Is there anything better than gooey, melty cheese in a crispy shell? This Cheesy Jalapeno Bites are an extra cheesy and extra flavorful appetizer that is so crunchy on the outside, inside these delectable morsels are molten, gooey cream cheese, cheddar & mozzarella, fried onions, diced fresh jalapenos & garlicky herbs.
This recipes is everything that makes jalapeno poppers so good but ours are rolled into a balls, breaded & fried so they’re cheesy & really crunchy. What’s not to love?
These crispy cheese jalapeno bacon bites are perfect for game day and entertaining. There’s so much flavor packed into these extra cheesy, extra creamy, crispy fried cheese balls, they’ll disappear in a flash.
INGREDIENTS USED FOR MAKING THESE CHEESY JALAPENO BITES:
You will need the following for making this balls,
- Jalapeno Peppers – Try to find small and medium (bite-sized) jalapeno peppers.
- Cream Cheese – The key to our creamy, cheesy filling. I used light cream cheese as a healthy swap.
- Cheese – I have used Cheddar, Mozzarella and Monterey Jack Cheese here for a little heat and ooey-gooey. You can swap Pepper jack or any other cheese too.
- Garlic and Herb Seasoning – I have used Spicesquadllc Garlic and Herb Seasoning.
- Salt and Red chilli flakes – For Flavor.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – To create the most delicious crispy, crunchy topping.
- Eggs – For coating
- Flour – I have used seasoned all purpose flour here.
HOW TO MAKE THESE JALAPENO BITES?
Here is how to make this extra cheesy jalapeno bites:
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine well. Add salt to season ONLY if needed. I usually don’t add extra salt.
Using a spoon, portion out the cheese mix and make 1 inch balls. Place the balls on a tray, and freeze for about 10 – 15 minutes until they are firm (but not frozen). You can keep them covered in the fridge overnight as well.
Mix all the ingredients for the spiced flour mix. Lightly whisk the eggs, and place the panko crumbs in a plate.
Coat the chilled cheese balls in the spiced flour mix, and then coat with eggs, followed by the flour again, and the egg mix again, for a double coating. This created an extra crunchy coating.
Finally coat the cheese balls with the panko crumbs and set aside until all the cheese balls are coated.
At this stage, you can place the cheese balls in the fridge overnight (in a single layer, on a tray, covered with plastic wrap) until you are ready to fry them and serve. OR you can freeze them as well.
Heat enough oil to deep fry the cheese balls. Deep fry, without over-crowding the pan, for about 1 – 1 ½ minutes.
Remove the cheese balls from the oil and let them drain for a couple of minutes. Serve warm with dipping sauce. Enjoy!
TIPS TO MAKE PERFECT JALAPENO BITES:
Here are few suggestions to follow while making jalapeno balls at home:
- Always check for salt and add only if needed as the cheese mixture already has a enough salt. I usually don’t add extra salt.
- Refrigerate the jalapeno cheese balls, so they become firm and it’s easier to coat them with the flour, eggs, and panko breadcrumbs. To make this process faster, you can freeze the cheese balls for about 10 – 15 minutes instead.
- ALWAYS coat with the flour mix FIRST! The flour mix is seasoned as well, so it’ll add another layer of spice and flavor to the cheese balls. I prefer to do a double coating of flour (flour – egg – flour – egg – breadcrumbs), so that I end up with a thicker coating that protects these fried cheese ball even more.
- Make sure the cheese balls are refrigerated or frozen on a baking tray, in a single layer. Wrap the tray well with plastic wrap to prevent freezer burns.
- If you do freeze them, allow the cheese balls to thaw in the fridge overnight before frying.
CAN I SUBSTITUTE OTHER CHEESES IN THIS RECIPE?
I used mozzarella, monterey jack and cheddar cheese to bring added flavor but other cheeses would work too. You can substitute an equal amount of another shredded cheese in this jalapeno popper bites recipe.
As far as the cream cheese goes, I used plain cream cheese but a flavored cream cheese such as garden vegetable or chive would be delicious as well!
HOW TO MAKE AHEAD THESE JALAPENO BITES?
Yes, you can make this jalapeno popper bites recipe in advance. Prepare the jalapeno popper bites but do not fry them. Place them in an airtight container the fridge overnight and then fry when ready.
Or prepare the jalapeno popper bites without frying them and place them freezer until they have hardened. Then, transfer them to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before frying.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
I like to serve these jalapeno popper bites with Yum Yum Sauce or Honey Mustard Sauce . It’s simple, classic and a perfect pairing for these bites. But sriracha, tomato sauce, my spicy sweet chili sauce or ranch dipping sauce will be great alternatives too.
Try my other Jalapeno recipes!
CHEESY JALAPENO BITES RECIPE:
INGREDIENTS:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 oz white cheddar, shredded
2 oz monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup jalapenos, finely chopped
1/4 cup fried onions
1 tbsp garlic and herb seasoning
1 tsp red chilli flakes
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
For Coating:
2 eggs, beaten
1 ½ – 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup spiced flour mix
Spiced Flour Mix:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp garlic and herb seasoning
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS:
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine well. Add salt to season ONLY if needed. I usually don’t add extra salt.
- Using a spoon, portion out the cheese mix and make 1 inch balls. Place the balls on a tray, and freeze for about 10 – 15 minutes until they are firm (but not frozen). You can keep them covered in the fridge overnight as well.
- Mix all the ingredients for the spiced flour mix. Lightly whisk the eggs, and place the panko crumbs in a plate.
- Coat the chilled cheese balls in the spiced flour mix, and then coat with eggs, followed by the flour again, and the egg mix again, for a double coating. This created an extra crunchy coating.
- Finally coat the cheese balls with the panko crumbs and set aside until all the cheese balls are coated.
- At this stage, you can place the cheese balls in the fridge overnight (in a single layer, on a tray, covered with plastic wrap) until you are ready to fry them and serve. OR you can freeze them as well.
- Heat enough oil to deep fry the cheese balls. Deep fry, without over-crowding the pan, for about 1 – 1 ½ minutes.
- Remove the cheese balls from the oil and let them drain for a couple of minutes. Serve warm with dipping sauce. Enjoy!
RECIPE NOTES:
- Always check for salt and add only if needed as the cheese mixture already has a enough salt. I usually don’t add extra salt.
- Refrigerate the jalapeno cheese balls, so they become firm and it’s easier to coat them with the flour, eggs, and panko breadcrumbs. To make this process faster, you can freeze the cheese balls for about 10 – 15 minutes instead.
- ALWAYS coat with the flour mix FIRST! The flour mix is seasoned as well, so it’ll add another layer of spice and flavor to the cheese balls. I prefer to do a double coating of flour (flour – egg – flour – egg – breadcrumbs), so that I end up with a thicker coating that protects these fried cheese ball even more.
- Use Panko Breadcrumbs for the perfect crunch.
- Make sure the cheese balls are refrigerated or frozen on a baking tray, in a single layer. Wrap the tray well with plastic wrap to prevent freezer burns.
- If you do freeze them, allow the cheese balls to thaw in the fridge overnight before frying. So that they’ll be perfectly cheesy and gooey after you fry ’em up.
- Reheat in the oven at 375˚ for 5-8 minutes or in the microwave on high for 15-20 seconds.
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