Nothing says “party time” quite like a platter of golden, crispy jalapeño poppers disappearing before your eyes. These restaurant-quality appetizers combine the perfect balance of creamy cheese filling, mild heat, and satisfying crunch that makes them absolutely irresistible. The best part? You can customize the filling and make them fresh at home for a fraction of restaurant prices.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The secret to perfect jalapeño poppers lies in the triple-coating technique that creates an incredibly crispy exterior while keeping the cheese filling creamy and melted inside. The seasoned flour mixture adds layers of flavor, while the double milk and breadcrumb coating ensures the breading stays put during frying, preventing cheese leakage.
Ingredients
For the Peppers:
- Fresh jalapeño peppers – Choose firm, bright green peppers for best texture and flavor
- Cream cheese – Provides a rich, smooth base for the filling
- Shredded cheddar cheese – Adds sharp flavor and melty texture
- Whole milk – Creates adhesion for the breading layers
For the Seasoned Coating:
- All-purpose flour – Forms the foundation of the crispy coating
- Salt – Enhances all flavors and seasons of the breading
- Ground black pepper – Adds warmth and complexity
- Paprika – Contributes color and mild smoky flavor
- Chili powder – Complements the jalapeño heat with earthy spice
- Garlic powder – Provides savory depth without overwhelming
For Finishing:
- Seasoned breadcrumbs – Creates the final golden, crispy exterior
- Vegetable oil – For deep frying to perfect golden color
How to Make Jalapeno Poppers
- Slice jalapenos in half lengthwise.
- Use a spoon to scrape out the pith and seeds from the peppers.
- Place cream cheese and cheddar cheese in a small bowl and stir until well blended.
- Use a small spoon to fill each pepper half with the cream cheese mixture.
- Place flour, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder in a bowl and whisk to combine thoroughly.
- Place milk into a separate shallow bowl.
- Dip stuffed jalapeno into the seasoned flour.
- Place the floured jalapeno in the milk and turn it over to coat all sides with milk.
- Place the jalapeno back into the seasoned flour and turn it over to coat all sides with flour.
- Place the floured pepper on a rack on a baking sheet and let the peppers sit for about 10 minutes.
- Pour breadcrumbs into a separate bowl.
- Dip floured jalapeno pepper into the milk again.
- Dip the jalapeno into the bread crumbs.
- Place the jalapeno back on the rack.
- Heat oil to 350 degrees.
- Dip the jalapeno into the milk and the bread crumbs for a second time.
- Let the breaded jalapenos set for about 5 minutes.
- Fry the jalapeno poppers one or two at a time until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Drain fried jalapeno poppers before serving.
Safety Tips for Working with Jalapeños
Heat Level Understanding:
Jalapeños range from 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville units. The brown streaks (called “corking”) indicate an older pepper but don’t necessarily mean more heat. Heat concentrates in the seeds and white pith near the stem.
Essential Safety Precautions:
- Wear disposable gloves when handling peppers to prevent capsaicin transfer
- Never touch your face especially eyes, nose, or mouth while working
- Wash hands thoroughly with dish soap immediately after handling
- Test pepper heat by tasting a small piece from the tip (mildest part)
Reducing Heat Levels:
- Remove all seeds using a small spoon to scrape thoroughly
- Eliminate white pith (inner membrane) where capsaicin concentrates
- Rinse peppers under cold water to remove residual oils
- Pat completely dry before stuffing to ensure breading adherence
What should I dip my jalapeno poppers in?
There are so many possibilities when enjoying this game day snack. Here are a few suggestions for you.
- White queso
- Ranch dressing
- Thai sweet chili sauce
- Raspberry chipotle dip
- Pineapple chutney
- Cilantro lime dip
- Blue cheese dressing
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Freezing: Freeze cooked, cooled poppers on baking sheets until solid, then transfer to freezer bags for up to 3 months. Reheat frozen poppers in 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Refrigerator Storage: Store cooled poppers in airtight containers for up to 3-4 days. Note that breading may soften slightly when refrigerated.
- Reheating Method: Reheat in 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes until heated through and crispy exterior is restored. Avoid microwaving, which makes breading soggy.
Love jalapeno peppers? Try these recipes!
- Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
- Candied Jalapenos
- Cheddar Cheese Jalapeno Poppers
- Jalapeno Cornbread
- Jalapeno Cream Cheese Wontons
- Jalapeno Ranch Dip
Great Game Day Recipes
- 7 Layer Dip
- Bacon Wrapped Smokies
- Fried Cheese Curds
- Jarlsberg Cheese Dip
- Taco Ring
- Vegetable Dip
- White Queso Dip
Check out my easy appetizer recipes and the best game day food here on CopyKat!
Crispy Fried Jalapeño Poppers Recipe
Golden, crispy jalapeño poppers stuffed with creamy cheese filling. Perfect party appetizer that's ready in 30 minutes with simple ingredients!
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Servings: 30
Calories: 133kcal
Ingredients
- 30 jalapeno peppers
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 12 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Slice jalapenos in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the pith and the seeds inside of the peppers. The seeds and the pith are where the intense heat is, so you want to remove the heat.
- Prepare the cheesy filling by combining the cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese in a small mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Use a ssmall poon to fill each pepper half with the cheese mixture.
- Prepare seasoned flour by placing the flour into a small shallow bowl. Add salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder to the flour. Whisk or stir spices into the flour until it has a uniform appearance.
- Place milk into a separate shallow bowl.
- Dip stuffed jalapeno into the seasoned flour, the milk, and then back into the seasoned flour.
- Place floured pepper on a baking sheet with a rack. Let the peppers "dry" for about 10 minutes. This step is crucial for the peppers. The flour layer will help the stuffing remain inside the pepper, and give the breadcrumbs something to hold onto.
- Pour breadcrumbs into a separate bowl.
- Dip floured jalapeno pepper into the milk and then into the bread crumbs. Place pepper back on the rack.
- Heat oil to 350 degrees.
- Dip pepper into the milk and the bread crumbs for the second time. Go ahead and dip all, this should be enough drying time for the coating. The bread crumb coating needs about five minutes for its drying time.
- Fry peppers one or two at a time until golden brown. This will only take a minute or two.
- Remove poppers from the oil and drain on a wire rack resting on a baking sheet. Draining them on paper towels can leave the bottoms a bit sogy.
Video
Notes
It is highly recommended you wear gloves when cutting the jalapenos. The oils in the peppers can burn your skin.
You can freeze the fried jalapeno poppers to enjoy later. Place them spaced apart on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Store frozen poppers in a zip-top freezer bag. To reheat frozen jalapeno poppers, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until hot, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 0.5mg
These jalapeño poppers look amazing! I love how crispy they seem. Can’t wait to try this recipe for my next gathering!
I tried the recipe with jalapeños I grew in my garden and loved it! My question is can you freeze them after frying?
Yes, you can. Please store them in an airtight container for up to three months for the best flavor.
I have a question – could you add some cooked beef or sausage to the cheese mixture? I have had them whole with the meat mixture inside but were premade by a vendor. Thank you so much!!
You could add cooked meat to this mixture.
I love that you’ve done this recipe, poppers are one of my favorite snacks.
Recently I had to cut way back on carbs and one of the things I did was start looking for a way to make my own poppers, but they neve came out as good. Finally I tried something very different to any other recipe, and it tasted great with practically no carbs. I simply stuffed my jalapeños with cream cheese and backed them. They were so yummy I didn’t even miss the breading!
I still will try this recipe, after all I can’t eat perfectly healthy all the time! LOL!
Excellent recipe and terrific tutorial! Easy to understand and duplicate!
Just wondering what exactly you’re trying to copy? Some restaurant that makes them in-house, or the frozen appetizers that the restaurants buy and fry to order?
If the later, then the first step should be to pickle the jalapeno halves. The factory that makes these has never used fresh peppers (except the Tequila Poppers back in 1995)
If making the cheddar variety, they used “Kraft Old English” sharp cheddar cheese blended with a cheese sauce to make it into moldable cheese slugs that are then put inside the pepper.
Then you batter and bread them, freeze, then fry.
The most important part is to start with pickled jalapenos.
Wasn’t trying to copy anyone in particular.
Do you have to fry them in oil? I have a diet that has some restrictions, so I have air fryers. Would this recipe work in an air fryer as well?
I prefer to wrap them with bacon with the air fryer. You could try panko bread crumbs, I think that would work better than ordinary bread crumbs if you are going to use an a air fryer.
I know that using pork rind crumbles (a mixture of bbq and regular) would also be a great alternative in the air fryer. Helps with the folks doing low carb diets. We use this mixture when air frying catfish and wings, so I’m sure it would work with poppers. To enhance the flavor of the rinds to your liking, add your favorite herbs and spices to your food processor when grinding. Adding a tbl or so of flour or Almond flour to the mixture helps them crisp a lot better because they now stick to the food and won’t fall off.
Excellent!!!
Thanks Stephanie.
I have baked them in the oven . They turned out just great.. .Along with the cream cheese , and shredded cheese , I also added cooked chopped bacon . You don’t have to add bacon , but , I like to . I didn’t use the milk or flour . I just dipped the cream cheese popper into the bread crumbs . I put them in a 350 degree oven for about fifteen minutes . I did check on them to make sure the peppers were soft and cooked . I made these for a wedding reception , and people are still telling me how good they were !
This recipe is so good to be this easy. Thank you, this is my go to for making poppers!
Wow looks amazing thank you