FRIED JALAPENO PEPPERS RECIPES

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high. Add jalapeños; cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Transfer jalapeños to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process; let stand for about 30 seconds. Transfer jalapeños to a plate lined with paper towels. Carefully make a slit vertically along the side of each jalapeño. Remove seeds and veins (gloves are best for this!). Rinse and dry thoroughly.  
• Stir together Cheddar, cream cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl until combined. Fill each pepper with about 2 teaspoons of cheese filling; close slit to seal in cheese. 
• Place flour in 1 shallow dish, eggs in a second shallow dish, and panko and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a third dish. Dip stuffed jalapeños in eggs, allowing excess to drip off. Coat lightly in flour. Return coated jalapeños to egg dish for a second dip, and finally coat in panko.  
• Turn the air-fryer to 375°F, and allow it to preheat 3 to 5 minutes. Coat the basket and breaded jalapeños with cooking spray. Add 4 jalapeños at a time to air-fryer. Cook until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, turning half way through. Repeat with remaining jalapeños. 
• Combine sour cream, lime zest, and lime juice in a small bowl. Serve poppers with lime cream. 

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, then top with a wire rack.
• Halve jalapeños lengthwise. (Do your best to halve them through their stems for added visual appeal.) Using the tip of a small spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds. Set the halved jalapeños aside.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, cilantro, scallions, garlic and lime zest, if using; season generously with salt and pepper.
• Season the inside of each halved jalapeño with salt and pepper, then fill each with about 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture. (Fill until there’s a slight dome on top.) Wrap each stuffed jalapeño with 1 piece of bacon, setting one tip of bacon on top of the cream cheese filling, then wrapping the bacon under and over the popper at an angle, so the bacon covers the filling on top in two layers. (The bacon will shrink as it cooks, so you want to make sure the top of the popper is well covered.) Arrange poppers evenly on the wire rack, nestling each popper between two parallel wires to keep it upright so the cream cheese doesn’t spill during baking.
• Transfer to the oven, and bake until bacon is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Broil on the rack closest to the broiler until crisp, about 2 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve warm.