Perfect Jalapeño Poppers {Gluten-Free}
Ingredients
- 15 jalapeño peppers
- 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, not light, room temperature
- 6 ounces (170 g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, (about 1 1/2 cup)
- ¾ cup gluten-free panko-style bread crumbs
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Put on disposable plastic gloves (the best option when working with this many jalapeños) and cut each jalapeño pepper in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and ribs.
- For the filling, mash together the cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese until combined. Fill each jalapeño evenly with the filling mixture, mounding it inside the empty shell of the jalapeño rather than pressing the filling flat (so it doesn't leak out while baking).
- For the bread crumb topping, in a shallow dish toss together the panko bread crumbs with the garlic powder, salt, chili powder, smoked paprika and black pepper.
- Grab each jalapeño pepper by the bottom and roll the top (the part with the filling) in the bread crumbs so the mixture sticks to the cream cheese filling. Take care not to smash down the filling; try to keep it nice and mounded while still getting a healthy dose of bread crumbs stuck to it.
- Return the jalapeño to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining jalapeños. Sprinkle any remaining bread crumbs over the peppers for additional crunchiness. It's ok if there's a bit of bread crumb mixture left over - you don't need to use it all.
- Bake the jalapeño poppers for 18-20 minutes until the peppers are tender and the bread crumbs are golden.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Paprika: smoked paprika, even though it's a small amount, is key in this dish! Don't leave it out if at all possible.
Panko: also, if you don't have to worry about gluten-free eating, it's obviously ok to use panko-style bread crumbs that aren't gluten-free.