Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Filled with a tasty combination of sharp cheddar, cream cheese, and flavorful spices, Baked Jalapeno Poppers pack a wonderfully delicious spicy punch without the fat of frying.

I totally think jalapeno poppers are appropriately named. Don't you? Because when it comes right down to it, they truly are so easy to just "pop" in your mouth. Both because of their perfectly poppable size ... and because of their fabulous flavor.

As much as I love them, until now I've never really made my own poppers at home ... purely because I don't like to fry. And I always thought, how can you get that characteristic crunch of a jalapeno popper's coating without frying?

But now I've discovered this BAKED Jalapeno Poppers recipe. Which means no frying! ... yet still delivers up the popper's characteristic crunch.

That's right ... Baked Jalapeno Poppers can still deliver up the poppers' crunch we love. Thanks to a little touch of Panko bread crumbs.

Serve some sour cream alongside for dipping, and you've got a most-excellent spicy treat. All without the fat or hassle of frying.

Panko is a Japanese-style bread crumb that's made in larger flakes, rather than crumbs. It has a lighter, airier texture than regular bread crumbs that helps it crisp as it cooks ... which brings wonderful crunchy texture to dishes it's in.

And crunch is definitely what a coating of Panko brings to these family-favorite Baked Jalapeno Poppers, indeed.

And I just must say ... Oh WOW, are these Baked Jalapeno Poppers ever delicious!

My husband is a man-of-few-words. It's a HUGE compliment to get a quiet "it's good" from him about food . When he ate his first popper he said, ... and I quote ... "They're good. Excellent, excellent, excellent. Mmm!"

That's three excellents! With emphasis, no less. And that's an incredibly enormous endorsement from the hubby, my friends.

The steps to put these together may sound a bit cumbersome, but I assure you they're really not. Especially if you have your prep "assembly line" all ready.

I think it's safe to say he didn't miss the fried aspect of traditional poppers.

The steps to put these Baked Jalapeno Poppers together may sound a bit cumbersome, but I assure you they're really not. Especially if you have your prep "assembly line" all ready ...

... fill, egg dip, Panko, pan ... fill, egg dip, Panko, pan ... Repeat, repeat, repeat.

The poppers actually come together quite quickly with the "assembly line" approach, so please don't be scared away.

Here's my prep assembly line-up, all ready to go:

To get these poppers started, mix up a filling of grated sharp cheddar cheese, cream cheese, a touch of garlic powder, and chili powder.

Stuff a little bit of the cheese filling into emptied-out jalapeno halves. I found the easiest way to do the stuffing (and the whole popper assembly process, for that matter) was with the best kitchen utensils I have - my hands!

After filling with the cheese mixture, dunk each jalapeno half in egg ...

... and then roll it around in Panko bread crumbs.

Get a good coating of crumbs on the exposed cheese-top of the popper, but don't worry too much about the bottom. The crumbs tend to not stick so well to the jalapeno pepper itself, and that's okay.

A good solid coating of Panko on the cheesy top will give the crunchy texture we're looking for.

Now, you could also use regular unflavored bread crumbs, but Panko crumbs, which are bigger and crunchier than regular crumbs, give such a wonderful texture and crunch to the poppers. I highly recommend using Panko.

Place the filled jalapeno poppers on a baking sheet, and bake them up until they're golden brown.

Serve some sour cream alongside your baked jalapeno poppers for dipping, and you've got a most-excellent spicy treat. All without the fat or hassle of frying.

When enjoying your poppers, you may want to have a beverage handy, though ... these do pack quite a spicy punch. A wonderfully delicious spicy punch, that is!

Thank you for stopping by . We'd love to have you back soon!

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Appetizers & Snacks

Yield: 24 poppers

Author: Tracey |