These jalapeño poppers make an easy and delicious appetiser that will go down very well at your next party and the best part is they are baked in the oven. Baked jalapeño poppers still have that crispy coating, but no frying needed.
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Jalapeño halves, stuffed with a cream cheese, shallots and herb stuffing and topped with crispy breadcrumbs and baked to perfection. Delicious little spicy bites for something a little different this party season.
The creaminess of the cheese filling helps to balance out the spiciness of the jalapeños, so even if you can't handle that much spice you will still enjoy these.
If you are looking for more party recipes, why not try our Vegetarian Vol au Vents, Vegetarian Charcuterie Board, Bagel Crisps, Greek Meze Platter or Whipped Feta?
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Why You Will Love Them
- Healthier - These are baked jalapeño poppers, so there is no frying needed and they aren't greasy at all. Not having to use all that oil definitely makes them lighter. We have also only added breadcrumbs to the top, rather than totally coating them.
- Reduces food waste - If you have some jalapeños at the back of your fridge leftover from another recipe, that are looking a bit sad, then this is a great way to bring them back to life.
- Adaptable - Use this recipe as a guide, and then adapt it using our suggestions below.
- Great party food - These go down SO well at a party, so make sure to make a double batch, as they won't last long.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Jalapeño peppers - These are the star of the recipe. Make sure they have a vibrant green colour and they are all about the same size so they cook evenly.
- Cream cheese - We used reduced fat to keep it lighter, but you could use full fat which would make it creamier.
- Cheddar cheese - This just added to the cheesiness. You could use mature for an extra strong flavour.
- Shallot - We love the crunch that these add, as well as some sweetness. You could swap them for some spring onions (scallions) though if you prefer.
- Coriander (cilantro) - This adds a lovely freshness. You could swap it for chives if you wanted to.
- Garlic powder, onion powder and paprika - This adds lots of extra flavour to the cream cheese mixture. Make sure to use smoked paprika for extra smokiness.
- Salt - Generously season.
- Breadcrumbs - We used panko breadcrumbs, because they are much crispier than regular breadcrumbs. But, if you want to add some extra crunch, and spiciness, then mix in some crushed up chilli Doritos. Next level!
Variations
This is a fairly simple jalapeño popper recipe, but the great thing about it is that there are a few different ways to adapt it. Maybe make a big batch, all of them a little different and let your guests play jalapeño popper roulette. Here are our favourite ways to adapt it:
- Cheese - We used a combination of cream cheese and cheddar, but you could change the cream cheese to goat's cheese or even some feta. Kind of like a whipped feta version.
- Bacon - Everything is better with bacon, right? Stir in some cooked chopped bacon to the cheese mix and it adds a lovely saltiness. Adjust the salt added if you do this though.
- Herbs - We used coriander in our jalapeño poppers, but you could swap it for fresh chives, which add a lovely onion flavour.
How to make baked jalapeño poppers - Step by step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
One: Put the cream cheese, cheddar, shallot, coriander (cilantro), garlic powder, onion powder and salt into a bowl. Mix well to combine everything.
Two: Slice the jalapeños lengthways and deseed. Stuff the cheese mixture into the chilli halves.
Three: In a small bowl combine the breadcrumbs and paprika.
Four: Put the stuffed jalapeños onto a baking tray and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over them.
Five: Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
What to serve with Jalapeño Poppers
We serve these up at a party, so they go with all the other party favourite. Why not have a look at our Party Food Recipes.
We like dipping them in something. Why not dip these in our Whipped Feta, Healthier BBQ Sauce, Healthy Ranch, Southwest Sauce or Garlic Sauce?
I would also happily eat these baked jalapeño poppers as a main meal with something carby on the side like our Spanish Rice, Air Fryer Potato Wedges, Microwave Mashed Potatoes or Mediterranean Rice Salad.
Storage
Store: If you have any leftover jalapeño poppers, they will keep in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: These freeze really well. Make sure the jalapeño poppers have cooled completely and then flash freeze them on a baking tray. Once they have frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag. They will keep for up to 2 months.
Defrost: Defrost them in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: You can either reheat them in the oven for 8-10 minutes of in the air fryer for 3 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although you might think they come from Mexico, they actually originated in Texas, so it's more of a Tex-Mex dish.
Some people blanch them first as not only does it take away some of the bite, but it also mellows the spiciness of the jalapeños. To blanch, put them into boiling water for 2 minutes, remove and pat dry. We don't feel the need to do this though, as we like the crunch these baked jalapeño peppers still have, and we LOVE the kick of heat.
Yes, you can! We love finding new ways to use our air fryer and this is a favourite of ours. Cook at 200°C for about 10 minutes.
Yes, you can stuff and top these in advance and then keep them in the fridge until later that day, or the next day, when you are ready to cook them.
Extra tips
• This might just be the most important tip you will read. Wear gloves whilst cutting the jalapeños. You will thank us for this one!
• If you find these hard to stuff, then instead of slicing them in half, you could just slice a little off the top so they are more like a boat shape and there will be more to stuff. Don't throw away the sliced top though, dice it up and add to the cheese mixture.
• You could add a little bit of grated Parmesan on top to help them crisp up too.
• Don't over bake your stuffed jalapeños. You want to cook them until the cheese is just bubbling, otherwise all the cheese will come spilling out. They will still taste good, but just won't be as presentable.
• Try to use jalapeños that are all the same size, so that they cook at the same rare.
• If you end up with any cheese mixture leftover, then put it in the fridge and use it to spread on crackers or just make more jalapeño poppers the next day.
More jalapeño recipes
If you've tried this baked jalapeño popper recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Baked Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
- 5 Jalapeños - large
- 100 g (3.5 oz) Cream cheese
- 75 g (2.5 oz) Cheddar cheese - grated
- 2 Shallots - small
- 5 g (0.33 cups) Fresh coriander (cilantro) - finely chopped
- 0.25 teaspoon Sea salt - fine
- 0.25 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 0.25 teaspoon Onion powder
- 10 g (0.25 cups) Panko breadcrumbs
- 0.25 teaspoon Paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Put 100 g Cream cheese, 75 g Cheddar cheese, 2 Shallots, 5 g Fresh coriander (cilantro), 0.25 teaspoon Garlic powder, 0.25 teaspoon Onion powder and 0.25 teaspoon Sea salt into a bowl. Mix well to combine everything.
- Slice 5 Jalapeños lengthways and deseed. Stuff the cheese mixture into the chilli halves.
- In a small bowl combine 10 g Panko breadcrumbs and 0.25 teaspoon Paprika.
- Put the stuffed jalapeños onto a baking tray and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over them.
- Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- This might just be the most important tip you will read. Wear gloves whilst cutting the jalapeños. You will thank us for this one!
- If you find these hard to stuff, then instead of slicing them in half, you could just slice a little off the top so they are more like a boat shape and there will be more to stuff. Don't throw away the sliced top though, dice it up and add to the cheese mixture.
- You could add a little bit of grated Parmesan on top to help them crisp up too.
- Don't over bake your stuffed jalapeños. You want to cook them until the cheese is just bubbling, otherwise all the cheese will come spilling out. They will still taste good, but just won't be as presentable.
- Try to use jalapeños that are all the same size, so that they cook at the same rare.
- If you end up with any cheese mixture leftover, then put it in the fridge and use it to spread on crackers or just make more jalapeño poppers the next day.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
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