It’s football season, and it’s about time for a proper jalapeño popper recipe on this food blog! These jalapeño poppers are lighter than most since they’re baked, not fried, and bacon-free (more on that in a minute).
These jalapeño poppers are stuffed with a fresh, herbed cream cheese mixture and topped with just enough cheddar cheese to turn golden. They are beyond delicious, and they’re not greasy at all. If a popper could be gourmet, this one is! I think they’re going to be your new favorite.
The inspiration for these stuffed jalapeños came from my assistant-turned-friend Megan’s birthday party for her husband. The guests all brought party snacks and a few even brought Cookie and Kate recipes, which was a fun surprise.
Someone brought jalapeño poppers wrapped in bacon, and I eyed them enviously. Being a vegetarian and a former bacon lover, I can appreciate the crisp, rich, smoky flavor that bacon must have brought to those poppers.
I came home with the mission to make bacon-free jalapeño poppers that taste just as good. Around that time, Kettle Brand reached out for a sponsorship and sent me the most amazing Organic Country Style Barbecue potato chips. I have a soft spot for potato chips and they made my jalapeño popper dreams come true!
The barbecue potato chips offer a similarly crisp, rich, smoky flavor that I can’t get enough of. Bonus? The chips are gluten free, so that means these poppers are gluten free as well. Poppers for everyone!
Jalapeño Popper Notes & Tips
How to slice your peppers
Most jalapeño popper recipes suggest slicing the jalapeños in half, but there is a better way! If you slice off the top one-third of the pepper lengthwise, you’ll have a stronger pepper shape to stuff. It will retain its shape better in the oven, and you can stuff a little more into each one this way.
Top with cheddar cheese
Instead of mixing cheese into the cream cheese mixture (which makes the mixture bubble up and turns the poppers to the side), I simply topped each popper with a small amount before baking. That way, you get the best of the cheese flavor (the golden part) without the trouble.
Keep an eye on them
Pull the poppers out of the oven just as the cheese is turning golden, around 11 to 12 minutes into baking. If you go much longer, the cheese might turn the poppers to the side. If that happens, though, no worries—just use a spoon to scoop it back inside. You’re going to cover them with a potato chip-and-herb mixture anyway.
How to crush your chips
To crush the chips, you can blend them in a food processor until they’re broken into fine crumbs. If you don’t have one, you can crush them with a rolling pin or smash them around in a sturdy bag!
Watch How to Make Jalapeno Poppers
Please let me know how these jalapeño poppers turn out for you in the comments! Your feedback is so important to me.
Craving more meatless party snacks? Here are a few more to love: Baked Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Chunky Avocado Salsa, Ultra Crispy Baked Potato Wedges, Loaded Veggie Nachos, and the Best Red Salsa.
PrintBaked Jalapeño Poppers
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 peppers 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
This lightened-up baked jalapeño popper recipe will be a big hit! They’re stuffed with fresh, herbed cream cheese, and topped with a crispy and irresistible barbecue potato chip topping. Plus, they’re vegetarian and gluten free. Recipe yields 12 stuffed peppers.
Ingredients
- 12 large jalapeño peppers
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
- ¼ cup chopped green onion, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese, optional
- 1 big handful Kettle Brand Country Style Barbecue potato chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Cut off one-third of each pepper lengthwise (see photos). Use a small spoon (a serrated grapefruit spoon works great) to scoop out the seeds and membranes from each pepper, and discard those pieces.
- In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, ¼ cup chopped cilantro and green onion, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Stir to combine.
- Stuff the peppers with the cream cheese mixture (you might have a small amount left over). Top each of the peppers with a small mound of cheese lengthwise.
- Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and starting to turn golden.
- Meanwhile, place a big handful of chips in a food processor and process until the chips are broken into tiny pieces (or, you can crush them under a rolling pin). Stir the feta, if using, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of cilantro and green onion into the chips.
- Transfer the jalapeño poppers to a large serving dish and top each pepper with the crushed chip mixture. Serve!
Notes
Storage suggestions: If you have leftovers (which is unlikely!), they keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days. Gently reheat in the microwave or oven before serving.
Prepare in advance: I haven’t tried, this, but I believe you could stuff the peppers in advance and refrigerate for later. When it’s time to bake, top them with cheese and proceed as written.
▸ Nutrition Information
This post was created in partnership with Kettle Brand chips. Check out their Instagram page for more snack inspiration! Opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K.
Tracy
Genius tip for cutting the jalapenos! I’m all over this! Thanks for sharing Ü
Kate
You’re welcome, Tracy!
Danica
These look fantastic!!! Poppers are my #1 guilty pleasure. I also like that you partner with high quality brands.
Kate
Hi Danica! Thanks so much. Kettle is a great brand and I do enjoy their products. Happy to hear you do too!
Laura
These look wonderful! Do you think subbing goat cheese for the cream cheese would work well?
Kate
I’m a big fan of goat cheese! I like the creaminess and softness of the cream cheese for this. But let me know if you try goat cheese!
Gillian
These look SO. GOOD. Will be making soon!
Kate
Let me know what you think, Gillian!
Marie
This looks delicious, can’t wait to try them.
Kate
Please report back on what you think, Marie!
Grace
Something I’d like to try! Can I substitute the herb powders with fresh onion and garlic? A family member doesn’t like cilantro.. is there anything I can try adding to the mixture? Thank you!
Gaby Dalkin
This is the ultimate game day snack!
Kate
Agreed!
Katie
I love this! We keep the crumbs at the bottom of Kettle & tortilla chips to add to all kinds of things, love them in breakfast scrambles.
Kate
Great to hear! Oh, I like that. I will need to think about adding some to breakfast dishes.
Rachel
Made these the other night and they were amazing! I only used 8 jalapenos because it was just for me and my husband. I still used the full cheese filling recipe and used the leftovers on my morning bagel…. Fabulous!!!! It was an Asiago cheese bagel BTW :)
I loved the recommendation on how to cut the jalapenos. Which allowed for maximum cheesiness! I found that if I looked at how the jalapeno was naturally sitting on the cutting board it made it easier to determine where to cut the top and it avoided any cheese spillage in the oven.
I love your recipes Kate. Keep them coming!!!
Kate
That does sound fabulous! Thanks so much for trying it and reporting back, Rachel.
Raheem
Im going to try this tonight, and yes i like the idea for how to cut the jalapenos, but also like your idea for determining how the jalapenos sit to minimize spillage
Annie
I made them last night of a sports party. Everyone loved them! Especially the hostess – she asked for the recipe!
Kate
That’s great! Thank you, Annie for the comment and review.
Cocodiville
Ohhh my gosh, these were incredibly delicious!!! Everyone was drooling over them! The BBQ chips are genius! This will become my go-to party snack. Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome!! Thanks for sharing. The chips send them over the top!
grammasue
KATHRYNE: Thank you so much for sharing an amazing recipe. Our family loves poppers. I have also used a similar recipe using cream cheese, cooked spicy ital. sausage and a little monterey jack cheese (combined)… stuffed, topped with seasoned bread crumbs and baked till brown. I love your idea of topping with the potato chip crumbs! I will try that next time! Thank you again!
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing your family’s variation.
JenniferB
I made these for my husband and I tonight (along with some Spanish rice) and they were SO good!
Kate
Oh, I’m liking that combination Jennifer! Thanks for sharing.
Dpny
Loved the idea of pairing the poppers with Spanish rice. I will be serving this meal plan as soon as I can get to the supermarket!!
Carrie Esper
I made these twice already. First with jalapeños and the second time with mild mini peppers since the jalapeños were a tad to spicy for me (but my hubby didn’t think so). Really, really good. The kettle chips were a great addition!
Kate
Nice substitution, Carrie! Thanks for sharing and for your review.
Anamaria
You had me with this recipe until you mentioned potato chips.I just can’t do potato , I think they are too salty and too greasy with no redeeming calories. Have you tried any other way to crisp these up? I would love another idea.
Kate
Hi Anamaria! These are quite delicious even without the potato chips. Otherwise you could try using bread crumbs, which aren’t really any better than potato chips, but I’d just skip the topping.
Gin
Some finely grated and blotted dry fresh potato should crisp up nicely as a topping for the “final bake”.
Missy
If no bacon then use some chipotle powder for smokiness
Kenneth Remi House
crushed cornflakes
Dera
Both to me as a lifelong vegetarian, and to my husband who is not vegetarian, this recipe is delicious and perfect as written. I look forward to making these to share at our next family gathering. Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Dera! I appreciate the review.
Kate
I’m happy to hear you both enjoyed them!
Leslie
I made these last night then refrigerated them (with the shredded cheese too) to be baked this morning for a lunch potluck. I did take them out of the refrigerator while the oven was preheating, just to take some of the chill off the baking dish. Everyone at the potluck thought they were delicious!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Leslie!
ali
I doubled the recipe and for bacon lovers in the family, I cut the bacon in half and bumped up the temp to 450 and cooked those bad boys about 20 minutes.
Great recipe! They were gone within a half hour…so yummy!
ali
I loved the idea of the potato chips…I used the mesquite kettle bbq chips like suggest in the recipe and kicked it up a notch with hot Cheetos! One happy eater exclaimed “you had me at hot Cheetos”. Mixing the two was delish!
Awesome recipe, girl!
Lisa
Try flamin hot popcorn
It’s the bomb!
Recipe is on deck for tonight, and thank you…
Get ready mis jalapeñitos!!!!
Kate
Thanks, Ali!
Jo K
Made these as an app for my partner’s parents Christmas dinner. I had never made jalapeno poppers before and they came out really great. I pre made the cream cheese filling and pre cut the jalapenos. Then i assembled them at our host’s home and popped them in the oven. Really yummy! I will be making these again :) thank you
Kate
Great appetizer for a holiday gathering! I’m glad they were a hit with everyone, Jo. I appreciate the review!
Bev Marburger
These are amazing – I’m addicted to these – I’ve made them 4 times in 2weeks.
Can you tell me the calorie count if you figuired out?
Kate
Hi Bev! I’m glad you love them. The nutrition information is below the recipe notes.
Allison
Oh wow! These are amazing! I made them for a casual wine and cheese night and they blew everyone out of the water!! The chips add such a great added crunch — and I have a friend on keto and if you leave the chips off then they are keto friendly! A great addition to any gathering, can’t wait to make again!
Kate
Great to hear, Allison!
Patti
Loved the poppers. I made them for our Super Bowl snack. Very delicious without a lot of breading and no frying. Will definitely make these again. Yummy!
Danielle
These were FABULOUS! I took them to my Bunco group tonight and came home with an empty platter! Everyone really enjoyed them! This will definitely be a recipe that I add to my go to list!
Kate
Wonderful, Danielle!
Natalie Corina
I am going to try these but wondering do they need to be eaten right out of the oven or can they sit for a couple hours after they are cooked?
Danielle
I covered them when I took them out of the oven and took to Bunco. They were still amazing a couple of hours later!
Ariel Jensen
What do you do with the remaining tops of the peppers? My peppers are huge and there are a lot of leftovers that I don’t want to waste.
Kate
I discarded them, but maybe you could save them for another dish!
Bob
I took 2 tops, diced up and mixed in with the cream cheese. The rest I used for breakfast omelettes.
Kim Quinn
May sound weird but I take tell cut off pieces, dice, saute with a bit, bit of oil. Drain on paper toweling and 1. toss with shredded cheese over freshly made popcorn….2. sometimes toss over scrambled eggs or in omlets.
Olivia
Ariel,
If you like spicy, I’d chop them up and add them to the cream cheese mixture!
That’s what I’m planning on doing when I make them tonight :)
Also, Kate, I’m gonna add some Morningstar Farms bacon to the topping on half and try the other half with the chips.
Can’t wait to try!
Kristine Aoki
Chopped fresh jalapeños mixed with butter to make “spicy butter” are yummy on a toasted cheese bagel or toasted cheese bread!
Lamar Beard
Hi Kate,
I can’t eat any simple carbs. I make a mix of lintels with cut portobella mushrooms, red flax seed, and spice (chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and a little red pepper) cooked in a crock pot overnight until soft. I stuff the jalapenos with this mix topped with Nutritional yeast and sesame seeds. I use the bottom of the spoon to mash the sesame seeds into a firm topping so the lintel mix stays intact will roasting. I roast these over a hot grill for about 12-14 minutes. Perfect!!!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Lamar!
Joy Cheung
This was amazing!
Nick
I subbed blue cheese for cheddar, and used sour cream and cheddar kettle chips. Probably the best popper I’ve ever had in my life.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Nick!
Tiffany Pothapragada
Love the blue cheese idea with BBQ chips!
Alex
Hi Kathryne,
I found your recipe by chance, but it was the best thing that happen. I was really intrigued by suggestion to cut 1/3 of the pepper, rather than traditional half. Skeptical at first, but you made me a believer. I followed your recipe and had the best jalapeño popper I ever had. Total success with the rest of the family!!! Great receipt and easy to follow instructions! Thank you!
Alex C
Kate
I’m happy you came to the recipe! thanks or sharing.
Sharon McIntyre
Awesome, Very tasty and all the helpful hints made this recipe a breeze❣️
Kate
I’m glad you loved them and the tips were helpful, Sharon! I appreciate your review.
Anika
These poppers were excellent. I used shredded red onion instead of green onion and colby cheese instead of cheddar. Thanks for this great recipe!
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Anika!
Megan
I made these today but cut them in half to make them go farther. Loved the crunchiness of the chips and the flavour of the filling. Great recipe!
Kate
Thank you, Megan!
Viviana Tharp
Baked jalapeno poppers are a winner! I’m not keen to eating hot jalapenos, but this was delicious and sweet! You were right, no leftovers! Definitely will make again. We grow jalapenos, so a good fit for Oklahoma tables. My family doesn’t like cilantro and I was out of onion powder. With those omitted, it was still delicious. We loved the two cheeses, cream cheese and sharp cheddar, and the extra was used for snacking. I split my peppers to stretch for more servings, and they did not roll over. I used my cast iron cornbread cake pan; it has 7 slots to make corn shaped cakes, and the jalapenos fit well and cooked well in it. A great recipe!
Kate
Hooray! It’s impossible to have leftovers with these. Thanks for sharing, Viviana.
Bob B
I stumbled across this recipe earlier today, subscribed. I went to visit a friend for the day, he’s a shut in, so I thought I would stuff some jalapeños. I picked up a dozen and a half peppers, cream cheese, grated cheddar and a small bag of the kettle BBQ chips. I grabbed a bag of bocca crumbles from my freezer to mix into the cream cheese to add a meat texture. I loved your idea for slicing the pepper and used a melon baller to remove the seeds and membrane. I didn’t take the recipe with me but I mixed what appeared to be equal parts of cream cheese and crumbles together, I added a tsp each of Cumin and Tumeric to the mixture. I stuffed the peppers and topped with grated cheddar. I also sprinkled the peppers with the crushed chips and baked them in a toaster oven at 350 for 45 minutes. I have to tell you they were excellent! We ate a half dozen peppers each and each pepper was better than the one before. They were so good that my buddy plated the leftovers and hid then away! I look forward to going through more of your recipes for inspiration. 5 starts for our first corraboration! Cheers! Happy 4th!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Bob! I like your mix-in ideas. I appreciate the review!
Tim
In lieu of the potato chips I used a little liquid smoke in the cheese mixture. It adds a subtle smokiness with fewer carbs.I also added two tbs of goat cheese to the mixture.
Thank you for the recipe. I too enjoy poppers but try to avoid deep fried and breaded food.
Kate
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing, Tim.
Greg Solomon
Katie,
Why do you have to start your recipe off with a reference to football?
No one in my family…and a large amount of former football fans…have not watched the NFL for the past 3 years…ever since black racist players decided to desecrate our flag, our veterans, and our anthem by groveling on their knees during the anthem.
Kate
Hi Greg, I’m sorry you are offended by the start to this post. It was all light hearted knowing the season at the time and that lots of people enjoy watching the game. I personally don’t what football based on interested. Again, I’m sorry you were offended.
Harold Holt
Greg this is a recipe review comment section, a recipe review section for some lovely poppers which I thoroughly enjoyed!!
Did you not make the poppers because of the football reference? Oh my!
SZW
Made a batch of these, followed the recipe as written. It was very tasty, but packed a bite! A little went a long way.
Kate
Thank you for your feedback and review!
Julie Burton
Wow these look lovely and so much healthier and perfect for my weight loss journey, I’ve been putting different things each day alongside my soup at lunchtime and I will making these.
Kate
I hope you like them!
Ben Lipken
I made these for my dad’s reunion as a test to see if I wanted to make them for entertaining myself, It was hard to not just eat them myself. I was a little worried about how the consistency would be without frying it but the chips really did do a good chop of adding a crunch. I’ll be making a second batch in the morning.
Kate
Wonderful, Ben! Thanks for your review.
Donna
I wonder if the left over filling would be any good in a stuffed mushroom?
Kate
I bet it would! Let me know if you try it.
Cristina
Excellent! Made these this evening. Substituted dry dill for cilantro and omitted chives. Followed the rest of the recipe exactly and turned out delicious! Thank you for kindly sharing
Kate
You’re welcome, Cristina! Thanks so much for your review.
Karen
How do you define ‘large for the peppers? How long should they be, or better yet, how many grams do they weigh? The way you cut them is genius!!!
Kate
Hi Karen! It’s so hard to determine by weight as they can vary. I would say large, like thumb size? Or the largest ones you can find at the store.
Karen
Ok, thumb size helps…the large ones I recently bought were 5-6 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter…I will just call those colossal for now.
Kate
Good! I’m glad that’s helpful.
Ruth
This recipe is a keeper! Genius way to cut the peppers for optimal stuffing. The crushed potato chips add nice texture. My husband and I both loved them and are thinking of different stuffing variations, such as pimento cheese, sausage, or even crab. These poppers would be an impressive dish to take to a pot-luck event. Tasty!
Kate
I like the idea of pimento cheese! Thanks for sharing, Ruth.
Johnna Harvey
I am making them right now with crab!
Tim Tucker
Fantastic recipe! Thank you so much!
Danielle
I love these poppers with a twist!
Since moving to Saudi Arabia where all pork products, including bacon, are prohibited, I’m always looking for substitutes. The crushed BBQ crisps topping is genius!
Melissa
Danielle, I grew up in KSA and understand the “no pork” rule. I love the potato chip option as a topping.
I’ve actually had veggie burgers that have several slices of these potato chips put in at the last minute, which makes you think you’re eating a bacon cheeseburger, LOL.
Kate, this recipe is awesome. It’s easy and adaptable, based on supplies. We tried them recently with smoked Gouda— yum! Thanks for the post and the ingenious way to cut/stuff the peppers. (I save the cut outs for my guacamole, which is great to serve alongside these poppers!)
Courtney
Hi, Kate. I finally made these tonight, and I am loving them. Sadly, I didn’t have Kettle chips, or cilantro, but I made mine with cream cheese and cheddar, a small diced red onion, and I added in the rest of the jalapeño diced up into the cream cheese as well, topped with only plain potato chips I had, but still…it is really enjoyable. And, yeah, I would not have cut the jalapeño that way if I was making up the recipe myself, but it’s a very smart technique for filling the peppers. You definitely do an amazing job. Thanks for the inspiration. There was a farmer at the farmers’ market this year that had the best jalapeños I’d ever tasted, so I used both your jalapeño relish and this recipe to eat a lot of them. Both of these recipes are perfectly delicious. You are an excellent chef and baker. I use lots of your recipes to make things at home, and they always turn out so fabulous, even if I don’t have the all of the exact same stuff that you use.
Kate
Thanks for sharing!
Dave
I’ve been making these for 30 plus years. You using garden or canned ones? I’m going to try my fresh ones from garden.
Kate
Hi Dave! I used fresh ones for this recipe.
Mary Ann Spann
Thank-you so much for great recipes! Love seeing Cookie! You have several of us in my family following you from Alabama. Best wishes to you and your family.
Brittany
I made these tonight to take over a friend’s house and they were delicious. I have been making jalapeno poppers for years and never thought to cut the top 1/3 instead of in 1/2. Made it so much easier! Can’t wait to make these again so I can have a few more. Lastly, I had extra cream cheese left over so I brought veggies and people enjoyed the inside stuffing of these as is! Love that no food was wasted.
Kate
Great to hear you loved this version, Brittany!
Tracy Diane Johnson
Made these as an appetizer for Thanksgiving. They were amazing!! We all loved them. I didn’t have Kettle BBQ chips, but happened to have some jalapeno-flavored Kettle chips and those worked out beautifully!! I agree that the 1/3 cut on these lengthwise is the best, they held the filling and cooked perfectly. I have tried other jalapeno popper recipes, but this is my favorite!!
Ami
Can you make the filling ahead of time for a party ?
Kate
That could work, just make sure it softens before you spread it into the peppers!
manasa peri
Love it.. I was looking for simple but tasty appetizers for a dinner and this is perfect.. its healthy but not too healthy that guests roll their eyes ;) ..cheese, a bit of spice and the crispiness from the chips..perfect Will double the recipe.
Kate
Thank you for sharing and for your review!
Diana
So delicious! Thank you for the recipe, we make these often! (I’m addicted to Kettle jalapeno chips lol) The crushed BBQ chips on these poppers are genius!
Kate
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review, Diana.
sue
These are amazing.. I made them as a meal every Sat night for like a year.. never get sick of them.. I even add cilantro to the chips in processor because I love cilantro so much. :))))
Kate
I bet cilantro would be nice here! Thank you for sharing, Su.
Kathy
I’ll be making these tonight for the Super Bowl! Love Jalapeno poppers! I’ll let you know how they turn out! Go Chiefs!
Kate
Go Chiefs! I hope they were a hit, Kathy.
Kathy
They were brilliant and a definite hit!!
Linda Anderson
Needed a fairly easy appetizer and tried these. Really good! One party guest said they were the best jalapeño peppers he had ever had (must have been an expert!).Will definitely keep this in our faves, thank you!
Lyndelle
Messaging from Australia. Last night we hosted an “All American Night” and as part of my “American menu” I made your Baked Jalapeno Poppers.
I checked with my local fruit and vegetable retailer last week to check if he stocked them as I had never bought jalapeños before. They made sure they got them in for me this week.
Your instructions were easy to follow and the poppers turned out perfectly. Most of our guests had never eaten jalapeños before and all loved them.
Due to juggling timing/oven space, I cooked them then set them aside for about an hour then placed them in the warming drawer to heat through.
I will definitely make these again
Thanks for sharing
Lyndelle
dre
i made these and they are delicious! the bbq chips add the perfect crunch. can i freeze them? and if so, should i freeze them unbaked?
Kate
Thanks Dre, glad to hear it! I haven’t tried freezing these. I think they would freeze relatively well. I would actually freeze them after baking. Let them cool completely before freezing. To reheat, just bake them until they’re warmed through again. The chips will likely get soggy in the process, so save those for adding at the end, if possible.
nancy caltabiano
We made this the other night, and it was so good we made it again within the week! It’s truly easy, and delicious! A keeper and a sharer!!
MT
Thanks for the recipe. I made it for my wife and she loved it.
Merline
This was delicious!
I was too lazy to mix the chips with the cilantro and green onions and I slightly over baked it.
But it still tasted great. Will definitely make it again.
Also, I hate deep frying – baking is always a better option!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Merline! I’m glad you loved it.
Linda Silvester
Delicious recipe. I replaced the chips with panko breadcrumbs while they bake, which gave them a nice crunch.
Lauren
Soooo good! Huge hit with everyone! Love your recipes!
Newyorking
OMG this is SO SO SO SO SO good!!! I LOVE it! And love the barbecue chips on top. I made it one day, kept some in the fridge for the next day and devoured it. Now I am making another batch. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water. However, jalapeños are SO darn spicy! I have never eaten jalapeños in this manner and always loved the fried poppers in bars, frying definitely makes it much much less spicy. But eating it this way, no matter how much I baked, some of them were so spicy I couldn’t take another bite and had to throw it out. Ugh. But the ones that were milder were so good. Which jalapeños should I use to make it not so spicy? I mixed cream cheese with feta and goat cheese, both my favorite. Also tried mozzarella and parmesan. Cream cheese is the main taste and feta adds a nice tanginess too, so I recommend these two cheeses.
Kate
Hi! I’m glad you liked it. I would just make sure your jalapenos don’t have any seeds remaining as that is where a lot of the heat comes from. Thank you for sharing!
Newyorking
I removed all the seeds but it was still hot. I have made this a few times now, this time I scooped as much out as I could and that helped a bit. I also tried this with only cream cheese and no chips, and it tastes much better with feta and goat cheeses and the crunchiness on top. Any chips is better than nothing! Now I keep buying jalapeños to make this more and more!
Rebecca
These were so good! We made them in advance and they turned out great. When it was time to cook them we added the cheddar and heated them up on the bbq. Delicious!
Danna
We made these tonight and they are delicious! We had grown some jalapeños in our very small garden this year, and I was looking for something tasty to prepare with them. This was perfect and will definitely be my go-to recipe for future jalapeños. We prefer them without the crushed potato chips.
Jill
I made these and topped with dried onion (like French’s in the can) and everyone raved over them!!! Will be making again soon!!!! #bighit
Jeannine Suitors
OMG, loved the poppers!!! I substituted herb and garlic goat cheese for the cream cheese, other than that followed the recipe. So delicious!
Mary
Made these for our vegetarian friends. We all loved them! Followed the recipe to a tee and will definitely make them again!
Kate
Love it! Thanks for sharing, Mary.
MONICA
These are very, very good and we like them better than the bacon wrapped poppers (we are now vegetarians and we were looking for a different option). I saved the removed 1/3 pieces of the jalapenos and will be looking for a way to use them. Thank you for sharing!
Kathy Armstrong
I will be making these for the first time for my daughter. I would like to know if these can be frozen before adding the chips?
Kate
Hi Kathy, I don’t think these would freeze the best. But, let me know how it works if you try it.
Lauren Gadd
Love this recipe!
Cadi
This was OUTSTANDING. At first I was wondering how it would turn out. Trust me, it turns out AMAZINGLY!!
Kate
I’m happy you love it, Cadi! Thank you for sharing.
Paige Serventi
These were a huge hit with my family and friends for my birthday party! I loved them even one of my friends who doesn’t like jalapeños loved this recipe. Can’t wait to make them again
Gustav
Delicious! One of my favorites now!
Liz
Came out awesome especially for a first try! Did add bacon too the cream cheese though! Haha
Norma Ray
I like to make the bacon wrapped stuffed jalapenos and hide a few for breakfast the next morning. They make the best omelets when chopped up in the eggs. You already have the bacon and cheese so it makes perfect sense.
P.S. love your cutting method.
Mia Connolly
I followed the recipe and put them on a cookie sheet, put them on the top shelf in a barbecue grill while we were barbecuing and they cooked for about 20 minutes. They were starting to blister. They were absolutely delicious!!! My husband doesn’t normally like jalapeno poppers and he loved these. my niece just emailed me and asked me which recipe I used. Also, you can use a metal baby spoon to scoop out the membranes and seeds.
Kate
That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing, Mia. I appreciate it.
Pamela Anne LaVallee
I made these poppers and followed the recipe but I used blue cheese for the top. I also baked them with the potato chip topping to make it crispy. Yummy!
Thank you for all of your great recipes!
Lanie
Jalapeño bacon poppers are always my go to appy for any occasion. I’m excited to try this recipe for my vegetarian friends. I’ve prepped jalapeños poppers the day before. They hold up well in the fridge before baking! I’m sure this recipe would as well.
Amznwmn
I made this recipe as written and it was great! Then, I switched things up a bit.
Instead of using the crushed chips as topping, I crushed them a little finer and used them in place of bread crumbs, after dipping in milk, then flour, then milk and then the chips. Baked the breaded peppers and they were great! Thanks for the idea!
Ali
These were great! I just want to mention that if you make a thin slice off of the jalapeño’s bottom, it will “anchor” the entire jalapeño and it won’t roll over in the oven or on the plate. Hope that makes sense!
cat
i have made 2 batches of poppers from 2 other recipes, and both times the jalapeños flattened out and the cheese ran all over the place, and i didn’t even cook them as long as the recipe said to – very disappointing! i like your idea of just cutting off part of the top of pepper instead of cutting them in half, it looks like it makes a stronger “boat.” i think i’ll mince up the cut off pieces and add them to the cheese. wish me luck!
Jill
LOVED these! I didn’t have any chips on hand so I made them without but they were delicious!!
Poornima
This looks delicious and I’d like to try it tonight. Can I substitute plain Greek Yogurt for the cream cheese?
Kate
Hi! I haven’t tried it and I’m hesitant it may have a little too much water content to work the same. Let me know if you try it!
Poornima
Thank you for your prompt response! I agree with your concern about the water content in Greek Yogurt.
Francine Marcinczyk
I had to substitute parsley for cilantro, red onions for green scallions, grated mozzerella for cheddar and it turned out great, delicious! Thank you for this recipe.
Edweena
These were delicious and a big hit at our cookout! I substituted crumbled bacon for the chips .
Shobhna
I can’t wait to try this recipe. In instructions #2, do I mix the sharp cheddar and optional feta with the cream cheese mixture before stuffing peppers with the cheese??
Love your vegetarian and gluten free options in recipes. Thank you. All the best.
Kate
Hi! You don’t add the topping cheese until step 3 and add that on top. I hope that helps!
Trish Gross
These are quick to make and delish! A tasty way to make poppers. However, the jalapenos were from the garden and you can never tell how hot they are going to be! The peppers we used to make these were inferno HOT! Everyone was jumping around saying yum but where is the milk!
Erin
I’ve made these a handful of times now and my family and I can’t get enough of them! This is a WONDERFUL recipe – thank you so much for sharing it! Keep up the amazing work, Cookie and Kate :-)
Kate
Thank you! I’m happy you loved it, Erin.
Samantha P
I have made this about 7-8 times now. I half the jalapeños to get the maximum amount of poppers, do not use chips at all, but mix about 2tbsp of bacon bits into the cream cheese mixture. It is always absolutely divine. Such great flavours. I had the extra mixture on toast for breakfast this morning, and it was soooo good.
Donald Lain
These are great. The problem is I’m cooking. When I put them out they are all gone before i can get there. I tried making extra for me but they found them anyway. I don’t even know how they taste !!!Don
Heather E.
These were so fun and easy to make! I only had 4 large jalapeños. I was going to make a third of the recipe but instead, I cut my jalapeños in half and made half the filling recipe(omitting cilantro because it tastes like soap). I did not have the potato chips either but I didn’t miss them.
Kate
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Heather.
Jessica
Very good! Thanks for the recipe! I doubled it and omitted the green onions because I forgot them and used 1 tsp of each seasoning. So Perfect!!
Joy
You don’t mention where to add the cheddar (in the poppers? in the dip?) unless I keep skimming right over it.
Kate
Hi Joy! Where is says to top with the cheese. I hope this helps! The post itself will help describe my method if you are still have issues.
Punita Bhansali
Everybody loved these! I didn’t have onion powder, and they still tasted great. The other ingredients all seemed really crucial though. I appreciate that Kate’s recipes are always perfected, so you can follow exactly as is and get a wonderful final product. Also, it’s a pretty easy recipe if you are looking for something new and fool-proof.
I think the step that (surprisingly) takes it to the next level is the bbq potato chip step, so I would recommend NOT leaving this out. However, we used Baked Lays bbq chips, and they still tasted delicious.
Also, since I didn’t want to waste the top third of the jalapeños, I added some of the leftover cream cheese filling to those as well, topped with cheese, baked, and the crushed chips, and they tasted really good too. It’s an option if your jalapeños aren’t too spicy.
Kate
Thank you for your detailed comment, Punita! I appreciate your review.
Lauren
Delicious! To make this vegan I used dairy free cream cheese and a bit of vegan shredded cheddar, and omitted the feta. The barbeque chip topping is fantastic. This was a great game day snack.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Lauren! I’m happy you enjoyed this and were able to make it work for you vegan.
Melissa
Hi Kate…quick question. Do you think it would be a problem to use a reduced fat cream cheese? Thanks!
Kate
Hi! That should work too. Flavor will vary, but results should be the same.
Nick
Hey Kate great recipe! I have been making similar ones with 1:1:1 cheddar, mozarella, and cream cheese. I add herbs and some fresh squeezed lemon juice in mine. The thing I wanted to suggest was keeping the cut pepper slice you remove from the top, adding a small amount of cheese, and cooking the same as the others, they are great too!
Karen M
Love the concept of the recipe but tried to make it healthier by using low-fat cream cheese. It did not work. Possibly with heavier seasoning, but it’s missing the richness of the cream cheese. I will make it again using regular cream cheese and I’m sure I will find it delicious. Rating 4 for concept, ease and potential flavor.
suzanne
These poppers are AMAZING! Made with Neufchatel instead of full fat cream cheese. Everyone loved them as an appetizer to grilled tostada night! Thank you Kate!
Carmen
Fantastic! I used only 1/4 up cheddar cheese and did slice the peppers in half, but I found that by placing them side by side, they didn’t roll over. The potato chip topping was perfect without the feta.
Thanks for sharing❤️
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it, Carmen.