Last Updated on September 8, 2025 by PorchLightReading
Oven baked jalapeño poppers with a crispy panko topping. The perfect appetizer that’s loaded with flavor and a hit at any family gathering.
Our garden is bursting with brightly colored jalapeños just waiting for us to turn into one of our all time favorite appetizers, jalapeño poppers.
The kids will head outside after school and come back with a shirt full of these spicy monsters in hopes that if they pick them, I’ll cook them.
It’s a fair trade and since we keep this recipe simple, we almost always have everything on hand to make our own homemade oven baked jalapeño poppers with a crispy panko topping.
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- Table of contents: Oven baked jalapeño poppers
- Ingredients
- How to slice and prep jalapeños
- Cooking instructions
- Tips and substitutions
- Jump to recipe card
Whether you find yourself picking up jalapeños at the grocery store or use ones from the garden, this recipe is the perfect spicy appetizer for an afternoon with the family or taking to a party.
Oven Baked Jalapeño Poppers
Now, in this home we like to enjoy jalapeño poppers a few different ways. This particular recipe is one of the easiest and fastest ways since it requires no frying or oil and we can cook them in large batches in the oven!
And since they came in with just about 24 jalapeños in their arms, I suppose I better start scooping out the seeds.
Ingredients
- 10-12 jalapenos
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- ½ tsp. minced garlic
- ½ tps. onion powder
- ½ cup Italian panko crumbs
- 2 TBS. melted butter
- 1 egg beaten (for egg wash)
How To Slice and Prep Jalapeños
Choosing the right jalapeños- When shopping, look for firm jalapeños with smooth skin. Wrinkled jalapeños are a bit older and won’t taste as fresh.
Some jalapeños are more spicy than others and you can generally get a good idea based on how small or large they are. Smaller jalapeños tend to be a bit spicier while large jalapeños are a bit more mild. Another thing you might notice are stretch marks on the outside of the pepper. Those stress marks happen when the plant doesn’t receive enough nutrients or water and lead to a hotter jalapeño.
This year our peppers were incredibly hot! They also had a lot of stress marks since I was a little lax on watering, producing one of our hottest yields yet. The kids were going through cups of milk at a pretty high rate to cool down their mouths, but it didn’t stop them from eating their fair share.
- Slicing and scooping– Use gloves
- Slice the jalapeños lengthwise.
- Use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds and white membranes.
- For a more spicy popper, leave some membrane intact.
Warning- Use gloves while deseeding your jalapeños. I didn’t realize just how important this “optional” suggestion was until I experienced jalapeño hands for myself after years of never using gloves. This wasn’t just rubbing my eye and making a silly mistake that burns for a little while. No, this was full on extreme pain in my hands for hours.
While initially making the poppers I was fine, but when I went to wash the dishes that evening, the oils had stuck around and spread to both of my hands. Nothing could reduce the pain and stinging sensation I felt. Placing my hands in cold milk subsided the pain but did not eliminate it. Vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice. It took a good two hours for the pain to fully subside and I will never again slice and deseed jalapeños without gloves.
Cooking Instructions
Slice and deseed the jalapeños- Using gloves, slice the jalapeños lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and membrane using a small spoon. Place on baking sheet and set aside.
Preheat oven- Preheat oven on 400℉.
Mix the filling- In a medium bowl, mix 8oz soften cream cheese, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, ½ tsp. minced garlic, and ½ tsp. onion powder until smooth and creamy.
Fill the jalapeños- Spoon the cheese mixture into each jalapeño half, making sure they are full but not overflowing.
Coat with Italian panko crumbs- Prepare two shallow bowls. One with a beaten egg for an egg wash and the other with 2 TBS melted butter and ½ cup Italian panko crumbs. Mix the butter and panko crumbs together until it looks like a little crumble.
Dip the top of the filled jalapeños into the egg wash and then press into the panko mixture. Place on the cookie sheet and repeat with the rest of the jalapeños. Season with a sprinkle of salt.
*Note- You can also use plain panko crumbs and add ½ tsp. of Italian seasoning.
Bake- Bake in preheated oven at 400℉ for 18-20 minutes until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
Serve- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
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Tips and Substitutions
Some recipes skip the egg wash but I find that my jalapeño poppers come out more crisp and easier to handle when I use an egg wash. I’m also careful not to overcook the jalapeños so they don’t become too soft.
- Use an egg wash for a crispy outer shell
- Cheese swaps- Mozzarella and pepper jack are great alternatives!
- No Panko? Use crushed up Ritz crackers or seasoned breadcrumbs as a topping.
- Flavor boosters
- Use a bit of taco seasoning in the filling for a Tex-Mex flair.
- Add diced green onions or bacon bits on top.
- Serve with blue cheese dressing or Ranch!
These homemade oven baked jalapeño poppers were exactly the bit sized snack we were looking for. And although it does consist of a fair amount of prep, it’s a delicious appetizer that friends and family just can’t get enough of. So preheat the oven and put on some gloves, because it’s time for some jalapeño poppers fresh from the garden.
Recipe Card
Oven Baked Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
- 10 jalapeños
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- ½ tsp. minced garlic
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ½ cup Italian panko crumbs
- 2 TBS melted butter
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Using gloves, slice the jalapeños lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and membrane using a small spoon. Place on baking sheet and set aside.
- Preheat oven on 400℉.
- In a medium bowl, mix 8oz soften cream cheese, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, ½ tsp. minced garlic, and ½ tsp. onion powder until smooth and creamy.
- Spoon the cheese mixture into each jalapeño half, making sure they are filled but not overflowing.
- Prepare two shallow bowls. One with a beaten egg for an egg wash and the other with 2 TBS melted butter and ½ cup Italian panko crumbs. Mix the butter and panko crumbs together until it looks like a little crumble.
- Dip the top of the filled jalapeños into the egg wash and then press into the panko mixture. Place on the cookie sheet and repeat with the rest of the jalapeños. Season with a sprinkle of salt.
- Bake in preheated oven at 400℉ for 18-20 minutes until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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