Bacon jalapeño popper bites
Small fried balls containing bacon, cheese and jalapeño.
| Servings | 15 Portions |
| Tags | American | Chilipepper | Party Food | Side Dishes | Spicy |
| Allergens | Eggs, Milk, Wheat |
| Prep Time | 15 min |
| Rest Time | 30 min |
| Cook Time | 15 min |
I love regular jalapeño poppers and have made a few at home, but after seeing a recipe similar to this, I had to try it. The result was really good and the balls are perfect as a greasy side-snack in front of the TV or as an appetizer. It is not the most healthy dish so you should keep consumption down a bit, but sometimes you have to treat yourself to something good.
In this recipe I use regular grated cheese (cheddar), but you can use a lot of other cheeses as well. I prefer well-aged cheeses with a lot of flavor that melt well. For the cream cheese, I use ordinary non-flavored cream cheese here, but it is conceivable that using one that is flavored with fresh herbs and garlic (and then not add any garlic powder) should work really well.
As for the spicyness of these, it is possible to vary quite a lot. I think they are quite mild, but it is up to everyone to decide what they think is a sensible level. If I make these for myself, I leave the core and the seeds from the jalapenos in the batter, which raises the heat a bit. I have also seen varieties where you add a small amount of chili sauce to make them even hotter, but I have not tried that yet. I can imagine that a tablespoon of sriracha in the batter will be great.
The finished balls can be saved in the fridge for a few days and heated in the oven for a few minutes, but they are best immediately after they have been fried. They can also be frozen and then last a few months. The best variant of preparing is probably to do everything up to the step where the balls are frozen and then put them in a tight container in the freezer. There they can stay for a few months until it is time to use them and then you then continue the recipe with the breading.
I make quite small balls and there will be about 15 of them from this recipe. I think it is better to make the balls smaller to serve with a sauce of some kind - in the video I choose a simple mixture of aioli and yogurt, but here you simply use whatever you like best.
Note that the nutrition facts is calculated the ingredients and does not contain the oil added during frying. A lot of the ingredients for the breading will also not be added to the final result, so for this particular recipe, the nutritional facts should be seen more as a general guide and approximate value.
Ingredients
Directions
- Cut the bacon slices into small pieces. Fry until crispy, then drain and cool on paper.
- Grate the cheese finely. Core the jalapeños and cut it into small pieces.
- Mix fried bacon, grated cheese, cream cheese, jalapeño and garlic powder into a batter.
- Roll into small balls (about 15 of them) and place them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. It is possible to store them in the freezer (covered) a few days.
- Arrange 3 bowls. Fill the first one with the flour. Fill the other bowl with the eggs and beat them lightly. Fill the last bowl with breadcrumbs, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and salt (mix well).
- Take the cheese balls out of the freezer and dip in the flour, then the eggs and finally the breadcrumbs mix.
- Deep fry the balls in 180°C, about 3 minutes.
- Pick up the balls and let it drain on paper for a moment.
- Serve the balls as is or maybe with some kind of sauce. For classic American style, ranch dressing should work well, otherwise a quick aioli/yogurt mix also works well in my opinion.
Nutrition Facts*
| Total | Serving | 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 1892.4 kcal | 126.16 kcal | 285 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 151.52 g | 10.1 g | 22.82 g |
| Fat | 98.87 g | 6.59 g | 14.89 g |
| Protein | 79.28 g | 5.29 g | 11.94 g |
| Sugar | 10.69 g | 0.71 g | 1.61 g |
| Salt | 5.91 g | 0.39 g | 0.89 g |
* The nutritional information provided is approximated and calculated using the ingredients available in the database. Info will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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Drygast
Foodie, amateur cook, software developer, dog owner and generic old guy.
