These baked stuffed jalapeno poppers are filled with cheesy crab filling and topped with a crispy sesame, onion topping. East meets West kinda snack with flavors that will tickle your taste buds!
What do you get when you cross a jalapeno popper with a crab rangoon? Crispy cream cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers stuffed with cheesy crab filling! These are not your average cream cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers - I used Chinese sausages (Lap Cheong) to give this a slightly smoky, sweet, and salty bite instead of bacon but if you can't find Chinese sausage, you can definitely replace this with bacon.
If you like crispy, spicy, bite-sized snacks stuffed with cheesy garlicky crab that are baked and not fried, then give this appetizer a try!
INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS FOR BAKED JALAPENO POPPERS
- Chinese Sausage (Lap Cheong) - For this baked jalapeno popper recipe, I used Chinese Sausage (Lap Cheong), which you can find at any Asian grocery store. This is an incredibly flavourful sausage with a sweet and salty flavor infused with rice wine. If you cannot find this, you can substitute it with bacon as well and it will turn out just as delicious
- Imitation Crab - I use imitation crab sticks for this crab rangoon-style filling. I use frozen crab meat but you can also use imitation crab chunks from the refrigerated section of the grocery store as well. You can also use fresh crab meat as well but I find the imitation crab meat gives it a much nicer flavor and umami from the added msg.
- Bread Crumbs - To make the crispy topping, a combination of panko bread crumbs, deep-fried onions, and toasted sesame seeds are toasted together with a bit of sesame oil. I like to use panko because I find it has a coarser texture and gives a bit more texture and crunch than the standard breadcrumbs.
- Deep-Fried Onions - I used pre-deep-fried onions\shallots, which I find at Asian grocery stores. If you cannot find it, you can also use French fried onions as well which you can find at your local grocery store.
HOW TO MAKE JALAPENOS POPPERS
I find the easiest way to de-seed and de-vein jalapenos is with a spoon. I've had my fair share of spicy knicks and cuts using a knife - not a very fun experience.
After you slice the jalapenos in half length-wise, jab the spoon at the very top near the stem where all the fleshy spongy bits are and scrape down to get started. Once that big piece is out the rest is a breeze to scrape.
If you like a bit of a spicy kick to your cream cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers, remove the seeds but don't fully scrape out all the white membranes. On the other hand, if you prefer to go the milder route then make sure to remove as much of the white membrane bits as possible.
Once you have finished preparing the jalapeno, mix the filling ingredients together and stuff the peppers.
When you are baking these little guys, keep an eye on them. Our goal is not to overcook it. We want the peppers to still have a bit of a crunch to them. When the jalapenos are overcooked, it releases water and you end up with drippy water logged cream cheese stuffed jalapeno. 12-15 minutes was enough time to get it at the right texture.
We pre-make the crispy bits over the stovetop. This gives us a bit more control of how brown and crispy we want it. Add it at the very end when the poppers come out of the oven and the cheese is still soft, so it can stick to it. No deep-frying involved!
LOOKING FOR MORE SNACK RECIPES? TRY THESE!
- Crab and Cheese Spring Rolls
- Bacon Cheeseburger Potstickers
- Korean Corn Cheese (Elote Style)
- Bite-sized Crispy Honey Garlic Ribs
- Korean Fried Popcorn Turkey
- Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) Dumplings
- Garlic Cheese Baked Mussels
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Baked Crispy Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers (Crab Rangoon Style)
Recipe Notes
- When de-seeding the jalapeno, be careful not to breathe in the spicy fumes around the work area.
- For a slightly spicier jalapeno, don't fully scrape out the white membranes from the jalapenos, only remove the seeds. For a less spicy jalapeno, scrape off the seeds and the white membrane completely.
Ingredients
- 12 large jalapeno
Crab Rangoon Cheese Filling
- ½ small onion (or 3-4 shallots)
- 1 Chinese sausage (Lap Cheong - can be substituted with 2-3 strips of bacon)
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 cup cheddar (or any type of cheese, mozzarella will give you a bit more gooey-ness)
- 250 g cream cheese (1 box)
- 6-8 imitiation crab sticks (approximately 1 cup shredded)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon granulated garlic powder (not garlic salt)
Crispy Topping
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- ½ cup Japanese panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup deep fried onions
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
Making the Crispy Topping
- Set the stove to medium heat and add in sesame oil to the frying pan
- Once the oil is hot, add in the sesame seeds and toast it for about 10-15 seconds
- Add in the panko bread crumbs and fried onions and toast it for a few minutes until they are golden brown (keep the bits moving so the sesame seeds don't burn)
- Once it is brown, remove it from the heat and set it aside for topping the jalapeno poppers at the very end.
Preparing and Stuffing the Jalapenos
- Wash the jalapenos and cut them in half length-wise
- Using a spoon, jab into the whites of the jalapeno near the top around the stem and scrape downwards. (I find that is one of the easiest ways to remove all the membranes and seeds without using a knife). Set aside the scraped out jalapenos
- Finely chop the small onion and Chinese sausage and toast it in a frying pan to release the oils and flavours from the sausage and brown the onions. (Approximately 10 minutes)
- Pre-heat the oven to 400F (204C)
- In a small bowl, combine the cheeses, soy sauce, maple syrup, toasted onions and Chinese sausage, shredded crab and garlic powder. Mix well
- Stuff the jalapenos with the cheese and crab stuffing and place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
- Roast the jalapeno poppers in the oven for approximately 15 minutes. If you are using smaller jalapenos, roast them for about 12 minutes. (Our goal is to not overcook the poppers. Overcooked jalapenos will release a lot of water and make it soggy. Slightly underdone jalapeno poppers keep their bite and crunch)
- Once it is done roasting, top the jalapenos with the crispy toppings immediately while the cheese is still soft
- Enjoy immediately 🙂
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*
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Sam Ogle says
These were absolutely delicious!! Will definitely make again!!
Joyce Lee says
Hi Sam!
I am so happy they were a hit!!