Jalapeno poppers are the ultimate party food or game day appetizer that are quite easy to make. Jalapeno peppers are filled with cream cheese, sharp cheddar, bacon, and green onion mix, topped with spicy panko breadcrumb, and baked to perfection. Enjoy every bite of that crunchy, spicy, creamy, cheesy snack.
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- Baked Jalapeno poppers with spicy crumb
- Ingredients needed
- How to cut jalapenos
- How to make jalapeno poppers
- How long to cook jalapenos poppers
- Jalapeno popper variation
- What to serve with baked jalapeno poppers
- Storage
- Make ahead instructions
- Useful tips to make the best jalapeno poppers
- Common questions
- 📋Jalapeno poppers
- Recipe Notes
Baked Jalapeno poppers with spicy crumb
A guaranteed party favorite! With few easily available ingredients, you can make the talk of any party that will be one of the fastest crowd-pleasing appetizers for game day. It’s hard to stop at one! They are addictive!
Jalapeno peppers are stuffed with loads of creamy, cheesy mix, topped off with spicy crumbs, and baked until golden and cheesy melted and bubbly.
They are perfect game-day food, ultimate party food for just about any gathering! No summer party or tailgate is complete without a big tray of poppers.
There are millions of ways to make poppers using jalapeno peppers, but these baked jalapeno poppers are my absolute favorite. It’s easy to make, uses easily available ingredients, can be made ahead of time, and stored in the fridge overnight before baking them.
Ingredients needed
Here’s what you’ll need-
- Jalapeno peppers
- Cream cheese
- Sharp cheddar
- Green onion
- Garlic powder
- Ground pepper
- Bacon
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Paprika
- Butter
All ingredient’s exact measurements in mentioned in the recipe card below.
Jalapeno peppers – look for fresh slightly bigger than average-sized peppers that are smooth bright green hue. It’s easy to fill these than smaller peppers. Also, make sure the size of all peppers is roughly the same for even cooking.
Cream cheese – softened cream cheese at room temperature by leaving it on the counter for 30 minutes. You want the full-fat cream cheese. The cream cheese helps cool down some of the spiciness of the peppers.
Sharp cheddar – always recommend you buy block cheese and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese has fillers added to it to prevent it from clumping, and it doesn’t melt nicely. Sharp cheddar has great taste. You can substitute sharp cheddar with other cheese like pepper jack, mozzarella, or Colby jack.
Garlic powder – for an extra oomph of flavor. Feel free to use fresh minced garlic as well.
Ground pepper – optional, for seasoning.
Green onion – make sure these are thinly sliced.
Bacon – adds a rich, salty taste. Cut bacon strips into small even pieces and cook them until crispy and golden brown. Then remove excess grease by resting cooked bacon on a kitchen paper towel.
Panko breadcrumbs – for a crunchy topping.
Paprika – adds a smoky flavor and an extra kick to the topping. If you can’t tolerate the heat, skip paprika.
Melted butter – helps bind panko breadcrumbs together.
How to cut 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.
The spice in jalapenos is found in the seeds and the inner membrane. If you can’t tolerate heat, remove and discard all seeds and membranes. If you love it spicy, leave some of the seeds and inner membrane inside the jalapenos.
Wearing gloves cut jalapenos lengthwise. Leave the stem on for appearance. Using a small spoon scoop out to remove and discard seeds and the inner membrane.
How to make jalapeno poppers
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil.
In a bowl mix softened cream cheese, shredded sharp cheddar, crumbled crispy bacon bits, thinly sliced green onion, garlic powder, and ground pepper.
In another bowl mix panko breadcrumbs, paprika, and melted butter. Keep aside.
Wearing gloves cut jalapenos lengthwise. Leave the stem on for appearance. Using a small spoon scoop out to remove and discard seeds and the inner membrane.
Using a spoon or by hand evenly fill each half of the jalapeno peppers with cream cheese mix.
Arrange stuffed peppers on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil.
Sprinkle panko breadcrumb topping on each stuffed pepper evenly.
Bake in preheated oven at 400F for 18-22 minutes until the panko topping is golden crispy brown and the cheese mix is melted and bubbly and the jalapenos are tender.
Remove from oven, sprinkle green onion as a garnish, and serve immediately with dipping sauce.
How long to cook jalapenos poppers
I used oven baked method in this recipe to cook jalapeno poppers. Bake in preheated oven at 400F for about 20 minutes, enough to soften jalapenos.
Jalapeno popper variation
There are so many ways to stuff jalapeno peppers. You can stuff the peppers in so many fun ways to make delicious poppers. Here are some ideas for different stuffing flavors for you to try –
- Wrap bacon strips. Wrap stuffed jalapeno peppers with bacon strips. Bake in the oven or smoke it in a smoker.
- Cheese. You can substitute sharp cheddar with other cheese like pepper jack, mozzarella, or Colby jack.
- Herbs. Add fresh herbs like cilantro, and parsley to the filling mix.
- Protein. Cook chicken and shred it. Mix with the cream cheese mix and stuff into peppers. Crab meat can also be used in stuffing mix.
- Vegetables. Mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, chopped artichoke hearts, and diced onion can be added to the stuffing.
- Seasoning. Vary seasoning according to your preference. Cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, red chili flakes, and garlic salt are some of the seasoning choices that can be used.
- Topping. You can change the topping to anything your heart desires. From crushed BBQ potato chips to crumbled crispy bacon, plain breadcrumb mix can be sprinkled on top.
- Different cooking methods. Bake in the oven, grill, deep fry in oil over the stove top, air fry using an air fryer, and smoke in a smoker.
What to serve with baked jalapeno poppers
These poppers are so tasty, it does not need anything more to be enjoyed. I like to eat it as is, right off the oven nice and hot. You can serve it with dip to take it next level. Since jalapenos are spicy, serve alongside a cooling dip to balance the spiciness of the peppers.
With dips like buttermilk ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, and flavorful mayo dip.
Storage
Poppers are stuffed with dairy products like cream cheese and cheese. These are best enjoyed right after it’s cooked. It’s advised not to keep the poppers out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Gently reheat in the microwave until warm before serving.
Make ahead instructions
You can prepare these in advance. Prepare the mixture, stuff the peppers and put them in air-tight containers, and store them in the refrigerator for later. These will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Useful tips to make the best jalapeno poppers
- Wear rubber gloves while cutting jalapenos. Remove and discard all seeds and membranes. If you love it spicy, leave some of the seeds and inner membrane inside the jalapenos.
- Choose fresh slightly bigger than average-sized peppers that are smooth bright green hue. It’s easy to fill.
- Leave cream cheese at room temperature (for at least 30 minutes) so it’s softened and easier to mix.
- Cut bacon into small even pieces, and cook in pan until crispy. Drain crispy paper on a kitchen paper towel to drain excess fat.
- Leftover cream cheese filling can be spread on crackers or baguettes.
Common questions
It really depends on how you prepped the jalapenos. If you removed and discarded all the seeds and inner membrane it will be moderately hot. If some of the seeds and membranes were intact, the poppers will be hot.
You have to cook enough until the jalapenos are softened. I baked it in preheated oven at 400F for 18-20 minutes, the panko breadcrumb topping turned golden, the cheese was melted, and the bubbly and jalapenos were softened.
Yes, you can freeze, I’d suggest you freeze before baking. It’s possible to freezer after baking as well, but the peppers that are cooked and softened will lose their shape upon defrosting.
Stuff peppers with the filling. Place the peppers in a single layer and freeze them. Try not to stack them. Freeze for up to 3 months.
You want to fill the peppers just enough to hold in the cavity. Fill it up about the level with the sides of the peppers. Over temptation to over-stuff the peppers.
Keep peppers dry after slicing them into half.
Preheat oven thoroughly.
Avoid the temptation to over-stuff the peppers.
MORE JALAPENO RECIPES TO TRY
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📋Jalapeno poppers
Ingredients
- 12 jalapeno peppers
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons green onion
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- â…› teaspoon ground pepper
- 6 slices bacon or chorizo cooked and crumbled
Topping
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil.
- In a bowl mix softened cream cheese, shredded sharp cheddar, crumbled crispy bacon bits, thinly sliced green onion, garlic powder, and ground pepper.
- In another bowl mix panko breadcrumbs, paprika, and melted butter. Keep aside.
- Wearing gloves cut jalapenos lengthwise. Leave the stem on for appearance. Using a small spoon scoop out to remove and discard seeds and the inner membrane.
- Using a spoon or by hand evenly fill each half of the jalapeno peppers with cream cheese mix.
- Arrange stuffed peppers on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil.
- Sprinkle panko breadcrumb topping on each stuffed pepper evenly.
- Bake in preheated oven at 400F for 18-22 minutes until the panko topping is golden crispy brown and the cheese mix is melted and bubbly and the jalapenos are tender.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle green onion as a garnish, and serve immediately with dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Notes
- Wear rubber gloves while cutting jalapenos. Remove and discard all seeds and membranes. If you love it spicy, leave some of the seeds and inner membrane inside the jalapenos.
- Choose fresh slightly bigger than average-sized peppers that are smooth bright green hue. It’s easy to fill.
- Leave cream cheese at room temperature (for at least 30 minutes) so it’s softened and easier to mix.
- Cut bacon into small even pieces, and cook in pan until crispy. Drain crispy paper on a kitchen paper towel to drain excess fat.
- Leftover cream cheese filling can be spread on crackers or baguettes.
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.
Comments & Reviews
Vrush says
We loved the taste and crunchiness! Easy recipe for a party!
Jyothi Rajesh says
So glad to hear you loved the recipe, thank you for sharing your feedback!