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Jalapeño Popper Fritters with Tomato Salsa

Spice up winter nights with this variation on a popular bar snack. In our version, the cream cheese is frozen and grated and the jalapeños are diced and folded into the batter to create a chunky, spicy fritter.

Ingredients

Makes about 20 fritters

1/4 pound medium green jalapeño chiles (about 4)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus about 1/2 teaspoon for sprinkling on cooked fritters
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
2 ounces cream cheese, frozen and grated (about 1/4 cup)
6 to 8 cups vegetable oil
Sour cream
  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 450°F.

    Step 2

    Transfer jalapeños to large baking sheet and roast, turning occasionally, until softened and blistered, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 10 minutes. Wearing gloves, peel and seed jalapeños, then cut into large dice.

    Step 3

    In large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. In medium bowl whisk together buttermilk and egg. Whisk in dry ingredients, then fold in diced jalapeños and cream cheese.

    Step 4

    In heavy, 4-quart pot over moderate heat, heat 3 inches of oil until thermometer registers 350°F. Working in batches of 6 and returning oil to 350°F between batches, drop batter by tablespoons into hot oil and fry fritters, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and immediately sprinkle with salt.

    Step 5

    Serve immediately with salsa and sour cream.

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  • Very nice, but rather bland. Substituted habanero chilies. Now THAT worked and made it a little spicy.

    • cooker613

    • 11/28/2011

  • This is like a really light hushpuppy recipe. I could see substituting the peppers for many different vegetables (especially onions or peas) and serving these with fish. I deep fried mine in sunflower oil; it's just what I had around at the time. I think it left the fritters with a cleaner taste than vegetable oil might have. This was drama-free deep frying all around.

    • beingofearth

    • Ohio

    • 10/28/2009

  • Thought these were good and pretty easy, I thought there was a little too much of the corn meal batter, it was more jalapeno hush puppy than jalapeno popper. Will probably try some variations on this.

    • Anonymous

    • Astoria, NY

    • 4/23/2009

  • Made (and tested for quality control) these for a Hannukah/Christmas celebration. Even though recipe doesn't give make ahead instructions, I'm hoping they well re-heat well tomorrow. Had not made fritters before, but found it easy to do, if a bit time consuming and certainly messy. Definitely add the extra salt -- and lots of it. Will serve w/ salsa and sour cream. Very spicy, some will probably find it too much. I liked it, and was especially pleased with the texture: crispy on the outside, soft inside.

    • Anonymous

    • Lexington, MA

    • 12/24/2008