The jalapeño popper bites give you all the flavors of my jalapeño popper bacon in a mix of breaded and fried bacon with cheese. For another bite-sized appetizer, try my ranchero bacon and cheese bites.
Ingredients
Filling out
1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, freshly grated
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 medium jalapeños, seeded and finely diced
6 slices of bacon, cooked and shredded
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
Flour mixture
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
Egg mixture
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons of water
Breading mix
1 cup of normal bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Frying
vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
Filling out
In a large bowl combine grated cheese, cream cheese, jalapeños, cooked bacon and garlic.
Take a spoonful of the mixture and form a tight ball. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the cheese mixture.
Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and let it cool for about 20-30 minutes.
Assembly
Place three wide and deep plates.
On the first plate, beat the flour, salt and pepper.
In the second plate, beat the eggs and the water.
In the third plate, beat the bread crumbs, the garlic powder and the cayenne pepper.
Dip each cheese ball in the flour first, then the egg and water mixture, and finally the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure the cheese ball is well covered after each step. Repeat with the rest of the cheese balls.
Frying
In a large skillet, heat a quarter inch of oil over medium heat (should register about 350°F).
Working in batches, fry the cheese balls until golden brown on all sides (about 3 minutes).
Place them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Serve hot.