These Roasted Jalapeño Poppers have three different cheeses, fresh cilantro, minced green onions all stuffed in jalapeños and are roasted in your oven instead of deep fried. So deliciously spicy, these will go fast at any party or gathering!
The Roasted jalapeño popper breakdown:
These are just a gluten-free and non-fried version of the game day classic. There’s not one but three kinds of cheese (does cream cheese count?) combined with fresh cilantro and green onions which are then stuffed into hollowed out jalapeño halves and roasted until bubbly and brown. If you can wait the few minutes so you don’t burn your tastebuds, you then get to consume “these spicy cradles of cheese love” as my (at the time) 13-year-old daughter exclaimed.
It literally took me longer to make these than it did for us to inhale them.
If you were to pluck off the roof to our house and peer into the kitchen at the very moment these cooled down enough to eat, it would have looked like a shark feeding frenzy. We even fought over the crispy browned bits of cheese that spilled over onto the pan. We ended up eating those with crackers.😍
To Make These Roasted Jalapeño Poppers You Will Need:
- cream cheese – Lends creaminess and is the base of the filling.
- jalapeño cheddar cheese – Or use pepper jack or Monterey Jack for less heat.
- cojita cheese (crumbled) – Can be substituted with queso fresca or crumbled feta.
- green onions – Add fresh subtle onion flavor.
- cilantro – Lends a pop of brightened distinct herbaceous freshness.
- jalapeño peppers – Try to use ones similar in (medium) size.
In a mixing bowl, add 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 1-1/4 cup freshly grated jalapeño cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup Cotija. If you can’t find Cotija, you can substitute with feta.
Next add in 2 chopped green onions and 2 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro.
Use a rubber spatula to mix it all together. It will take a few to get the mixture going, but eventually it will be spreadable.
Now here comes the fun part. I’m lying.
Rinse and pat dry 20 medium jalapeños.
Slip on a pair of nitrile gloves or any type of food-safe glove to protect your hands. Maybe even wear goggles or some form protective eye wear too. Slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise, keeping the stem intact if at all possible, for the only reason is that they look cool once roasted.
Then use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and ribs. This is where protective eyewear comes in handy.
Next use an offset spatula to fill the peppers with about a teaspoon-ish of the cheese mixture and place on a couple of rimmed metal baking sheets. Try to avoid over filling the jalapeños.
Lastly, slide the pan on to the middle rack of your preheated 450° oven.
Roast for 10-12 minutes or until the tops of the cheese are a golden brown.
Before you let loose and start inhaling these roasted jalapeño poppers, transfer them to a platter with a little dish of ranch dressing for dipping, and sprinkle it all with fresh cilantro leaves. Dipping in the ranch helps diffuse the heat a little. But only a little. Because these babes are spicy!
The perfect finger food for parties, small gatherings or midday snackaging. Which is the BEST kind of snacking there is.
Enjoy! And if you give this Roasted Jalapeño Poppers recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Roasted Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1¼ cup freshly grated jalapeño white cheddar, or substitute with either Monterey jack, pepper jack or white cheddar
- 1/2 cup Cotija cheese, or use feta
- 2 sliced green onions, light and dark green parts only
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 20 fresh jalapeños, halved with seeds and ribs removed
- cilantro leaves, for serving
- ranch dressing, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450℉ (or 232℃).
- Place the softened cream cheese, jalapeño cheddar, cotija, green onions and cilantro into a medium bowl. Use a spatula to mix until combined.
- Wearing nitrile gloves, cut the jalapenos in half and use a spoon to remove the seeds and ribs.
- Arrange the jalapeno halves on a rimmed metal baking pan and fill with about a teaspoon or so of the cheese mixture.
- Slide into the oven to roast for 10 minutes or until the tops are golden.
- Cool slightly for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
This recipe was originally posted on October 10th, 2014 and has been updated with clear and concise instructions, new photography and helpful information.
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These are my faaaaaaav!! Loving that yours aren’t deep fried. Definitely need to give these a try.
An ugly shark frenzy, huh. Well there is a certain pride in creating that situation. I am going to have to give these a whirl next time I have some folks over. Or what the hey, make them when I am alone. Then I can peacefully do the frenzy thing without anyone watching me. HA
These look delicious, love the flavor combination and the fact that they are roasted. Pinned!
I am a newbe to Simply Scratch and I’m sure like many others, I am hooked! I especially like the photos.
A huge hit! I made these as an appetizer this past weekend for a get together with friends and everyone loved them especially me! Encourage everyone to try since many commented that they were not nearly as hot as they expected. I expected them to be spicier as well – they were just right!
I used gloves and I highly recommend when cleaning out the seeds. They were not nearly as labor intensive as I thought.
@cannotwaittotrythenextrecipe
Hi Sandra! I’m so happy to hear these were a hit!
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a review
I love poppers so much! These look perfect!
This is the first time I’ve made a recipe from a blog that actually looks like the picture. I am so proud! These were awesome, even the leftovers after being refrigerated over night were good. My husband blended a couple up the next morning and put them on a bagel. Weird, but delicious.
I made these for a pot luck party and they were a huge hit! Thanks for the recipe!
Also, using a spoon to clean out the seeds sped up the process in case anyone was trying to do it like I started, just using my fingers, ugh!
I first made some jalapeño poppers a few weeks ago and they were a hit. I came across this recipe today and am making a double batch to take to a potluck tonight. I will let you know the outcome.
P.S the ones I made before did not have the scallions and cilantro in the stuffing and those were a hit. I think these will blow them away….
I can’t believe I haven’t seen this recipe earlier! (I make and love so many of your recipes/even love your cookbook:)
I have made ‘baked poppers’ for years, but have not added green onion or cilantro. I’m going to try them with green onion.
For those that don’t need to avoid gluten, sprinkle a little panko bread crumbs over the tops before baking. They add a delicious crunch.
Hi Kathleen! I’m so glad you love the cookbook (and recipes on the blog) I will definitely have to add some panko on top the next time I make these! BRILLIANT idea!