These vegetarian Jalapeño poppers coated with French fried onions taste amazing! The fried onions give the popper a satisfyingly crispy outer layer, giving the poppers an irresistible crunch in every bite.

If you are looking for a new appetizer recipe for the football playoffs, look no further than these vegetarian jalapeño poppers!  If you have French fried onions leftover from your holiday green bean casserole, pull them out of the pantry to make these satisfying, savory jalapeño poppers! I have included instructions for the oven and air fryer.

I decided to try to come up with a vegetarian jalapeno popper because I wanted to make jalapeno poppers for my book club, where we have a vegetarian member.

Commonly, bacon is used in jalapeño poppers to even out the spice of the jalapenos, but I promise you won’t miss it in this recipe!

Ingredients needed

6 large fresh jalapeño peppers

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

¼ cup plain breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs (optional for a crispy topping)

1/4 cup crispy french fried onions

21 tablespoons melted butter (if using breadcrumbs)

Recipe Note: you can make vegan jalapeño poppers using vegan cream cheese, cheese, and butter.  You can also use nutritional yeast in your cream cheese mixture.

Recipe Note: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs or gluten-free French fried onions if you want these to be gluten-free.

Recipe note: If you are sensitive to spice, wear gloves when scooping the seeds from the jalapeno peppers.

You can choose to serve these with ranch dipping sauce.

Equipment

Medium mixing bowl or blender

Baking sheet or baking tray

Paring knife

Parchment paper

Use a cookie scoop or spoon to make your stuffed jalapeno.

Air fryer- if you are cooking them that way.

Instructions

Stovetop directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.

2. Prepare the jalapenos. Slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise and use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds and membranes. You can leave the stem on or cut it off.

3. In a medium bowl, blend the cream cheese, cheddar cheese,  garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until smooth. Warm the cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds if you want it to mix more easily.

4. Spoon the cheese mixture inside the jalapeño halves, pressing it in gently to fill each one.

5. Mix the breadcrumbs and the crushed fried onions with the melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the stuffed jalapeños.

6. Bake the poppers.  Arrange the stuffed jalapeños on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15–20 minutes until the jalapeños are tender and the cheese is bubbly and golden on top.

7. Serve.

Air Fryer Instructions

Follow instructions 2-5 above.

1. Preheat the Air Fryer. Set it to 375°F and cook for 3–5 minutes.

2. Place the poppers in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Lightly spray the topping with cooking spray to help it crisp up.

3. Air fry for 6–8 minutes until the jalapeños are tender and the topping is golden brown.

4. Serve.

Storage:  store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.  You can try reheating them in the oven, microwave, or air fryer.

Recipe tip: For less heat, use smaller, milder jalapeños or soak the halved jalapeños in cold water for 10 minutes after deseeding.

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Crispy Fried Onion Jalapeno Poppers

These vegetarian Jalapeño poppers coated with French fried onions taste amazing! The fried onions give the popper a satisfyingly crispy outer layer, giving the poppers an irresistible crunch in every bite.

Ingredients

• 6 fresh jalapeño peppers
• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup French Fried Onions
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Instructions

Stovetop directions

1. 1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.

2. Prepare the jalapenos. Slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise and use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds and membranes. You can leave the stem on or cut it off.

3. In a medium bowl, blend the cream cheese, cheddar cheese,  garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until smooth. Warm the cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds if you want it to mix more easily.

4. Spoon the cheese mixture inside the jalapeño halves, pressing it in gently to fill each one.

5. Mix the breadcrumbs and the crushed fried onions with the melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the stuffed jalapeños.

6. Bake the poppers.  Arrange the stuffed jalapeños on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15–20 minutes until the jalapeños are tender and the cheese is bubbly and golden on top.

7. Serve.

Air Fryer Instructions

1. Follow instructions 2-5 above.

2. Preheat the Air Fryer. Set it to 375°F and cook for 3–5 minutes.

3. Place the poppers in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Lightly spray the topping with cooking spray to help it crisp up.

4. Air fry for 6–8 minutes until the jalapeños are tender, and the topping is golden brown.

5. Serve.

These French-fried onions are the perfect addition to these jalapeño poppers! The crunch and flavor of the onions might slightly mellow out the spiciness of the jalapeños, creating a more balanced taste experience. Your friends and family will love these as an appetizer or snack! The way the cream cheese melts right into the pepper is comforting and delicious!

Did you make these vegetarian Crispy Fried Onion Jalapeno Poppers? I would love to hear how they turned out! Please comment below this blog post or tag me on social media to know how they worked out. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.