This post was originally published on January 16, 2018.

A year ago I made these easy baked jalapeño poppers, and they were a hit at our small group Bible study.  These little stuffed peppers are really a perfect appetizer or snack for any celebration!  They aren’t just for the guys, either.  My great-aunt is often requested to make them for ladies only neighborhood parties!

Can you freeze jalapeño poppers?

Yes, you can freeze unbaked jalapeño poppers.  Here’s how to do it!

• Flash freeze the poppers on a cookie sheet for 2-3 hours.
• Transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to a few months.
• Place the frozen poppers on a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbling.

Can jalapeño poppers be made ahead?

Yes, you can make jalapeño poppers ahead of time.  Assemble the poppers the day before, and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them.

How to Make Jalapeño Poppers

Gather the ingredients: 12 jalapeño peppers, cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, freshly minced garlic, and sriracha sauce.

Rinse and halve the jalapeños, then scrape out the white membranes and seeds with a grapefruit spoon.

Beat the cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.

Beat in the cheddar, garlic, and sriracha sauce until smooth.

Spread the filling in the peppers, making sure not to overstuff.

Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes, until the filling is lightly browned and gently bubbling.

Make a simple dipping sauce with just two ingredients: mayo and sriracha sauce.

Mix together until smooth.

Serve with the hot jalapeño poppers with the sriracha mayo and enjoy.

Pro Tips

• Make sure the cheddar cheese and cream cheese are at room temperature before you start.  The filling will be smoother if the cheeses aren’t cold.
• If you have sensitive skin, make sure to wear food-safe gloves when your slicing and seeding the jalapeños, as they can irritate your skin.
• Keep the stems on the peppers to make them easier to eat.
• Slice the jalapeños in such a way that both halves lay flat, or the filling will slide off as they bake.
• Be careful not to overfill the poppers.  The filling puffs and bubbles as it cooks, and extra filling will fall out of the popper and stick to the tray.
• Make the poppers more spicy by drizzling extra sriracha sauce on top.
• Serve leftover popper filling with crackers or on sandwiches.

Be the star of the football party with these other crowd-pleasing appetizers.

• Buffalo Chicken Dip: make this crowd-pleasing favorite in the oven or the crockpot and serve with chips.
• Game Day Potato Skins: this hearty snack is piled with all the goodies: cheese, bacon, jalapeño, green onion, and sour cream.
• Easy Cheesy Sausage Balls for a Crowd: these tasty morsels are perfect with honey mustard dipping sauce.

Did you make these easy baked jalapeño poppers?  Please leave a star rating below the recipe to share how you enjoyed them.

Easy Baked Jalapeño Poppers

---

• Author: Emma
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 24 poppers
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Easy baked jalapeño poppers are a low carb, vegetarian finger food that’s a perfect snack on game night.  Cream cheese, cheddar, fresh garlic, and sriracha sauce make these stuffed jalapeños a crowd pleasing appetizer.  Your friends will want you to make these delicious morsels for a Super Bowl party!

---

Ingredients

For the Poppers

• 12 large jalapeño peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (226g)
• 1 cup extra-sharp white cheddar, grated (75g)
• 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce, plus extra for drizzling if desired

For the Sriracha Mayo Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce

---

Instructions

Preparing the Peppers & Garlic (25 minutes)

1. Peel and mince the garlic cloves.
2. Rinse the jalapeños and slice each one in half lengthwise without cutting off the stems.  Remove the seeds and membrane from each pepper half with a grapefruit spoon.
3. Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl and beat with a handheld electric mixer until fluffy, then beat in the grated cheese, minced garlic, and sriracha sauce until well blended.

Stuffing & Baking the Poppers (10 minutes + 15 minutes cooking)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Spread the filling inside each jalapeño, being careful not to overfill.  Place in rows on the prepared cookie sheet.  Make sure the peppers are level, or the filling will slide off as they bake.
3. Bake the peppers at 400 F for 15-20 minutes, until the filling is lightly browned and gently bubbling.
4. Let the peppers cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle with additional sriracha sauce if desired.  Serve hot with sriracha mayo.

Making the Sriracha Mayo Dipping Sauce (3 minutes)

1. Mix the mayo and sriracha sauce together until fully blended.  Serve chilled.

Notes

• If you would like a milder popper, make sure the jalapeños you are using have smooth skins.  Wrinkly-skinned jalapeños will be more spicy.
• If you have sensitive skin, wear food-safe gloves as you slice and remove the seeds from the jalapeños to prevent them from burning your skin.  Be careful not to scratch your face, if you have the jalapenos juice or seeds on your fingers.  It could cause your skin to be irritated.
• These poppers really aren’t that spicy on their own.  Drizzling more sriracha sauce on top of the baked poppers will add some more heat!

Keywords: baked, cream cheese, roasted