed pan) oven with about 2" of vegetable oil over medium heat
- In a medium bowl combine cream cheese with shredded cheddar, garlic powder and Kosher salt until fully mixed
- While wearing food safe gloves use a small spoon to scoop filling into prepared jalapenos, gently pushing down and filling to the top
- Dip filled peppers into milk and then flour, set aside on foil lined tray.
- Dip peppers in milk again and then into breadcrumb mix. Set aside on foil lined tray while oil heats to 325F
- Use long metal tongs to gently place peppers into the oil and turn once or twice while cooking until the peppers are golden (this takes about 5 minutes)
- Remove and allow to cool slightly before enjoying (they will be hot like lava in the center so be careful!)
Notes
You will have leftover filling so you can actually make about 10!
Even with food safe gloves on be sure to thoroughly wash your hands to ensure any of the oils from the peppers are removed.
You can assemble the poppers up until the frying stage and then freeze them. Then you can do the frying right before you want to enjoy them!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 153Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 259mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g
*Please note that nutritional values are not always 100% accurate and are to be used as a guide.
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