Fried Kicked Up Jalapeno Poppers

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004

Show: Emeril LiveEpisode: Fun Fried Foods

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (16)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(16)

Cook Time:
10 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
12 fried peppers

Times:

Prep: 25 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 10 min
Total:: 35 min

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Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for frying
12 fresh large jalapeno peppers
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Monterey Jack, grated
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 teaspoon Essence, plus 1/4 teaspoon, recipe follows
1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus 3 tablespoons, divided
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

Directions

In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed stock pot add enough oil to come 1/3 of the way up the sides of the pan. Heat oil to 370 degrees F over medium heat.

Cut a slit lengthwise in each pepper down 1 side to create a pocket. Leave stem intact and remove seeds if desired.

Combine cream cheese, Monterey Jack, crumbled bacon, and Essence. Place mixture in a zip-top plastic bag or large piping bag. (If using a zip-top plastic bag, cut and remove 1 corner of the bag, large enough so that the bacon will squeeze through.) Squeeze mixture to the bottom of the bag and fill each pepper with as much of the cream cheese mixture as will fit. Press slit edges of the pepper together to seal.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, milk and egg. Place remaining 3 tablespoons flour, panko crumbs, and 1/2 teaspoon of Essence in a shallow bowl or plate, and stir to combine.

Working in batches, dip stuffed jalapenos into the milk batter and then roll in the panko mixture, pressing to coat.

Working in batches, if necessary, gently place jalapenos in preheated oil and fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Cool slightly before serving, as the cheese is extremely hot.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Fried Kicked Up Jalapeno Poppers
Gordon Dekalb, IL 11-07-2009
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Decent
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

1st off, if you dont understand the capsaicin level in a jalapeno; you should not be cooking. This recipe is decent but... you gotta look at it as a guide. Screw his emeril essence; if you dont like it use some cumin and paprika; or garlic and onion powder. And why the hell Wouldnt you use fresh produce?! It's delicious and crisp. If you cant handle fresh produce you shouldnt be cooking either. Its got great finger food potential and definitely a crowd pleaser; I dont care what these haters say.Read more
recipe Fried Kicked Up Jalapeno Poppers
chris knoxville, TN 11-02-2009
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Absolutely Awesome
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

My wife and I loved these things. It has a fantastic mixed of flavors and a good bit of heat too. A great dish.
recipe Fried Kicked Up Jalapeno Poppers
Shawn Chesapeake, VA 10-30-2009
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Loved It!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

made these for a party recently and they were a huge hit. I paired them with a creamy ranch sour cream dip to cool them down... a bit because they were super spicy. Read more
recipe Fried Kicked Up Jalapeno Poppers
null null, null 09-01-2009
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Horendus waste of food and money
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

First off DONT BOTHER, I was looking forward to some restaurant quality poppers what i got instead were greasy flavorless... waste of money. Emerils "essence" does nothing against the spice of the jalapenos, actually the filling does nothing against the spice either. Using the fresh peppers was a mistake as they are far to big to be used as poppers. Frankly Ive been using food network for close to 5 years and over that time ive come across some dud recipes (most of them Emerils, guess i should have known) but nothing so gut wrenching as these, i actually registered an account for the sole purpose of reviewing this recipe, it was just that BAD. Read more
recipe Fried Kicked Up Jalapeno Poppers
Erin White Plains, NY 07-17-2009
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OUCH! SEVERE JALAPENO BURNS
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

I have never had a complain about any recipe on this site, I love the Food Network and Emeril, but I experienced some serious... problems just trying to CLEAN my jalapenos....there should be a WARNING on this recipe to wear gloves when deseeding/cutting the jalapenos. I was in excrutiating pain on my hands and face, in my nose and eyes, from the oils and fumed from the jalapenos getting on me. I had to call an ear, nose and throat doctor to tell me how to get rid of the pain... it lasted for over 40 minutes until the doctor told me to soak my face and hands in a big bowl of salt water. Needles to say, I didn't even get to make the poppers...... I find it irresponsible not to warn us that somethin glike this could happen from deseeding the jalapenos.Read more
recipe Fried Kicked Up Jalapeno Poppers
ALANNA NORMAN PARK, GA 05-15-2009
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AWESOME AND CRAZY KICK IN GOOD
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

THIS IS A GREAT RECIPE FOR PARTIES WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. IT TASTED GREAT BUT INSTEAD OF USING FRESH JALAPENOS YOU SHOULD... TRY USING PICKLED JALAPENOS. IT GIVES IT A MORE ZING AND A ZANG TO THE CREAM CHEESE Read more