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Basic Jalapeño Poppers Recipe

Basic Jalapeño Poppers
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: 25 mins | Active Time: | Makes: 4 to 6 servings as an appetizer

Take a break from the usual battered and deep-fried version of this bar fare: Broiling the peppers gives them a nice outer char and leaves the filling browned and bubbling.

This recipe was featured as part of our Jalapeño Popper Recipes photo gallery.

INGREDIENTS
  • 12 jalapeño peppers
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Heat the oven to broil and arrange a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
  2. Lay a jalapeño on your work surface so that it sits flat without rolling. Make two cuts forming a “T” by first slicing down the middle of the chile lengthwise from stem to tip, then making a second cut perpendicular to the first about 1/4 inch from the stem, slicing only halfway through the chile (be careful not to cut off the stem end completely). Carefully open the flaps to expose the interior of the chile, and, using a butter knife or small measuring spoon, scrape the inside to remove the seeds and ribs. Repeat with the remaining peppers; set aside.
  3. Place the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl, season with freshly ground black pepper, and mix until smooth and evenly combined. Transfer the mixture to a quart-size resealable plastic bag, cut one bottom corner off to make a 3/4-inch-wide opening, and squeeze the mixture into the chiles until just filled (be careful not to overfill). Insert a toothpick widthwise through each chile to secure the flaps and filling. Place the filled chiles on the prepared baking sheet in two evenly spaced rows of six.
  4. Broil for 4 minutes, rotate the pan, and continue to broil until the peppers are starting to char and the filling is browned and bubbly, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the oven, and remove the toothpicks if desired. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
    Write a review | 9 Reviews
  • Basic Jalapeño Poppers Recipe
    4

    As chilecrab says, wear gloves when cutting and deseeding. I made this recipe twice, once as written and once with some changes. If you remove all the seeds, it's a pretty mild recipe. If you like spiciness, add some seeds back to the filling or sprinkle some into the peppers before adding the cream cheese. A little goes a long way. The first time, I did not find that the peppers needed prebaking. The broiler will soften them enough. They won't be really cooked, but they'll soften up and get nice and hot. I found that the filling tended to squirt out when I bit into them, and water accumulated in the pepper. Neither issue was enough to ruin them, but it prompted me to make some changes the second time. The second time I cut the tops off the peppers then cut them in half lengthwise before adding the cream cheese. This meant no condensation and no squirting filling. I'd recommend this approach, even if they don't look quite as nice.

  • Basic Jalapeño Poppers Recipe
    4

    I just made these for a party, a batch of these and a batch with cumin gouda, both were a massive hit, so much so that I'm committed to making them again for several people. I did 15 mins at 450 and then broil for 5 and they were perfect. The only reason I gave these a four and not a five is because next time I want them to be spicier. Maybe I should leave in a few of the seeds?

  • wear gloves when seeding, deveining

  • I just made these for a party last night. They were great! I cooked them at 450 for about 10 minutes, then broil for a few more. Perfecto!

  • These are quite tasty, but I found the peppers to be a bit undercooked for my liking. I think I might try baking them for about 15 minutes at high heat and then broiling the tops.

  • Oh my ... poppers in bacon must happen.

  • These look so delicious!!! Can't wait to try the recipe!!

  • Lots of vendors make kosher salt that are undifferentiated...product placement perhaps?

  • Wrap them in bacon and they taste so good!

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