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Home > Starters/Appetizers > Fried Jalapenos

Fried Jalapenos

Published: Aug 24, 2023

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close up view of fried jalapenos with text

Fried jalapenos make a great gameday appetizer. Sometimes also called bottle caps these are crispy, crunchy, and packs a spicy punch! Jalapeno slices are coated in beer batter and deep-fried to golden perfection. Spicy, very addictive snack or appetizer that everyone loves! Plus, it’s very easy to make using a few basic ingredients.

fried jalapeno slices
Jump to:
  • Why you should try these fried jalapenos recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Steps to make jalapeno bottle caps recipe
  • Tips for making crispy fried jalapeno slices
  • Storage and reheating
  • Common questions
  • 📋Fried Jalapenos
  • Recipe Notes

Why you should try these fried jalapenos recipe

  • Wondering what to do with the extra jalapenos you have? Even if it’s just 2-3 jalapenos left, try this. Slice jalapenos, coat in beer batter, and deep fry. Voila in under 15 minutes you have a crispy, crunchy snack that packs a spicy punch to it.
  • A guaranteed party favorite! 
  • These bite-sized finger foods are very delicious, addictive in fact! I bet you can’t stop eating! I gobbled a few while frying.
  • With a few basic ingredients, serve a crunchy-spicy snack in 15 minutes.
  • You can eat them as appetizers, snacks, or as salad toppers. Absolutely love it as an appetizer with dipping sauce like honey mustard sauce, boom boom sauce, cheese sauce, or ranch dipping sauce.
  • It packs a spicy punch, but it’s so delicious, even my children couldn’t stop eating them!
  • You should definitely add this to your Super Bowl party menu.

Ingredients

Here are the basic ingredients you’ll need to make bottle caps aka fried jalapenos-

  • Jalapenos
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Seasoning salt
  • Egg
  • Beer
  • Oil

All the ingredient’s exact measurements are mentioned in the recipe card below.

all ingredients for fried jalapenos

Jalapenos – picking the right jalapenos is important. The older jalapenos get, the spicier they will be, older jalapenos have few or a lot of striations on them. Striations are little stress marks are little white lines on the jalapenos. If you want more heat, pick older jalapenos (with more striations). For milder heat, pick young peppers, they are bright and shiny flesh.

Flour – just all-purpose flour or plain flour.

Baking powder – to make batter puffy. Baking powder ensures a light and crispy exterior. 

Seasoning salt – You can make your own seasoning salt, it’s very easy. It’s simply a mix of some of the spices and aromats. Here’s the recipe.

Egg – for the batter, to make the batter adhere to the peppers.

Beer – make sure to use ice-cold beer. The yeast in the beer makes the batter go thin, light, and puffy as it cools in oil.

Oil – use vegetable oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil for deep frying.

Steps to make jalapeno bottle caps recipe

Heat oil in a deep pot or Dutch oven. While oil is heating up, prep jalapenos and batter.

Slice jalapenos –

**PLEASE NOTE** Cutting hot peppers like jalapenos without gloves can cause a burning sensation if you have sensitive skin. The oil from jalapenos or any hot peppers will remain on your skin for a long time and it can HURT if it comes in contact with your face or eyes.

Always wear rubber gloves before handling jalapenos or any other hot peppers.

I did not wear gloves, but I made sure I washed my hands thoroughly after I had dealt with the hot peppers. I made sure I did not touch my eyes or face for the whole day.

Trim the ends off, slice jalapenos into thin rings.

Note – You can control the heat by discarding some of the seeds from jalapenos. Love it spicy? leave the seeds on.

Make beer batter – In a large bowl whisk flour, baking powder, and seasoning salt. Break an egg into the flour mix and whisk.

picture collage of making beer batter for frying jalapenos

Pour cold beer into the batter and whisk. Be careful not to overmix the batter, overmixing will activate gluten and compromise on the crispiness making it tough and chewy.

picture collage of making beer batter for frying jalapenos

Frying – Oil has to be at the right temperature before you start frying. Wait until the oil temperature reaches 350F. In small batches dip jalapeno slices in batter, shake off excess batter, and deep fry in oil.

Do not overcrowd the pan, fry them in batches.

Flip once golden on one side. Should fry to golden brown on both sides in 5-6 minutes.

Once golden brown remove fried jalapenos using a slotted spoon, and drain on a paper towel to drain excess oil.

picture collage of frying jalapeno slices coated in batter

Before you fry the next batch, ensure oil is maintained at 350F.

Serve it immediately with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Tips for making crispy fried jalapeno slices

  1. Make sure to slice jalapenos even, not too thick not too thin. Thick slices won’t crisp up fast and thin ones can turn crispy too quickly even before the batter is cooked through.
  2. Slice jalapenos before you make the batter.
  3. Light and crispy batter needs ice-cold beer.
  4. Do not overmix the batter, overmixing will activate gluten and compromise on the crispiness making it tough and chewy.
  5. Keep the batter chilled. If it’s too hot, keep the batter in the fridge while frying the batches.
  6. One of the crucial steps to making crispy fried jalapenos is getting the oil temperature right. Wait for the oil temperature to reach 350F before you start frying.
  7. Don’t overcrowd the pan while frying. Do it in batches.
  8. Serve immediately, hot. As the fries rest, they will lose their crispiness.

Storage and reheating

I bet you won’t have leftovers. These taste best fresh, hot, and enjoyed immediately.

I don’t recommend storing and reheating.

If you do have leftovers and want to store them, make sure to cool them completely and then transfer them to airtight containers in the fridge for 2-3 days.

However, reheating does make them lose their crispiness. Instead of reheating in the microwave which tends to make them soggy. You can reheat it in the air fryer, it doesn’t lose its crispiness that much, but definitely not the same as a freshly made batch.

Common questions

Is fried jalapeno spicy?

Well, it does pack a punch. But you can make it spicy or mildly spicy by picking the right jalapenos. Older jalapenos are spicy, young ones pack less heat.

How to know when jalapenos are spicy?

The older jalapenos get, the spicier they will be, older jalapenos have few or a lot of striations on them. Striations are little stress marks are little white lines on the jalapenos. If you want more heat, pick older jalapenos (with more striations). For milder heat, pick young peppers, they are bright and shiny flesh.

What’s the best beer to use?

Light beer is best. Use any beer other than dark beer or heavily flavored beer that will change the color and taste of the batter.

Why do your fried jalapenos turn tough and chewy?

Lots of reasons why it turned chewy. To ensure the fries are crispy – use ice-cold beer, don’t overmix the batter, keep the batter chilled, at the right oil temperature and fry in batches.

What can you substitute for beer?

You can use ice-cold soda water plus ¼ teaspoon more baking powder as a substitute for beer.

MORE JALAPENO RECIPES TO TRY

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close up view of bottle caps
bottle caps made of jalapenos
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📋Fried Jalapenos

Jyothi Rajesh
Fried jalapenos make a great gameday appetizer. Sometimes also called bottle caps these are crispy, crunchy, and packs a spicy punch! Jalapeno slices are coated in beer batter and deep-fried to golden perfection. Spicy, very addictive snack or appetizer that everyone loves! Plus, it’s very easy to make using a few basic ingredients.
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American, Soutthern
Servings 4 servings
Calories 200

Ingredients
  

  • 8-10 jalapenos
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon seasoning salt*
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 can 12-ounce beer
  • Vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a deep pot or Dutch oven. While oil is heating up, prep jalapenos and batter.
  • Trim the ends off, and slice jalapenos into thin rings.
  • Make beer batter – In a large bowl whisk flour, baking powder, and seasoning salt. Break an egg into the flour mix and whisk.
  • Pour cold beer into the batter and whisk. Be careful not to overmix the batter, overmixing will activate gluten and compromise on the crispiness making it tough and chewy.
  • Make sure the oil temperature reaches 350F before frying. Measure oil temperature using a kitchen thermometer. In small batches dip jalapeno slices in batter, shake off excess batter, and deep fry in oil.
  • Do not overcrowd the pan, fry them in batches.
  • Flip once golden on one side. Should fry to golden brown on both sides in 5-6 minutes.
  • Once golden brown remove fried jalapenos using a slotted spoon, and drain on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
  • Before you fry the next batch, ensure oil is maintained at 350F.
  • Serve it immediately with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Video

Notes

*Seasoning salt is simple to make at home. It’s something you can make and keep near the stove to use on everything!
You can make it with any spices and herbs you like to add, here’s my simple all-purpose seasoning salt recipe – mix kosher salt, ground pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. 
Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 6gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 601mgPotassium: 438mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 361IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 147mgIron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Follow @CurryTrail and tag #CurryTrail to share your creation!

Recipe Notes

  1. Make sure to slice jalapenos even, not too thick not too thin. Thick slices won’t crisp up fast and thin ones can turn crispy too quickly even before the batter is cooked through.
  2. Slice jalapenos before you make the batter.
  3. Light and crispy batter needs ice-cold beer.
  4. Do not overmix the batter, overmixing will activate gluten and compromise on the crispiness making it tough and chewy.
  5. Keep the batter chilled. If it’s too hot, keep the batter in the fridge while frying the batches.
  6. One of the crucial steps to making crispy fried jalapenos is getting the oil temperature right. Wait for the oil temperature to reach 350F before you start frying.
  7. Don’t overcrowd the pan while frying. Do it in batches.
  8. Serve immediately, hot. As the fries rest, they will lose their crispiness.

Created by Jyothi Rajesh

Thank you for stopping by.

I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.

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Jyothi - Author of Curry Trail.

Welcome, I'm Jyothi

My food philosophy is simple, fresh and full of flavors! I love ‘spicy’ food. In fact so much so that I can skip dessert for extra spicy savory food!

More About Me
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