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one jalapeno popper fully dressed up with toppings close up

Jalapeno Poppers

If you are looking for the best Jalapeño Poppers to serve this tailgate season, then you might want to try my jalapeno poppers recipe.
Course Appetizer, Main Dish, side, Side Dish, tailgate
Cuisine American
Keyword gameday, jalapeno, jalapeno poppers, jalapeno poppers recipe, jalapeno recipes, spicy food, spicy recipe, tailgate party food, tailgate recipes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 463 kcal
Author Mahy

Ingredients

Lamb:

  • 1 pound American Lamb
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 red onion finely minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder regular or spicy
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro

Cream cheese Filling

  • 4 ounce cream cheese
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • 2 scallions chopped
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder

Jalapeños

  • 10 large jalapeños sliced in half lengthwise, seeds and membranes removed
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese

Toppings: (optional)

  • Avocado
  • Tomatoes
  • Sour cream
  • Green onions
  • Black olives sliced
  • More cilantro

Instructions

  1. Start by making the lamb mixture.
  2. Preheat a heavy skillet over medium Hugh heat and add the oil.
  3. Start cooking the onions until they’re soft.
  4. Add in the American lamb.
  5. Season the lamb with all the spice blend above and cook with onions over medium high heat.
  6. Cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently until the lamb is cooked.
  7. USDA recommends cooking ground lamb to 160 degrees.
  8. Turn off the heat and finish off with cilantro.
  9. Set aside.
  10. In a large bowl, mix all the cream cheese filling ingredients and blend well.
  11. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  12. Place the jalapeños on a baking sheet, cut side up.
  13. Fill each jalapeño half with a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture.
  14. Top that with a tablespoon of the lamb mixture.
  15. Finish off with more shredded cheddar cheese.
  16. Bake the jalapeño poppers for 16-20 minutes (depending on the size of your peppers)
  17. Remove from the oven.
  18. Serve on a cutting board with your favorite toppings, or serve as is!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Recipe Tips

  1. Use American Lamb to really taste the difference! And don’t skimp on the lamb topping!
  2. You can prepare the lamb mixture fully cooked ahead of time. Store the lamb in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
  3. Make extra of the lamb mixture and use it endlessly! More recipes and uses below!
  4. Pick larger size jalapeños for this recipe. They can handle more filling and are easier to work with.
  5. If you want to make this recipe less spicy, just make sure you remove ALL the seeds and membranes from the insides of the jalapeño.
  6. It’s best to wear gloves if you’re new to working with hot peppers.
  7. The filling ingredients can be made spicier by adding chilli flakes if you want a really spicy popper recipe!
  8. The jalapeño poppers are ready as soon as the cheese melts and the peppers soften up a bit.
  9. Serve these as is for a delicious appetizer or add some nachos toppings for a crowd pleasing and unique nachos!
  10. Leftover Jalapeno Poppers can be stored in the fridge for upto 3 days and reheated in the oven or served cold for lunch with a salad.
  11. To freeze jalapeno poppers: prepare the poppers, stuff them and freeze them on the baking sheet. Bake them on the day of serving and increase baking time by 4-6 minutes.
  12. To freeze baked and ready poppers, simply freeze leftovers and reheat them in the oven for 5 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Jalapeno Poppers
Amount Per Serving
Calories 463 Calories from Fat 351
% Daily Value*
Fat 39g60%
Saturated Fat 19g119%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 14g
Cholesterol 116mg39%
Sodium 593mg26%
Potassium 295mg8%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 900IU18%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 314mg31%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.