Ingredients:

  • 18-20 medium fresh Jalapeño Peppers
  • 8 oz Full-Fat Cream Cheese, softened
  • 4 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Chives, finely snipped
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • ¼ tsp Black Pepper
  • ½ cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten with 1 tbsp water
  • 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt (for coating)
  • Cooking Spray

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Wearing gloves, slice jalapeños lengthwise in half. Carefully scoop out all seeds and white membrane using a small spoon or paring knife.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, grated cheddar, chives, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until homogenous and creamy.
  4. Spoon or pipe the cheese mixture evenly into each jalapeño half.
  5. Set up the dredge stations: Place flour in the first bowl, egg wash in the second, and combine Panko, smoked paprika, onion powder, and ½ tsp salt in the third bowl.
  6. Working one at a time, coat each filled pepper half: lightly dredge in Flour (shake off excess), dip entirely into Egg Wash (allow excess to drip off), and press firmly into the Panko Mixture to ensure the entire cheese filling is covered securely.
  7. Arrange coated poppers cheese-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly mist the tops generously with cooking spray.
  8. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the coating is deep golden brown and the cheese filling is bubbling hot.
  9. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before plating and serving.