Stuffed Jalapeños

5 from 7 votes

These easy baked Stuffed Jalapeños are filled with a creamy mixture of cheddar, cream cheese, green onions, lime, and chili powder, then topped with buttery toasted saltine crumbs. Customize them from mild to spicy for an easy party or game-day appetizer.

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: appetizers, party food, vegetarian,

Servings: people

Calories: 173kcal

Author: Sally Humeniuk

Equipment

1 Baking sheet
Parchment paper

Ingredients

10 Saltine crackers coarsely crushed
1 tbsp butter melted
12 jalapeno chiles medium-sized, preferably with stems
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
4 ounces cream cheese softened
3 green onions chopped fine
2 tsps lime juice
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh black pepper
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro parsley works as well

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toast the cracker crumbs. Toss the crushed saltines with melted butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
10 Saltine crackers, 1 tbsp butter
Prepare the jalapeños. Cut each jalapeño in half lengthwise through the stem, leaving some stem attached to each half. Remove the ribs and seeds, reserving some if you'd like to add heat to the filling.
12 jalapeno chiles
Make the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the cheddar, cream cheese, green onions, lime juice, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. For medium or spicy jalapeños, finely chop some of the reserved ribs and seeds and mix them into the filling according to the Notes below.
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, 4 ounces cream cheese, 3 green onions, 2 tsps lime juice, 1 tsp chili powder, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp fresh black pepper
Fill the jalapeños. Divide the cheese mixture evenly among the jalapeño halves and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with the toasted saltine crumbs.
Bake. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the filling is hot and melted and the peppers are tender. The jalapeños will be soft when first removed from the oven but will firm slightly as they cool. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve warm.
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

Notes

Control the heat: Jalapeños naturally vary in spiciness, so these amounts are a guide rather than a guarantee. The ribs contain much of the pepper's heat.
For mild jalapeños: Remove all the ribs and seeds and don't add any back to the filling.
For medium heat: Finely chop about 2 tablespoons of the reserved ribs and seeds and mix them into the cheese filling.
For spicy jalapeños: Add 3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped ribs and seeds to the filling.
Make both mild and spicy: Fill half the peppers with the mild cheese mixture, then add chopped ribs and seeds to the remaining filling. Top the spicy peppers with a thin jalapeño slice so they're easy to identify.
Make ahead: The peppers can be halved and cleaned and the cheese filling prepared up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate separately, then fill, top, and bake when ready to serve.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven or air fryer until warmed through.

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