Pimento Cheese Jalapeño Poppers

The easiest way to make perfect jalapeño poppers is to stuff them with pimento cheese. And the best pimento cheese for this technique is made with cream cheese. Don’t @ us if you’re a true Southerner and believe there’s no cream cheese in pimento cheese! We’re using this Yankee-ish type for the sake of the recipe’s success. The cream cheese adds a sticky richness that helps the filling stay together as it warms up under the bread crumb coating. All of which is to say that purchased pimento cheese really won’t work as well in this recipe, since most of it is not made with cream cheese. So make your own! Photograph © Eric Medsker Author © Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

Course

Snack

Difficulty

Easy

Cooking Technique

Instant Omni Toaster Oven and Air Fryer

Keywords

16 servings, 3 ounces, about 1 1/2 ouncescheese, air fry, at room temperature, cheese, chili, cook 8 min, dairy, do not use fat-free cream cheese, easy, eggs, fresh jalapeño chiles, garlic powder, instant omni toaster oven and air fryer, minced drained jarred pimiento, olive oil spray, onion powder, pastry, prep 10 min, regular or low-fat milk, snack, spicy street food, wheat bread crumbs

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

8 min

Servings

16 Servings

Ingredients

8 large fresh jalapeño chiles
1/3 cup shredded sharp American cheddar, about 1 1/2 ouncescheese
6 tbsp regular or low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature, 3 ounces, do not use fat-free cream cheese
1 tbsp minced drained jarred pimiento
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 large eggs
1/3 cup regular or low-fat milk
3 cups Italian-seasoned regular or whole wheat bread crumbs
Olive oil spray

Instructions

Split each jalapeño in half lengthwise through the stem. Use a small spoon to scrape out the seeds and membranes, discarding all of them. Make sure you wash your hands with soap and water after working with the chiles. If you’re particularly sensitive, wear latex or rubber gloves.
Mix the shredded cheese, cream cheese, pimientos, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl until well combined. Fill each jalapeño half with this mixture, smoothing the top of the filling flat with the cut sides of the jalapeño.
Whisk the eggs and milk in a small, shallow bowl or on a soup plate until very well combined. No bits of egg white should be floating in the mix. Spread the bread crumbs on a small serving plate.
Dip a filled jalapeño half in the egg, coating all sides and turning as needed. Pick it up, let the excess drip off, and set it aside.
In the bread crumbs, turn all ways, even on the ends, to get an even coating. Set aside, and then repeat this process with the remaining stuffed jalapeño halves. Generously coat them on all sides with olive oil spray.
Set the machine to "Air Fry." Set the temperature to 400 °F and the timer to 10 Minutes (which will be a little more than you need). Press START.
When the machine beeps, indicates "add food," or is heated to the proper temperature, set the coated jalapeño halves in the basket or on the tray, stuffing side up, in a single layer with at least 1/2 inch of space around each popper. Use separate trays or work in batches as necessary.
Air-fry, undisturbed and ignoring any "Turn Food" indicator, until the coating is crunchy and well browned, about 8 Minutes. If you’ve used multiple trays, swap them top to bottom about halfway through the cooking process.
Turn off the machine and use nonstick-safe kitchen tongs to transfer the stuffed jalapeños to a serving platter or plate. Cool for at least 5 Minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.
The stuffed poppers will stay fresh at room temperature for about an hour. They don’t store well overnight. But refresh any that have gone soggy after about 1 hour by heating them in a single layer in a 375°F air fryer for 2 Minutes.
Skip the breading altogether, both the egg-water dip and the bread crumbs. Instead, wrap a thin slice of bacon around each stuffed jalapeño half, spiraling the bacon in overlapping turns so that it covers the whole jalapeño. Air-fry as directed.
During the last minute or two of cooking, brush the bacon with maple syrup or sweet red chili sauce for a glazed coating.