Recipes with jalapenos for novice pepper-eater

September 18, 2017 5:03 PM

What can I make with these half a dozen ripe jalapeno peppers? I haven't cooked with them before, and I am OK with pretty spicy food, so what should I make?

I know not to touch my face & eyes while I work, right? I know they can just be tossed into sandwiches in thin slices, and I believe the seeds are hotter than the flesh. (Right?)

So what else do I need to know, and what would make me love these enough to maybe even plant my own next summer?

In my yout' I ate plenty of spicy food, and now I am curious again about those flavors -- especially with winter on the way. Thanks!

posted by wenestvedt to Food & Drink (24 answers total)

Jalapeno poppers (jalapenos stuffed with cheese, like a chili relleno).
Sliced thinly, they are good in pho or probably any noodle bowl.
Look for a thai cucumber/cilantro/red onion/peanut salad with sweet vinegar dressing, and use the jalapenos instead of the Thai chilis.
Roast them with a propane torch, peel them, and chop them up and put them in your scrambled eggs or omelettes.
posted by the Real Dan at 5:10 PM on September 18, 2017

A cracker, a thin smear of mascarpone (or any other cheese), a dollop of jam/jelly, a slice of meat (or not if you're vegetarian), a bread & butter pickle and a slice of jalapeno. That right there is a dream on a cracker.
posted by TurquoiseZebra at 5:15 PM on September 18, 2017 [3 favorites]

Jalapeno Popper Casserole:
Tater tot
Tater tot + chicken
Buffalo chicken
Low carb gluten free

You can freeze them whole for later, if you don't use some of them.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:21 PM on September 18, 2017

Oh - seeds *and spines* are hotter than the pepper. If you want them completely defanged, open them and shave away all the paler spine the seeds are attached to.

I personally prefer the spine heat to seed heat (mostly because seeds don't disperse, so you bite into them in your finished product) so I get rid of almost all the seeds but leave the spine and just make sure to either slice very thin or straight out mince so the peppers get well-distributed. I've gotten the hang of it now so I often put one small or half a larger one in most dishes where they get along with other ingredients.

I love growing them, by the way. For me, peppers have always been incredibly cooperative. I give a lot away because it's so prolific.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:25 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

I just had a delicious cheeseburger topped with pickled onions and jalapeno slices.
posted by praemunire at 5:33 PM on September 18, 2017

A local Chinese restaurant makes noodles with peanut sauce that are really good. I can make perfectly tasty noodles with peanut sauce, but at the restaurant they have these hot little pickles in them that make the dish. So I seeded and pickled a jalapeno pepper and quick-pickled it in salt, soy and a little sugar. It was pretty good in my noodles. I haven't gotten the recipe where I want it yet, but pickling jalapenos yields a tasty condiment that will last a couple weeks in the fridge.

Also, fresh salsa.
big can of crushed tomatoes in a bowl,
put some garlic in the food processor, pulse,
add mild peppers and jalapenos (to taste), pulse, add to tomatoes.
grate or pulse a red onion, add.
chop in some cilantro
add juice of a lime
I'll bring the chips and probably margarita fixings.
posted by theora55 at 5:35 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

If you want just the flesh, slice thinly lengthwise from the outside until you wind up with just the seeds and pith. Use whichever you want.
I've noticed that one batch of jalapenos can be very mild and the next might be blazing hot, so use caution.
posted by H21 at 5:37 PM on September 18, 2017

I pickle them and put them on pizza, in pasta, etc.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 6:05 PM on September 18, 2017

I made (ok, assembled) a relish on the weekend.

- a small jar of corn relish
- half a can of crushed pineapple in juice
- lots of finely diced jalapenos

Just stir it all together; the thickeners in the relish help it all to emulsify. Leave overnight to let the flavours mingle. It was great on hot dogs, and as a dip for corn chips. I reckon it'd be good combined with cream cheese too.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 6:26 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

I slice 'em in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, fill with cream cheese, wrap in bacon, bake at 450 til bacon is crisp. OMG, the best!
posted by Sublimity at 7:06 PM on September 18, 2017 [2 favorites]

Don't underestimate the lasting power of capsaicin on your skin. Wear gloves, then wash your hands after taking them off.

Having said that, bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapeños! Cut off the stems and slice the pepper in half, scrape seeds and etc to your expected liking, fill with cream cheese, and wrap with 1/3 of a slice of bacon, using a toothpick to hold the bacon in place til it cooks.

400 or so degrees for 15 minutes.
posted by hwyengr at 7:33 PM on September 18, 2017 [3 favorites]

With jalapenos what I like to do is make a bruschetta or salsa (call it whatever you want):

-Bunch of tomatoes
-Red onion
-Bunch of garlic
-Strawberries (optional)
-The jalapenos (obviously)
-Salt, pepper, olive oil
-Squeeze lime on it if you want, I don't care

Dice the tomatoes. Chop the red onion. Crush the garlic. Chop the strawberries (optional). Finely chop the jalapenos (wear gloves). Add this all to a bowl and mix it up nice with salt, pepper, olive oil and (optional) lime to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or so to let the flavours get to know one another and have flavour-babies. This stuff will go on anything but it's extra-good on toasted Turkish bread. I defy you to not love this.
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:38 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

You don't have that many, but if you don't use some up while they're fresh, I'd mince them, fill a few holes of an ice cube tray, cover each with water (to minimize freezer burn), freeze, and then keep in a plastic bag in the freezer to be tossed as needed into soups or stir-fries or the like.
posted by ClingClang at 7:40 PM on September 18, 2017

Response by poster: Can I put them ra into chili con carne?
posted by wenestvedt at 7:40 PM on September 18, 2017

I know not to touch my face & eyes while I work, right?

Oh, yes. And if you end up processing a lot, wear gloves when you work. (Lesson learned when I failed to do so the year I made a couple of gallons of salsa from home grown tomatoes and jalapenos.) As mentioned above, the heat can vary. Overall, however, jalapenos are relatively tame for a hot pepper.

Re inspiration to put a few plants in your garden next year, try jalapeno jelly. It's a traditional xmas favorite around here.
posted by she's not there at 7:41 PM on September 18, 2017 [2 favorites]

In chili, I'd saute them when I browned the meat and onion, but it's not critical. They'll taste great. And of course, don't forget bacon-wrapped jalapenos.
posted by theora55 at 7:48 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

Can I put them ra into chili con carne?

YES. My favorite thing to do with raw jalapeños is throw them on anything in sight. Chili, tacos, sandwiches, stews of any stripe, etc. For me, it's less about the spice and way more about the bright, fresh taste they add.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 7:48 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

When adding jalapenos to chili, mince them really fine and let them simmer as part of the chili for at least one hour. The peppers mellow and spread their heat more quickly the smaller the pieces are. If you're in a hurry, you can even puree the peppers in the tomato sauce or whatever liquid forms the basis of your chili. IME, a blend of hot peppers is preferable in chili because it yields a more robust spiciness that you can feel all the way from your lips to your throat.

Should you grow your own next year, I've made both of these stuffed jalapeno recipes to great acclaim.
posted by DrGail at 8:02 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

We keep this jalapeño ranch dressing/dip around pretty much all the time.
-1 jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped
-Large handful of cilantro
-1 packet powdered ranch dip
-1 cup mayonnaise
-1/2 cup buttermilk
-1/3 cup green salsa

Toss it all into a blender and blend until it's green and smooth.
posted by jaksemas at 3:54 AM on September 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

If you grow these peppers next year, you can make cowboy candy. (Calls for canning.)

Gloves, YES. I did a bunch of wax peppers gloveless and spent the next six hours soaking my hands in cold water.

House favorite here is to slice them, chop them a bit, and use them as nacho toppings.
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:52 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

A Pakistani restaurant near me serves mirchi bhaji fritters they say are made from jalapenos and they are so good.
posted by XMLicious at 5:32 AM on September 19, 2017

chiles toreados are delicious. if you like it 'mexican' hot.
posted by j_curiouser at 2:44 PM on September 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

chiles toreados are delicious.

Ooh, thanks! I was wondering what to do with my serranos!
posted by MonkeyToes at 3:45 PM on September 19, 2017

Response by poster: *sigh* My wife gave them to my sister-in-law. And now I want to eat them, because I am getting a cold. :7(

Next summer I will work my way through these recipes and try to regain my youthful pain tolerance!

Thanks, all you fire-breathers!!
posted by wenestvedt at 7:22 PM on October 4, 2017