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Craving something spicy to nibble or sip on? If you aren’t quite sure how to spice it up, this list of jalapeño recipes is sure to give you some inspiration! From jalapeño popper pinwheels to mango margaritas, we’ve got you covered when it comes to adding some heat to your eats!
Jump to:
- Appetizers
- Side Dishes
- Jalapeño Popper Recipes
- Main Dishes
- Cocktails
- BBQ Sauces
- Canned Jalapeño Recipes
- More Jalapeño Recipes
- FAQ
Appetizers
#1. Jalapeño Cheese Balls
These spicy, cheese balls look incredible! One bite into these would reveal a melty jalapeño and cheese mixture, covered in a crunchy, potato crust. Serve them with a tomato ketchup or get adventurous with a range of creamy, sweet and/or tangy dips! Whatever you serve them with is open to your imagination.
#2. Jalapeño Cream Cheese Bacon Bites
Is anyone else on the bacon-everything bandwagon? Bacon somehow has the ability to make both savory and sweet dishes taste amazing, such as these 3-cheese bacon bites with both homemade bacon bits and smoked-bacon cheddar to double up on that smoky flavor.
Jalapeño Cream Cheese Bacon Bites Recipe from Oh My Creative
#3. Deviled Eggs with Bacon and Jalapeño
You can surely liven up your classic deviled eggs by throwing some bacon and jalapeño into the egg yolk mixture and topping with little crunchy bits of bacon crumble and diced jalapeño. Yum!
Deviled Eggs with Bacon and Jalapeño Recipe from Chef Sous Chef
#4. Deep Fried Tex-Mex Candy Jalapeño Slices
This recipe from Sonoma Farms calls for battering ‘bread and butter’ pickled jalapeños and then deep frying them until golden brown and crispy. They can be eaten as a snack or added to sandwiches, burgers, etc. for some added spice and crunch.
Tex-Mex Candy Jalapeño Slices Recipe from Sonoma Farm
#5. Holiday Cranberry Jalapeño Dip
Mixing sweet and spicy is always a good plan. That’s exactly the kind of flavor combination Sparrows and Lily achieved with this cranberry jalapeño dip made for the holiday season. It’s a refreshing way to use up your cranberries when a simple cranberry sauce just doesn’t seem to cut it.
Cranberry Jalapeño Dip Recipe from Sparrows and Lily
#6. Jalapeño Popper Pinwheels
Here are those jalapeño popper pinwheels we were talking about. The nice thing about this recipe is the use of premade puff pastry dough, perfect for making an appetizer in a pinch! We are talking under 30 minutes and only 5 ingredients.
Jalapeño Popper Pinwheels Recipe from A Few Shortcuts
#7. Chicken Jalapeño Popper Cups
You are looking at another easy jalapeño recipe that utilizes premade phyllo pastry already shaped into cute little shells for your convenience. The cups house a mixture of three cheeses, shredded chicken, diced jalapeños, green chilies and mayo.
Chicken Jalapeño Popper Cups Recipe from Homemade Interest
#8. Pigs in a Blanket
Another unique way to serve jalapeño poppers is by turning them into a ‘pigs in a blanket’ appetizer. Sausage links and a spicy, cream cheese mixture are rolled into crescent dough and baked to golden, crispy perfection. This is a great jalapeño appetizer idea to work into your game day menu!
Pigs in a Blanket Recipe from A Gouda Life
#9. Tequila Jalapeño Shrimp
These Tequila Jalapeño Shrimp Skewers could easily be an appetizer or main dish, depending on the occasion. Perfect for a backyard party or BBQ, all that’s missing is the hot tub!
Tequila Jalapeño Shrimp Recipe from We Are Not Martha
Side Dishes
#10. Jalapeño Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits
Moving on from appetizers, we are now entering side-dish territory with these zesty, buttermilk biscuits. Lyuba from ‘Will Cook For Smiles’ offers up many suggestions for serving these fluffy biscuits; you might want to give them all a try!
Jalapeño Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe from Will Cook for Smiles
#11. Roasted Jalapeños
Roasted jalapeños are quick and easy to make and can amp up the flavors of many, many dishes such as: pizza, scrambled eggs, tacos, enchiladas, burgers, nachos. They can even be added to soups, stews and sauces. Get creative with it!
#12. Crispy Jalapeño Fries
This is the kind of share food you secretly don’t want to share! You won’t find any potato in these fries; just some simple, fried, panko-breaded strips of juicy, crispy jalapeños, served with some creamy ranch and marinara dips, no big deal.
Crispy Jalapeño Fries Recipe from Slow the Cook Down
Jalapeño Popper Recipes
#13. Jalapeño Popper Corn Dip
There seems to be a tight relationship forming between jalapeños and bacon, as we are starting to see in this list. And with good reason...I mean just look at this dip!
#14. Grilled Jalapeño Poppers
By now you’ve surely tried jalapeño poppers baked in the oven, but have you tried them grilled on the BBQ? If not, this recipe visually shows you each step of the process with the end result being a smoky, cheesy, mildly spicy bite, that are always a huge hit at our barbecues!
Grilled Jalapeño Poppers Recipe
#15. Hasselback Jalapeño Popper Chicken
The Girl on Bloor turns your classic jalapeño popper appetizer into a flavorful main by stuffing the spicy, cheese mixture into the scores of a chicken breast.
Hasselback Jalapeño Popper Chicken Recipe from The Girl on Bloor
#16. Monkey Bread
Don’t worry, you will not need to spend hours rising and baking bread, just use store-bought pizza dough to make this jalapeño popper monkey bread! Dough balls are filled with that popper mixture we all know and love, and then baked in a bundt cake pan, forming a pull-apart style bread that is perfect for serving a crowd.
Monkey Bread Recipe from Living la Vida Holoka
#17. Jalapeño Popper Quiche
If you’re thinking this quiche may be too heavy for you with such ingredients as pie crust, cream, bacon and brie cheese, you need not worry as Jessica offers up low calorie variations and tips while still maintaining the delicious factor.
Jalapeño Popper Quiche Recipe from Living la Vida Holoka
Main Dishes
#18. Jalapeño Popper Tater Tot Chicken Casserole
The textures and flavors of a jalapeño popper just happen to work extremely well in a casserole. You can simply pick up an already-cooked rotisserie chicken, some frozen tater tots and of course the popper ingredients. It’s a simple, one-dish meal that delivers!
Tater Tot Chicken Casserole Recipe from The Country Cook
#19. Jalapeño Pepper Jack Chicken Burger with Roasted Garlic Mayo
Is your stomach growling after looking at this juicy, loaded chicken burger? I know mine is! This recipe includes a roasted garlic mayo to top it all off.
Jalapeño Pepper Jack Chicken Burger Recipe from Butter Your Biscuit
#20. Jerk Pork Carnitas Tacos
These jerk carnitas are made with beer-braised pork, a spicy jerk sauce, charred corn tortillas, shredded cabbage and a spicy pineapple jalapeño salsa, all of those bright and tasty flavors you would expect from Mexican-Jamaican cuisine.
Jerk Pork Carnitas Tacos Recipe from No Spoon Necessary
#21. Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup
Although this sounds very similar, it is not at all a duplicate of the above recipe, however it’s equally as inviting. The most notable differences being the addition of salsa verde and well as the broth and garnishes. Another fall soup to add to the meal plan!
#22. Artisan Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage
This video shows you exactly how to make spicy pork-butt sausages, and it does not skimp on the spice! (Although this can be adjusted according to your taste.) The pork chunks are marinated overnight before grinding, at which point you are adding jalapeño and cheddar chunks and making a test patty to adjust the seasonings. Then you’re good to go with the casing process and out comes a sausage ring to be proud of!
#23. Dinosaur Eggs AKA Spicy Meat Bombs
These ‘dinosaur eggs’ are basically jalapeño poppers stuffed into loose chorizo sausage and wrapped in bacon! If you are a meat and potatoes kind of person and you like grilling, these spicy meat bombs are for you.
Dinosaur Eggs Recipe from Dish n the Kitchen
#24. Jalapeño Cheddar Stuffed Meatloaf
Who doesn’t like surprises? This is a meatloaf with a spicy, cheesy surprise in the middle (an entire 8 oz. brick of cheddar!). It’s covered in a ketchup glaze and topped with sliced jalapeños.
#25. White Chicken Lasagna Recipe
This white chicken lasagna is spicy on so many levels! You’ve got your fresh jalapeños, your jalapeño cheddar and some chili powder to boot. The cool Mexican crema balances out the spiciness factor and the cheesy, shredded chicken mixture nestled into layers of lasagna noodles screams of deliciousness!
White Chicken Lasagna Recipe from Mom Dot
Cocktails
#26. Spicy Mango Margarita
The rimmer you see on this mango margarita is spiced with chili powder for a nice kick each time you take a sip. The tequila cocktail itself consists of not only mango juice but fresh mango and jalapeños as well, keeping it real and full of natural flavors!
#27. Jalapeño Moscow Mule
If you like cocktails that are not too sweet, but big on zest and spice, then you will certainly enjoy this jalapeño moscow mule. If you’ve got got 10 minutes to spare, then you can let your guests wait around for a short time with some appies (I’m sure they won’t mind) while you play bartender.
Jalapeño Moscow Mule Recipe from The Lemon Bowl
#28. Grapefruit Margarita with Jalapeño
If blackberries and mangoes don’t float your boat, can we entice you with a grapefruit jalapeño margarita? This is an elegant, classy-looking cocktail, with a spicy and zesty personality.
Grapefruit Jalapeño Margarita Recipe from Monika Hibbs
#29. Strawberry Jalapeño Margarita Popsicles
These strawberry jalapeño margarita popsicles are such a fun idea for a pool party or backyard bash/bbq on a hot, summer day! I’ll be dreaming of making these next summer…
Strawberry Jalapeño Margarita Popsicles Recipe from The Little Epicurean
BBQ Sauces
#30. Spicy Mango Jalapeño BBQ Sauce
The nice thing about this homemade BBQ sauce recipe is that it has no added, processed sugars, which is a common thing for most commercial BBQ sauces. This version is naturally sweetened with fresh mango. All the more reason to make your own!
Spicy Mango Jalapeño BBQ Sauce Recipe from Vindulge
#31. Spicy Honey BBQ Sauce
Sweet with heat is the direction Mike was going with this BBQ sauce. It contains both jalapeño and habanero peppers for some variation. You can adjust the heat by adding more or less of the seeds and membrane from the chili peppers or just switching the type of peppers altogether. Whatever heat level you choose, no heat or max heat, it’s sure to be flavorful!
Spicy Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe from Chili Pepper Madness
#32. Sweet And Spicy Jalapeño Barbecue Sauce
You can’t have a barbecue, without a good barbecue sauce. What sets this BBQ sauce apart from the rest is the smoky flavor brought to you by roasting the jalapeño peppers directly over the burner before blending it into the tomato sauce.
Sweet And Spicy Jalapeño Barbecue Sauce Recipe from Dad With a Pan
Canned Jalapeño Recipes
#33. Quick Refrigerator Pickled Jalapeños
They may come out of a jar, but there are actually no canning skills required here. This recipe takes about 15 minutes from start to finish, quicker than running to the grocery store and back! They can be stored for several weeks in the refrigerator.
Quick Refrigerator Pickled Jalapeños Recipe from Flavour and Savour
#34. 3-Ingredient Candied Jalapeños
If you have too many jalapeños sitting in your fridge then you know what to do with, this is the perfect recipe to use them up! Also known as ‘Cowboy Candy’, this is a sweet and spicy treat you will want to try at least once.
3-Ingredient Candied Jalapeños Recipe from Brooklyn Farm Girl
#35. Jalapeño Pepper Jelly
Jalapeño jelly isn’t as common as a strawberry or crabapple type, but it’s worth giving it a try if you want to jazz up an appetizer (by spreading it over a block of cream cheese and serving with crackers perhaps). Or you could even warm it and use it as a glaze for pork or chicken.
Jalapeño Pepper Jelly Recipe from The Grateful Girl Cooks
#36. Perfect Pickled Jalapeño Peppers
These are some straight-up pickled jalapeño slices without any distractions. It doesn’t get any easier than this when it comes to canning this fiery topping.
Perfect Pickled Jalapeño Peppers Recipe from Frugal Mom Eh
More Jalapeño Recipes
#37. Homemade Hot Sauce
Adding a dash of hot sauce can liven up many a dish. This hot sauce starts out as charred and chopped jalapeños and onions, and by the end of it, you’ve got a smooth and saucy, spicy concoction.
#38. Honey Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins
Don’t these look scrumptious with the honey drizzling and butter melting all over these moist, cornbread muffins? Try adding a jalapeño slice to the top of each muffin to let everyone know these muffins are hot and spicy on the inside.
Honey Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins Recipe from Closet Cooking
#39. Halloween Bacon Jalapeño Mummies
It’s October, Halloween month, and so it was necessary to include a jalapeño recipe for the season! Try making these bacon jalapeño mummies and see what your guests think. They may just look too cute to take a bit out of! Then again, they look and sound too tasty to pass up.
Halloween Bacon Jalapeño Mummies Recipe from Butter Your Biscuit
#40. Easy and Fast Jalapeño Salsa
I don’t know about you, but we use up A LOT of salsa in our home. If you’re looking for a salsa that will become a staple in your kitchen, this is it. It’s the combination of jalapeños and romas that make up the base of this super easy, cooked salsa.
Easy and Fast Jalapeño Salsa Recipe from Everyday Latina
#41. Jalapeño Hummus
What haven’t we spiced up yet in this list? We can’t forget about hummus, a vegetarian staple. Once you know how easy it is to make hummus at home, you likely won’t bother picking up the premade kind. The great thing about homemade hummus, is the opportunity to add your favorite ingredients to make it your own, like the jalapeños in this recipe.
Jalapeño Hummus Recipe from Five Heart Home
#42. Crushed Chili Powder Recipe
Do you grow your own jalapeños? Or you’re just in the mood to try something new and fun with your leftover chili peppers? This recipe shows you how to dry and grind the peppers into a chili powder or flakes if you are looking for something more course.
Crushed Chili Powder Recipe from Brooklyn Farm Girl
#43. Skillet Cornbread with Cheddar, Jalapeño & Green Onions
Did you already know you can bake cornbread in a skillet, or did we just blow your mind? The jalapeños in this recipe make the cornbread pop!
Skillet Cornbread with Cheddar, Jalapeño & Green Onions Recipe from Kitchen Fairy
#44. Jalapeño Infused Tequila
We’ve got a few tequila recipes on this list, why not follow this one for infusing the alcohol with jalapeños first, and then use it in the other recipes? Just a thought…
Jalapeño Infused Tequila Recipe from Foodie Misadventures
FAQ
How many jalapeños in a pound?
You will get approximately 20 jalapeños in a pound. This can vary depending on the size of the jalapeños.
When to harvest jalapeños?
You will know your jalapeños are ready to pick when they are approximately 3" to 5" in length, firm to the touch and a dark green color.
How many carbs in a jalapeño?
One jalapeño pepper will have approximately 0.9 g carbs.
How to make jalapeños less hot?
There are several ways to make jalapeño peppers less hot including removing the seeds and membrane, cooking them and/or pickling them.
I really enjoyed bringing this collection of some of the best jalapeño recipes together, as I love eats and drinks with some heat. I hope you enjoyed it as well and found at least one or two recipes that piqued your interest.
Out of all of these hot and spicy jalapeño recipes, which is your favorite? Which one will you try first? Let me know in the comments.
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