Fried Jalapenos are one of my all-time favorite snacks. Fiery peppers coated in buttermilk batter, panko and then cooked to golden perfection.
I absolutely love homemade comfort food… and sometimes a fried masterpiece just hits the right spot. Other fried fare you might enjoy include my Cajun Mini Corn Dogs and Pickle Juice Fried Chicken Sandwiches. It’s all about balance, live a little. 😉
WATCH ME MAKE THESE ON THE GRAM
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR FRIED JALAPENOS:
Seriously, you won’t believe how easy these are to make. They’re jam-packed with spicy goodness and served with Cajun ranch for extra kick.
FOR THE FRIED JALAPENOS:
- Fresh Jalapenos
- All-Purpose Flour
- Garlic Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Worcestershire
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Peanut Oil (for frying)
FOR THE CAJUN RANCH:
- Ranch Dressing
- Cajun Seasoning
- Fresh Lime Juice
These suckers are perfectly crunchy on the outside and deliciously tender in the middle. Think of these as a spicy alternative to Fried Pickles (Oh hey, wouldn’t it be dreamy to pile both recipes onto one plate for feasting? YUM).
WHAT IS THE BEST OIL FOR FRYING?
Personally, Peanut oil is my favorite because it has a higher smoke point. Honestly, I think it tastes better as well. I gained this preference while frying up oodles of recipes for Tater Kegs. If you don’t have any on hand, you could also use canola oil.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS:
Allow the fried jalapenos to cool to room temperature and then store them in a sealed container, refrigerated. Enjoy within 2 days.
CAN YOU REHEAT LEFTOVERS?
Oh yes, for sure! Place the fried jalapenos on a parchment-lined baking sheet and preheat the oven to 350F. Bake for roughly 10 minutes to achieve maximum crispiness and yum.
- 4 Fresh Jalapenos
- ½ cup Flour
- ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp. Smoked Paprika
- ½ cup Buttermilk
- 1 shake Worcestershire
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs, or as needed
- 2 cups Peanut Oil, for frying
- ½ cup Ranch Dressing
- 2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning
- Juice of ½ Lime
- Cut jalapenos into slices and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, buttermilk, Worcestershire and eggs.
- Pour seasoned breadcrumbs into a separate bowl and set aside.
- Heat peanut oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven.
- While the oil heats, pour all jalapenos slices into the buttermilk batter and mix until each piece is coated.
- Once the oil is heated to 350F, individually transfer the jalapeno slices to the Panko breadcrumbs to coat, then drop them into the frying oil. Cook until browned, flip, and cook until the second side is browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the fryer and place the slices on a paper towel to drain. Repeat until you've fried every jalapeño slice (NOTE: you can fry multiple slices at a time, just keep watch and flip accordingly).
- While frying, whisk together the ingredients for the Cajun ranch.
- Serve fried jalapenos with Cajun ranch and enjoy immediately.
NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:
- Depending on your heat preference, you can keep or remove the seeds from the jalapenos. I prefer to keep mine in, as the buttermilk and cajun ranch help cool things off at the end.
- This buttermilk and batter recipe also works for Fried Pickles. If you end up trying it, please let me know in the comments so I can follow along!
- You can easily double or triple the amount of jalapeno peppers if feeding a crowd. I’ve used the same amount of buttermilk batter for doubling the recipe and it worked out great. You may need to double the amount of Panko breadcrumbs. Just keep an eye on it.
- I tried making these with and without the Panko breadcrumbs (the ones without are the top left of the plate in photos). I personally prefer the crunch of the Panko breadcrumbs, but if you’re gluten-free, just using the buttermilk batter (with gluten-free flour) is tasty too.
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