Easy Jalapeño Poppers

A traditional appetizer for a game day spread, these Easy Jalapeño Poppers bring delicious taste to this simple make ahead recipe!  With a lightness and flavor that is not always found in the deep fried version of jalapeño poppers, our Easy Jalapeño Poppers are baked with panko breadcrumbs to make them crispy on the outside, and a secret ingredient to make the filling extra creamy and yummy. Easily customized to make them mildly spicy or extra hot, this appetizer is sure to please all who try them!

This make ahead recipe is easy to prepare hours in advance. Just pop them in the oven right before your guests arrive. Can you believe these are healthy and even keto friendly?! Want to learn more about how you can make these Easy Jalapeño Poppers gluten-free or vegan? Visit the Pimp Our Recipe section in our Blog Comments & Tips below.

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RECIPE

(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)

Recipe updated as of 3/22/22

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Appetizers, Vegetarian, Quick and Easy, Healthy, Keto, Entertaining, Menu Ideas

Southwestern, Mexican, American

Servings: - 8 +

Author: Pimp My Recipe

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EASY JALAPENO POPPERS

A traditional appetizer for a game day spread, our Easy Jalapeño Poppers have a lightness and flavor that is not always common in the deep fried version of jalapeño poppers. Crispy on the outside, and creamy and yummy on the inside. This make ahead recipe is easy to prepare hours in advance. Just pop them in the oven right before your guests arrive.

Prep Time: 20 MinCooking Time: 20 MinTotal Time: 40 Min

IngredientsUSMetric

• Avocado Oil Spray
• 8 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise & seeded
• 6 ounces reduced fat cream cheese (⅓ less fat), softened
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt, nonfat (or 2%)
• 6 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin (plus one pinch)
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder (or onion powder)
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, divided (or to taste)
• PInch of ground black pepper (or to taste)
• ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

1. Place oven rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with Avocado Oil Spray, and set aside.
2. Wearing protective gloves (see Note #1), rinse and dry jalapeño peppers, then halve lengthwise. Using a small spoon (see Note #2 below), remove the pith and seeds from the jalapeños. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, and set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, add softened cream cheese, Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, ⅛ teaspoon cumin, garlic powder (or onion powder), a pinch of kosher salt, and ground black pepper, and mix with a silicone spatula to thoroughly combine.
4. In a small mixing bowl, add panko breadcrumbs, a pinch of cumin, and a pinch of kosher salt. Toss to combine, and set aside. Spread cheese mixture into each of the jalapeño halves, dividing evenly among the chiles. Generously sprinkle panko mixture on top of each jalapeño half, gently press the breadcrumbs into the cheese, and lightly spray tops of breadcrumbs with avocado oil spray.
5. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until cheese is melted, and breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove from the oven, and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving (Caution: the cheese will be hot!).

Notes:

1. Although wearing protective gloves is not necessary, it is recommended when working with fresh chiles (we even wrapped our cutting board for this one - but it’s not necessary). The oils can stay on your hands even after washing, and can easily sting your eyes or irritate your skin. So use caution when working with fresh chiles. 
2. Removing Seeds: We find that using a grapefruit spoon makes it easier to scrape out the seeds of chiles. If you don’t have one, just use a small spoon. 
3. Recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 8 hours in advance! Remove from the fridge and rest on the counter 20 to 30 minutes before baking. 
4. Serves 8 (2 jalapeño poppers per serving).

Nutrition Facts

Calories

159.18

Fat (grams)

12.16

Sat. Fat (grams)

6.89

Carbs (grams)

4.44

Fiber (grams)

0.56

Net carbs

3.88

Sugar (grams)

1.69

Protein (grams)

8.11

Sodium (milligrams)

243.95

Cholesterol (grams)

34.84

Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.

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Step by Step Instructions

PREPARATION

Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.

Note: Oops…we forgot to include the garlic powder & avocado oil spray in this photo!

STEP 1

Place oven rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with Avocado Oil Spray, and set aside.  

STEP 2

Wearing protective gloves (see Note A below), rinse and dry 8 jalapeño peppers, then halve lengthwise. Using a small spoon (see Note B below), remove the pith and seeds from the jalapeños. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, and set aside.

Note A: Although wearing protective gloves is not necessary, it is recommended when working with fresh chiles (we even wrapped our cutting board for this one - but it’s not necessary). The oils can stay on your hands even after washing, and can easily sting your eyes or irritate your skin. So use caution when working with fresh chiles. 

Note B: Removing Seeds - We find that using a grapefruit spoon makes it easier to scrape out the seeds of chiles. If you don’t have one, just use a small spoon.

Halve jalapeños.

Cut around pith & seeds.

Scrape out pith & seeds.

Place on baking sheet.

STEP 3

In a medium mixing bowl, add 6 ounces softened reduced fat cream cheese (⅓ less fat), 2 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt (or 2%), 6 ounces shredded pepper jack cheese, ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin, ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder (or onion powder), a pinch of kosher salt, and a pinch of ground black pepper, and mix with a silicone spatula to thoroughly combine. 

Cheeses, yogurt & spices.

Mixture combined.

STEP 4a

In a small mixing bowl, add ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs, a pinch of ground cumin, and a pinch of kosher salt. Toss to combine, and set aside.

STEP 4b

Spread cheese mixture into each of the jalapeño halves, dividing evenly among the chiles (pressing mixture gently into peppers to eliminate air gaps). Generously sprinkle panko mixture on top of each jalapeño half, gently press the breadcrumbs into the cheese, and lightly spray tops of breadcrumbs with Avocado Oil Spray.

Spread mixture.

Place on baking sheet.

Top with panko mixture.

Spray with avocado oil.

STEP 5

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until cheese is melted, and breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove from the oven, and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving (Caution: the cheese will be hot!).

SERVING

Serve warm from the oven and enjoy!

Notes:

1. Recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 8 hours in advance! Remove from the fridge and rest on the counter 20 to 30 minutes before baking. 

2. Serves 8 (2 jalapeño poppers per serving).

BACK TO RECIPE

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VIDEO

How to Make Easy Jalapeño Poppers - Quick & Secretly Healthy Appetizer!

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Blog Comments & Tips

Light & Flavorful Appetizer!

We decided to lighten things up and make these beloved appetizers a bit more healthy and a lot more flavorful! Our Easy Jalapeño Poppers are the perfect appetizer to serve on Game Day or for your Cinco de Mayo celebration. They can be made ahead of time, and just pop them in the oven right before your guests arrive. 

I have always loved the general idea of the traditional deep fried and breaded jalapeño poppers, but found them a bit too heavy, greasy, and to be honest, a little bland. The PMR Kitchens are always up for a challenge, so we tried a few test recipes before settling on this delicious version of our Easy Jalapeño Poppers. 

We made some significant changes to the traditional recipe. In ours, we used reduced fat cream cheese, and added a secret ingredient (nonfat Greek yogurt) that amped up the protein in these yummy appetizers. Nonfat Greek yogurt adds a lightness and creamy texture to the filling in our Easy Jalapeño Poppers. And, for some added flavor we seasoned the filling and topping with a few spices. Instead of deep frying, we added crunch by topping them with seasoned panko breadcrumbs, then spraying them with some avocado oil to get that “fried” flavor without the extra fat or calories. 

In the end, we think our healthier version of jalapeño poppers will not disappoint. They are really yummy with lots of flavor, and so light and creamy when you bite into one! Truthfully, it’s hard to stop at two! With only 159 calories per serving, I suppose there is no need to feel guilty about taking seconds!! Oh, and did we mention these are keto friendly? Yup, only 3.88 net carbs per serving! Not too bad for all the flavor and less of the fat!

Now you have the recipe, how do you ensure the best results from our recipe?

Our 4 tips to making our Easy Jalapeño Poppers:

1. High quality ingredients. Use fresh, large, and unblemished jalapeño peppers. And, try to buy the same sized peppers so they cook evenly. 

2. When adding the filling, be sure to gently press the filling into the peppers. This will eliminate any air gaps, and ensure that you get plenty of filling per bite!

3. Use Panko Breadcrumbs, not regular breadcrumbs. There is a difference, and the panko breadcrumbs provide an added crunch and lighter texture to this appetizer.

4. Once the jalapeño poppers are baked, let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes after you take them out of the oven. The cheese will be very hot, so be cautious when taking that first bite!

Have any dietary preferences that won’t quite work with our recipe? It’s time to customize and Pimp Our Recipe. 

Pimp Our Recipe:

• Make it Spicier: When cleaning the jalapeños, leave a few extra seeds in each of the jalapeño halves. The seeds are what provide most of the heat. If that isn’t enough, then add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder to the filling before you combine it. 

• Make it Milder: Be sure to scrape out all the seeds from the jalapeños, as it’s the seeds that contain most of the spicy heat. This is already a very mildly spicy recipe, but keep in mind that Mother Nature is in complete control over these peppers. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell until you try each one. Some will just be hotter and others will be milder. For those that cannot take any heat, one way to ensure you have milder flavor is to substitute Sweet Mini Peppers for the jalapeños. This will completely change the flavor of these appetizers by adding a sweet element, but the filling and topping will complement the sweet mini peppers nicely.

• Make it Vegan & Dairy Free: Stay tuned, our Vegan Jalapeño Poppers recipe is coming soon. 

• Make it Gluten Free: Yes, our Easy Jalapeño Poppers can be made gluten-free! Just swap out the regular panko breadcrumbs for these Panko Style Gluten Free Breadcrumbs!

• Make it Richer: Use full fat cream cheese instead of reduced fat cream cheese. Then use full fat Greek yogurt instead of nonfat or 2%. And finally, use a heavier hand when you spray that Avocado Oil Spray on the panko topping. 

Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.

Happy Cooking!

Mich

Footnote: Remember to use caution when working with fresh chiles (chili peppers). The oils can stay on your skin and sting your eyes and irritate your skin hours after handling.

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