Crunchy Jalapeño Bites

Jalapeno Bites are a spicy food lovers dream! Coated with crunchy panko and deep fried until golden brown and crispy. They are a game day must have! 

People who know me in person and those of you that have been following the blog for a while know that I love spicy food. I add habanero hot sauce to everything. Sprinkle red peppers on my pizza and pasta. I munch on hot chili peppers. I order my Thai food a level 4 out of 5.

You get it, I like spicy. And if you’re a spicy food addict like me, these Crunchy Jalapeño Bites perfect for you!

You may have encountered these on restaurant menus. I ordered them often at TGIFriday’s They were called “jalapeño coins” and as a teenager, they were my favorite thing to order when I went out with my friends.

There is no Friday’s near me anymore so now I make them at home and they are incredibly easy to make. You can make as little or as many as you want without too many changes. I’ve even included air fryer instructions down below too!

Let’s get started!

What ingredients do you need:

Just a small handful of ingredients is all you need.

JALAPENOS: Obviously. The recipe calls for 3. It will likely feed 2 – 4  people. If you’ve got more to feed the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

FLOUR: This gives the egg something to stick to.

SEASONING SALT: To season the flour with. I use Johnny’s. It’s my personal fave.

EGG: This will help hold the panko onto the jalapeno

PANKO: Japanese bread crumbs. They are light and airy and give an unbelievable crunch factor when fried.

OIL: Use vegetable, canola or peanut. They have a higher smoke point than olive so they are better for frying.

DES’ TIP:the jalapeno slices are thin, you don’t need a ton of oil to “deep fry” these. I used about a cup of oil. You just want to make sure that they are covered in the pan.

Step by Step Photos and Instructions:

Like any coated and fried food, you’re going to want to set up an assembly line of sorts. On one plate whisk together the flour and the seasoning salt. In a bowl whisk the egg. And on a third plate, whisk together the salt and panko.

To coat the jalapenos, dip them first into the flour, then the egg and finally  into the panko. You may need to press them into the panko so that it sticks really well.

Finally, heat the oil to 350 degrees fahrenheit and fry the jalapenos, in batches if necessary, until golden brown and crispy. About 3 minutes .  Sprinkle with salt and serve.

DES’ TIP: Depending on the size of your pan and how many jalapeno  bites you are cooking, you may need to cook them in batches. Like any fried food, you don’t want to overcrowd the pan or the food will steam rather than fry. 

How to make Jalapeno Bites in the air fryer:

To make these in the air fryer, prepare them as you would if you were going to fry them. Place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket and spray with a couple spritz of non-stick spray. Cook at 375 for 8 minutes, shaking halfway through. Like the deep fry method, you may need to do this in batches.

These Jalapeno Bites are always a huge hit around here and they disappear quickly. Especially when I serve them with my creamy homemade ranch dip.

Looking for more game day snacks? I’ve got you covered!

Dill Pickle Chicken Wings 

Deep Fried Cheese Curds

Hot Nacho Dip

Seven Layer Dip

Spicy food addict? Or have one in your life? You have GOT to make these other spicy recipes.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Spicy Green Tomato Relish

Spicy Chicken Potstickers

Sweet n’ Spicy Beef Jerky

Spicy Fried Peanuts

Note: This recipe was originally posted 2009. It was updated with new photos, step by step instructions, nutrition facts and a video in 2021.