Robin: Jalapeño peppers may be famous mostly for their piquancy, but, like other peppers mild and hot, they also have great flavor. It’s sad that many people only think about fresh jalapeños when making, say, pico de gallo, because these chiles have so much more to give.
Jalapeños are delicious stuffed, much like their larger cousins, poblano and Anaheim peppers (the ones generally used for the chiles rellenos on Mexican restaurant menus). Unlike those, however, stuffed jalapeños are especially suited to being picked up and eaten in a few bites as a party food. They also make a flavorful, eye-opening garnish for a plate of mildly flavored food, such as a creamy pasta or plain rice.
Stuffed peppers do not need to be searingly hot; in fact, it´s better if they are not, to allow the tongue to perceive the chile´s delicious complexity. This recipe will enable you to tone down the spiciness of the peppers just enough that they can be bitten into with confidence—but without sacrificing their wonderful flavor.
- For more tips, see my article How to Make a Chile Pepper Less Spicy
More fun party and game day food:
Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers
How to tone down the heat of your fresh jalapeño peppers and stuff them with your choice of fillings so that they'll be the best-loved finger food of the fiesta! (Calories per serving will vary depending on the filling; the count below is for the peppers only.)
Ingredients
- 12-15 fresh medium-sized jalapeño peppers approx. 1 pound
- ½ cup vinegar
- water for cooking and soaking
- fillings of your choice see suggestions below
Instructions
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Important: Work in a well-ventilated area to reduce burning of the eyes and other sensitive tissues that contact with the jalapeños (and vapor from the water they are cooked in) can cause. It’s also a good idea to use disposable gloves when handling the peppers.
Wash and dry the jalapeños. Make two cuts into each pepper in a T shape; one short cut up near the stem and perpendicular to it, the other, longer cut starting at the small cut and going lengthwise down the pepper to near the tip. Cut only about halfway through the pepper in order to form “doors” into the pepper through which we can stuff it.
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With the help of a short, sharp knife and a teaspoon, carefully scrape the seeds and large veins out of each pepper.
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Place the peppers into a sauce pan large enough to hold them comfortably and cover them with water. Cover the pan and place it over medium heat; once the boiling point is reached, reduce heat and allow the chiles to boil gently for about five minutes. Be careful not to overcook them—we want them still firm and dark green.
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Immediately drain the cooking water off the peppers. In that same pot (or another container), pour about 3 cups (just enough to cover) cool water over the jalapeñoss. Add the vinegar and stir gently.
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Let the chiles soak in this solution for about an hour; the vinegar will tone down their spiciness to a certain degree. Cut off a little piece of one pepper (if you have one that is already falling apart, it´s perfect for this use) and taste it. If it´s still too spicy for you and your guests, let the jalapeños continue to soak for an hour or two.
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Once the chiles have reached your desired level of spiciness, discard the liquid and and place the peppers, cut side down, on paper toweling to drain.
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Use a spoon to stuff each jalapeño with the filling of your choice. Refrigerate if not serving within an hour or two.
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Serve your fabulous stuffed jalapeños at room temperature, or microwave them briefly to eat warm (not hot). These can eaten as finger food or easily cut with a knife and fork.
Recipe Notes
Suggested fillings
- Cream cheese: combine equal parts of Philadelphia-style cream cheese and leftover cooked rice or breadcrumbs. Add salt and any desired herbs or spices to taste.
- Cheese: mix shredded, crumbled, or finely diced cheese(s) with an equal amount of mashed potatoes, breadcrumbs, or cooked rice; before serving, heat in a microwave until the cheese starts to melt.
- Canned fish: try tuna or sardine salad, tuna sauteed with onion and tomato, or simply the (well-drained) contents of a can of tuna, salmon, or sardines mixed with a little cooked rice or mashed potatoes.
- Chicken: use a prepared chicken salad or sautee some shredded chicken with diced onions and tomato.
- Hard-boiled eggs: chop them and mix with cooked rice, or use them in your favorite egg salad recipe.
- Ground or shredded meat: make Mexican picadillo or mix finely shredded beef or pork with diced onion and freshly-squeezed lime juice.
- Pork cracklings, bacon, or ham: diced and combined with refried beans, leftover mashed potatoes, cream cheese, or rice.
- Mexican chorizo: browned and mixed with cheese and/or scrambled eggs.
- Cooked veggies: try green beans, peas, corn kernels, carrots, etc., chopped and mixed with mayonnaise or cream.
- Macaroni salad, potato salad, or some other picnic-type salad.
Dips & salsas you’ll love:
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