Jalapeno Bites are a spicy food lovers dream! Coated with crunchy panko and deep fried until golden brown and crispy. They are a game day must have!
People who know me in person and those of you that have been following the blog for a while know that I love spicy food. I add habanero hot sauce to everything. Sprinkle red peppers on my pizza and pasta. I munch on hot chili peppers. I order my Thai food a level 4 out of 5.
You get it, I like spicy. And if you’re a spicy food addict like me, these Crunchy Jalapeño Bites perfect for you!
You may have encountered these on restaurant menus. I ordered them often at TGIFriday’s They were called “jalapeño coins” and as a teenager, they were my favorite thing to order when I went out with my friends.
There is no Friday’s near me anymore so now I make them at home and they are incredibly easy to make. You can make as little or as many as you want without too many changes. I’ve even included air fryer instructions down below too!
Let’s get started!
What ingredients do you need:
Just a small handful of ingredients is all you need.
JALAPENOS: Obviously. The recipe calls for 3. It will likely feed 2 – 4 people. If you’ve got more to feed the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
FLOUR: This gives the egg something to stick to.
SEASONING SALT: To season the flour with. I use Johnny’s. It’s my personal fave.
EGG: This will help hold the panko onto the jalapeno
PANKO: Japanese bread crumbs. They are light and airy and give an unbelievable crunch factor when fried.
OIL: Use vegetable, canola or peanut. They have a higher smoke point than olive so they are better for frying.
DES’ TIP:the jalapeno slices are thin, you don’t need a ton of oil to “deep fry” these. I used about a cup of oil. You just want to make sure that they are covered in the pan.
Step by Step Photos and Instructions:
Like any coated and fried food, you’re going to want to set up an assembly line of sorts. On one plate whisk together the flour and the seasoning salt. In a bowl whisk the egg. And on a third plate, whisk together the salt and panko.
To coat the jalapenos, dip them first into the flour, then the egg and finally into the panko. You may need to press them into the panko so that it sticks really well.
Finally, heat the oil to 350 degrees fahrenheit and fry the jalapenos, in batches if necessary, until golden brown and crispy. About 3 minutes . Sprinkle with salt and serve.
DES’ TIP: Depending on the size of your pan and how many jalapeno bites you are cooking, you may need to cook them in batches. Like any fried food, you don’t want to overcrowd the pan or the food will steam rather than fry.
How to make Jalapeno Bites in the air fryer:
To make these in the air fryer, prepare them as you would if you were going to fry them. Place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket and spray with a couple spritz of non-stick spray. Cook at 375 for 8 minutes, shaking halfway through. Like the deep fry method, you may need to do this in batches.
These Jalapeno Bites are always a huge hit around here and they disappear quickly. Especially when I serve them with my creamy homemade ranch dip.
Looking for more game day snacks? I’ve got you covered!
Spicy food addict? Or have one in your life? You have GOT to make these other spicy recipes.
Note: This recipe was originally posted 2009. It was updated with new photos, step by step instructions, nutrition facts and a video in 2021.
Servings
Ingredients
- 3 fresh jalapenos (sliced 1/4 inch)
- 1/4 cup flour plus 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (I like Johnny's)
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 egg
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Preheat 1/2 inch oil in a pot over medium-high heat.
- You will need 3 bowls for this. In one bowl mix the flour and the seasoning salt. In another bowl beat the egg. Place the panko bread crumbs and kosher salt in the third bowl.
- First dip the jalapeños into the flour, be sure to shake any excess off. Next, dip it in the egg. Finally dip it in the panko. Repeat until all the jalapeño slices are coated.
- Once oil has reached 350 degrees, fry the jalapeños until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove and transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle immediately with salt. Serve with ranch for dipping.
These jalapeno bites look absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try this recipe for my next gathering. Thanks for sharing the tips on getting the perfect crunch!
Deseree these look so good and talk about the perfect snack food for Super Bowl. I like that I can make them in the air fryer as well.
Yay! glad you liked them!!
OMG! These! So good Des!
Hi Kevin! Thanks for the comment. These were really great, my husband and I are still craving them!
This sounds like a great snack!
Yeah, I really like using panko bread crumbs in a lot of my cooking. I just think that they add that little extra bit of crunch without making things too heavy. Thanks for the comment!
These look great! Kind of like deconstructed chile rellenos. I love any recipe that uses panko instead or regular ol’ breadcrumbs.