Jalapeno Poppers are my obsession! Fresh Jalapenos are sliced in half and filled with a rich creamy cheese filling and topped with a crisp Panko topping. These poppers are baked until golden and bubbly for the perfect game day snack!
This easy Jalapeno Popper recipe makes the perfect bite; crispy, creamy, spicy, cheesy… and quite honestly the best appetizer ever!
Jalapeno Popper Dip is not only my daughter’s favorite recipe of all time, it’s the one recipe I’m asked to bring to every single gathering. I love jalapenos in any way, shape or form! Making homemade poppers is super easy and tastes way better than frozen store bought or restaurant!
How to Cut a Jalapeno
You guys, whatever you do, please please please don’t cut these without wearing gloves (and don’t touch your face). The oils in the peppers can cause burns on your hands, I speak from experience, it’s VERY painful.
The spice in jalapeños is found in the seeds and inner membranes. To reduce the heat in this recipe, clean out all of the (light colored) inner membrane and seeds. If you like lots of heat, leave a little bit of membrane.
When I cut the jalapeños for poppers, I cut them lengthwise and try to keep the stem intact on both halves (mainly for appearance).
To cut jalapenos to make jalapeno poppers:
- Put on gloves!!
- Slice jalapenos in half lengthwise.
- Using a small spoon, scoop out seeds and membranes and discard.
How to Make Jalapeno Poppers
Jalapeno Poppers have a few essentials; the jalapeno itself, a creamy filling and breading.
- Jalapenos: Obviously!! We use fresh and slice them in half (as mentioned above). If you have people in your group who cannot tolerate any spice (like my husband) you can also make these using baby bell peppers which don’t have heat! Make some of each!
- Cheesy Filling: Cream cheese is the base and I add in a sharp cheddar as it has more flavor. I also add a dash of garlic powder and some chives which you can add or skip. I find green onions have a bit too much onion flavor so chives add just the right amount (or add a pinch of onion powder if you’d like). You can also add crisp cooked bacon, cilantro or your own favorites!
- Crispy Breading: A traditional deep fried popper has a breaded coating. When making baked poppers, I find it’s not worth the time/effort to try to coat the whole jalapeno in crumbs. Instead, I make a simple Panko topping to sprinkle on top for the perfect crunch! If you’d like to make keto Jalapeno Poppers, simply skip the bread crumbs for your low carb friends!
- Optional: There are lots of amazing things you can add to jalapeno poppers! If you’d like skip the bread crumbs and wrap them in bacon to make Bacon Wrapped Poppers! Add your favorites; onions, monterey jack cheese, ground beef or sausage. The sky really is the limit!
At a restaurant, they’re usually coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried and while I love them, I truly do not love deep frying. I dislike the smell and the mess and to be honest, I these baked jalapeno poppers taste even better than the fried ones.
How Long to Bake Jalapeno Poppers
I bake these poppers about 20 minutes, enough to soften the peppers and melt the cheese. You don’t want them too soft or they’re hard to pick up and eat!
Once baked, serve these alongside some cool ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Jalapeno Poppers can be made a couple of days in advance or even prepared well ahead of time and frozen. Cook right from frozen about 25-30 minutes at 425°F.
More Jalapeno Recipes You’ll Love
- Bacon Jalapeño Cheese Ball Recipe
- Jalapeno Popper Crescent Cups
- Mini Jalapeno Popper Egg Rolls
- Bacon Wrapped Poppers
- Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Jalapeno Poppers
Ingredients
- 12 jalapeños
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- ¼ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Wearing gloves, slice the jalapenos in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon, scoop out the seeds and membranes.
- In a bowl mix cream cheese, garlic powder, cheddar cheese and chives (if using).
- In a separate bowl, combine Panko crumbs and melted butter.
- Fill jalapenos with the cheese mixture. Top with crumbs.
- Place on a baking pan and bake 18-22 minutes or until golden.
- Cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer
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I live in Mexico. I make these for gatherings and potlucks. Everyone loves them! Depending on availability, sometimes I substitute cheddar for mozzarella or manchego. I prefer Panko breadcrumbs but any breadcrumb will do. Easy, affordable and delicious! Gracias!
Delicious. Easy to make and very tasty. The temperature and timing was spot on. I will definitely be making these again.
it literally 2am and I’m craving these!!! I will probably give in and make these again right now!
What a great recipe! I made them with my nephew who loves poppers. Only thing is that we had to double the amount of filling for 12 jalapeños like the recipe calls for. Definitely will make it again.
I appreciated the recipe. I used fresh garlic. A bit fiddly but very worth it. Thank you!
I made these and they are amazing! I have made a lot of your recipes and they always turn out great! thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Connie!
These freeze well. I first tried this recipe last summer. Someone gave me dozens of jalapenos from their garden. I tripled the recipe, flash-froze a bunch of them on cookie sheets (uncooked), then packed them in freezer bags. Some of the bread crumbs fell off, but they remained mostly intact (I gently patted the crumbs onto the cheese before I froze them). My husband loved being able to cook a handful at a time in the toaster oven whenever he wanted to. They just need a few more minutes in the oven when cooked from frozen, but the taste and texture was unchanged.
This year, we grew our own peppers, and I tried this recipe with lunchbox reds, candy stripes, and some aneheims. They were all delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe!
I WOULD LIKE TO TRY THIS STUFFED PEPPER RECIPE….IT LOOKS SO APPEALING ,,,,,I WILL FOLLOW THE RECIPE AS WRITTEN….THANKS….QUERINO…
Just made these for the Bears Game!! So good!!!
My first time cooking these myself. They were so awesome we couldn’t stop eating them. I made a bunch triple the recipe. I plan to freeze some with leftovers from my garden. What an awesome treat on a cold winter night. 5star recipe.
These are the best we have ever tasted! Fantastic!
they are delious
Never made poppers before, but my garden was filled with peppers. First recipe I came across and DELISH! My whole family loved them! Definitely a repeat!
Can you freeze them all made and just eat with a fork?
Sure you can!
Can you freeze these poppers.
I think they should be okay frozen and reheated. Just seal them in an airtight container or freezer bag and reheat them in the oven. They may be a little softer in texture though. You could also freeze the cheese mixture and use fresh jalapenos and breadcrumbs when rebaking for a crunchier texture.
I’m getting senile! Forget the second post!
Delicious! However, next time I’ll bake ’em less than 18 minutes-mine were too soft. Hint for cleaning peppers: use a grapefruit spoon. It removes the ribs & seeds so smoothly! (Works great for whole regular peppers for making stuffed peppers!
An even easier and lazier way is to not top the peppers with bread crumbs, but use Parmesan cheese. It adds the crispness on top, an added flavor which I enjoy and I find the sprinkling of the cheese a little less messy. Either way is great. Thanks Holly…Enjoy.
Yummy tip Lee, thank you for sharing! I’m all about making things easier!
I made these yesterday. They ARE delicious! Hard to put down! They disappeared much faster than the time it took to make them (hint: double the recipe!)
I discovered a nifty trick, for those who haven’t already thought of it: a grapefruit spoon is perfect for scraping out the jalapeno ribs & seeds. Thanks for the recipe!
These came out so good! I think I ate a dozen in my first sitting…
I ended up adding 1.5 teaspoons of cumin into the cheese mixture for a little extra kick, delicious and recommended! The breadcrumbs weren’t quite as brown as I like at the upper end of the time limit, so I broiled them on low for another 2 minutes or so.
My wife found this recipe and it is absolutely my favorite side to any meal. I am curious as to if you have any air frying directions to make these as well.
We cook air fryer jalapeno poppers for 8-12 minutes at 400°F. Enjoy!