Why We Love This Grilled Jalapeño Popper Recipe
- Quick, easy appetizer
- Mild heat, with a cool, creamy filling
- They’re grilled, not fried! We’re not calling these healthy, we’re just saying they’re healthier than what you’d get at the pub lol.
- Can make ahead, then freeze!
Is this grilled jalapeño recipe spicy? If you remove the seeds and membrane from the peppers, you reduce the heat significantly. Also, we’re using large jalapeño peppers, and a good rule of thumb with peppers is that smaller peppers (such as habaneros) are generally much spicier than larger peppers. When paired with the cool, creamy filling, these stuffed jalapeños are pretty mild.
Ingredients For Grilled Jalapeño Poppers
Buy large jalapeño peppers when making poppers! They’re easier to stuff!
- Fresh jalapeño peppers, halved
- Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs
- Shredded Monterey Jack and/or Cheddar cheese
- Fresh chives, scallions, or cilantro for garnish
Could you wrap the peppers in bacon before grilling? Absolutely!
If you don’t have Boursin, you could stuff the grilled jalapeño poppers with an herbed cream cheese filling instead. We like how easy Boursin makes this appetizer! Either way, the creaminess is a beautiful contrast to the spicy, fiery peppers!
Additional filling suggestions listed below!
Tips For Working With Jalapeños
Have you ever worked with a spicy pepper and then mistakingly rubbed your eyes or scratched your nose? Unless you were wearing gloves, you probably felt a burning sensation…
Tip #1: Wear gloves! The heat from a jalapeño pepper (or any fresh pepper) comes from two places: the seeds and the membrane. To avoid the oil from the pepper getting all up in your business, wear gloves as you clean jalapeños, then discard.
Tip #2: Both for aesthetics and ease of picking up the poppers, leave the stem attached! Cut each jalapeño in half lengthwise, then carefully remove seeds and membrane, leaving the stem on top. Guests can hold onto this so they don’t have to pop the whole pepper in their mouth at one time.
Tip #3: To clean peppers, you could certainly use (gloved) hands to remove any seeds and membrane, but you could also use a small scoop, such as a melon baller. Simply scoop out the inside and discard.
How to Grill Jalapeño Poppers
Preheat a grill to ~425 – 450 F. When hot, coat with nonstick grill spray. Carefully place stuffed jalapeño pepper halves directly onto grill grates, then cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until peppers have blistered and cheese is golden brown and bubble on top.
Transfer peppers to a tray to cool slightly, then garnish with chives, scallions, or cilantro. Sprinkle with a touch of flaky sea salt then serve immediately.
Cook Time for Jalapeño Poppers on a Grill
For a grill preheated to medium-high heat (around 425 – 450 F), stuffed jalapeño peppers will be fully cooked in about 10-12 minutes.
What you’re looking for: a nice char on the bottom of each pepper, the skin should be blistered and soft, and the filling should be completely warmed through. The Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses on top will be golden brown and bubbly.
Can I Bake These Instead?
Yes, definitely! If you don’t have access to a grill or barbecue — or perhaps it’s winter and you don’t want to stand outside in the cold! — baked jalapeño poppers are a great option.
To bake: preheat oven to 425 F. Place fully assembled jalapeño poppers on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake for ~20 minutes, or until peppers have softened around the edges and cheese is golden brown. Serve immediately.
Make Ahead Jalapeño Poppers
This jalapeño popper recipe is such a great appetizer to have on hand for when guests are over, and bonus — they freeze beautifully!
To make ahead: Follow instructions and assemble as directed. Before cooking, place on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen, unbaked jalapeño poppers to a Ziploc bag or sealed freezer-safe storage container. Uncooked peppers will keep for up to 6 months.
Note: We do not recommend freezing cooked jalapeño poppers — they do not hold their shape well when reheated.
To cook from frozen: You can place frozen uncooked jalapeño poppers directly on a preheated grill and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Alternatively, you can oven bake the frozen poppers at 425 F for about 20-22 minutes.
Mild, Medium, or Hot
To make mild jalapeño poppers: remove all seeds and membrane.
If you want a bit more heat, go for medium jalapeño poppers: remove all seeds, but leave membrane.
If you like things extra hotttt: leave it all! Be warned, this is spicy!
Variations for Grilled Jalapeño Poppers
There are endless ways to stuff jalapeños! These are a few fillings we can’t wait to try!
- Sausage and cheddar
- Bacon-wrapped
- Crab and artichoke
- Pulled buffalo chicken
Have more ideas? Shout ’em out below! But if you’re looking for an elevated classic, we cannot recommend this grilled jalapeño poppers recipe enough. A mild heat, both spicy and creamy, these are great at summer barbecues, when watching a game with friends, or simply enjoyed by yourself after a long day.
If you make these Grilled Jalapeño Poppers, please let me know by leaving a rating and review below.
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For more healthy grilling recipes, check out the following:
- Blackened salmon with pineapple avocado salsa
- Spatchcock chicken with sun dried tomatoes
- Grilled caesar salad with chicken
- Easy grilled lobster tails and claims
- Grilled chicken wings
Grilled Jalapeño Poppers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 large jalapeño peppers
- 2 (5.2 oz ) containers Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese spread, room temperature
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- flaky sea salt for serving
- 2 Tbsp chives thinly sliced, for serving
- cilantro for serving
- Parmesan peppercorn or ranch optional, for serving
Instructions
- Recommended to wear gloves while working with jalapeños! Cut each jalapeño in half lengthwise, leaving the stems attached.
- Use a melon baller or teaspoon to gently scoop out seeds and membranes from each jalapeño, then discard. See note below re: heat level.
- Fill each jalapeño half with 1-2 Tbsp of Boursin, making sure the filling is level with the top of the pepper and not going any higher.
- Sprinkle each filled pepper with about 1 Tbsp Monterey Jack cheese.
- Preheat grill to 400-425F. Coat with nonstick grill spray, then place stuffed jalapeños directly on the grill grates. Cook until pepper skins have blistered and cheese is bubbly and golden brown on top. Carefully remove using a spatula and transfer to serving tray.
- Immediately sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, then garnish with chopped chives and cilantro. Optional: serve with dipping sauce, such as ranch or parmesan peppercorn.
Notes
- For mild heat: remove all seeds and membrane.
- For medium heat: remove all seeds, but leave membrane.
- For extra hotttt: leave it all! Be warned, this is spicy!
- To make ahead: Follow instructions and assemble as directed. Before cooking, place on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen, unbaked jalapeño poppers to a Ziploc bag or sealed freezer-safe storage container. Uncooked peppers will keep for up to 6 months. Note: We do not recommend freezing cooked jalapeño poppers — they do not hold their shape well when reheated.
- To cook from frozen: You can place frozen uncooked jalapeño poppers directly on a preheated grill and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Alternatively, you can oven bake the frozen poppers at 425 F for about 20-22 minutes.
Let us know your thoughts!