How To Reheat Jalapeño Poppers – I Try 5 Methods [Pics]

This article was updated on 5th August 2023 and another method was added; grilling.

Recently indulged in some jalapeño poppers but have leftovers? (I won’t ask how).

If so, you’ll need to reheat the jalapeño poppers to restore all their gooey and crunchy qualities. This article is all about helping you to get your poppers back to their former glory.

In a rush?

The best way to reheat jalapeño poppers is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and spread the jalapeño poppers out on a wire rack. Heat the jalapeño poppers for 5-10 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are crispy. For extra crispy poppers, broil them for 60 seconds at the end.

How I tested reheating jalapeño poppers

To find out the best way to reheat jalapeño poppers I made a big batch (ate a few because who could resist??), then left the rest in the fridge overnight.

The next day, I tried five different ways of reheating the jalapeño poppers:

• Oven: Best for baked jalapeño poppers.
• Air fryer: Best for deep-fried jalapeño poppers.
• Microwave: Avoid this if you can.
• Re-frying: Crunchy, but inconsistent and easy to overdo it.
• Broiler: Good for thin jalapeño poppers.

There are two main ways of preparing jalapeño poppers, baking them in the oven and deep-frying them. I made some of each so I could test the best way of reheating them both.

For each method, I reheated two oven-baked jalapeño poppers and two deep-fried jalapeño poppers, then tasted them. I based my final verdict on the taste of the poppers, how crunchy they were, and how easy the reheating method was.

How to reheat jalapeño poppers in the oven (or toaster oven)

Time: 5-10 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Arrange the jalapeño poppers on a baking tray so they’re not touching.
3. Heat the jalapeño poppers for around 10 minutes, or until they’re warmed through. If you’re using a toaster oven, 5 minutes will be enough.
4. If the topping doesn’t look crispy enough, turn the broiler on for 2-3 minutes at the end.

Note: If your jalapeño poppers are frozen, they’ll reheat better at a higher temperature. Reheat frozen jalapeño poppers at 400°F (200°C) for 15 mins.

For deep-fried jalapeño poppers where the breading is all the way around the popper, you’ll get better results if you put them on a wire rack in the oven.

This makes sure the bottom of the popper doesn’t get all soggy. Or you could use a baking tray and flip the jalapeño poppers halfway through cooking if they’re not too delicate.

Results: This was the best method for oven-baked jalapeño poppers, and the fried jalapeños came out decently as well. The breadcrumb coating lacked a bit of crunch (especially compared to freshly fried poppers), but this was easily fixed by a minute under the broiler. If you have lots of poppers to reheat, the oven is the most convenient and easiest option.

Reheating jalapeño poppers in the air fryer

Time: 5-7 minutes
Rating: 9/10 (great for deep-fried jalapeño poppers)

1. Preheat the air fryer to 370°F (190°C).
2. Spray the jalapeño poppers with a light coating of oil (optional but recommended for oven-baked poppers).
3. Put the jalapeño poppers in the air fryer in a single layer for 5-7 minutes, or up to 10 if you’re heating the poppers from frozen.

Avoid stacking the jalapeño poppers on top of each other in the air fryer because this can lead to soggy patches. Each jalapeno should have decent airflow around it.

If you have lots of jalapeño poppers to reheat, you’re best off reheating them in several batches.

I recommend a light spritz of oil for baked poppers because this helps them crisp up faster. But you can skip the oil for deep-fried jalapeño poppers because there’ll be enough residual oil in the coating.

You also won’t need oil for bacon-wrapped poppers.

Results: The oven-baked poppers came out nice and crispy from the air fryer, but the jalapeño itself was quite soft. The harsher heat of the air fryer had overcooked it. The deep-fried ones came out perfectly. The outside had the crunch you’d expect, and the jalapeño still had some bite. Overall a great method (if you have an air fryer).

Related: How To Reheat Stuffed Peppers

How to reheat jalapeño poppers in the microwave

Time: 30-60 seconds
Rating: 4/10

1. Place the jalapeño poppers on a microwave-safe plate lined with paper towel.
2. Microwave on full power for 20-30 seconds (add 5 seconds for every extra popper you add).
3. Allow the jalapeño poppers to rest for 30 seconds before serving.

I line my plate with a paper towel to soak up any grease or water that leaks out of my jalapeño poppers while they’re microwaving.

If there’s no paper towel, the poppers can end up sitting in their own juices.

Results: I wouldn’t use the microwave to reheat jalapeño poppers again unless I had no choice. The results were too disappointing. The poppers were a soggy mess, especially the deep-fried ones. I’ve also tested reheating bacon in the microwave, and it turned out chewy, so bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers won’t fare too well either.

Bonus method: reheating jalapeno poppers under the broiler

If all your jalapeno poppers need is a quick refresh, you can heat them for 2-3 minutes under the broiler.

Spread them out on a wire rack and set the broiler to medium. If the poppers are breaded all the way around, you’ll have to turn them halfway through heating.

Results: The broiler was great for my baked jalapeño poppers because they were quite thin, so heated through quickly. But my deep-fried jalapeños were much thicker so the middle wasn’t as hot as I would have liked when I bit into them. A good method, but not as consistent as the oven.

How to store jalapeño poppers

The best way to store jalapeño poppers is to let them cool and then arrange them in an airtight container. If the poppers are coated in breadcrumbs, you don’t want the breadcrumbs to touch, so separate any layers with parchment paper. Place the jalapeño poppers in the fridge and use them within 3-5 days.

A good trick to keep the coating extra crispy is to line your airtight container with a paper towel to soak up any excess moisture. And always make sure to let the poppers cool completely before storing them. If they’re still warm, the condensation buildup will leave you with damp breadcrumbs (yuk).

For longer-term storage, you can freeze them for up to 6 months.

Psst… you can also arrange the jalapeño poppers on a cookie sheet pan and wrap the whole tray in plastic wrap.

How to freeze jalapeño poppers

It’s best to freeze jalapeño poppers before cooking them, but you can also freeze cooked ones, they’ll just never get their ‘freshly-cooked’ crisp back. And quick tip, full-fat cream cheese freezes better than low-fat cream cheese.

To freeze jalapeño poppers (cooked or uncooked), lay them out on a cookie tray and then put the tray in the freezer for 1 hour. After an hour, transfer the jalapeño poppers to a freezer bag, squeeze all the air out, and freeze them for up to 6 months. 

By freezing the jalapeño poppers on the cookie tray first, you can bundle them all in the same freezer bag without worrying about them sticking together. Then you can take out as many or as little as you want to cook.

Squeezing all the air out of the freezer bag helps to protect the jalapeño poppers against freezer burn. Another way to do this is to suck all the air out of the bag with a straw. 

If you have a vacuum sealer available this is even better.

How To Reheat Jalapeño Poppers [Tested Methods]

I experimented with 5 different ways of reheating jalapeno poppers to find out which ones best. Hint… I didn't like the microwave.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: jalapeno poppers, reheat jalapeno poppers

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 person

Calories: 158kcal

Equipment

• Baking tray

Ingredients

• 1 portion jalapeno poppers
• 1 spray cooking oil optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Arrange the jalapeño poppers on a baking tray so they’re not touching.
• Heat the jalapeño poppers for 5-10 minutes or until warmed through.
• If the topping doesn’t look crispy enough, you can turn the broiler on for 2-3 minutes at the end.
• If your jalapeño poppers are frozen, they’ll reheat better at a higher temperature. Reheat frozen jalapeño poppers at 400°F (200°C) for 15 mins.

Nutrition

Serving: 127g | Calories: 158kcal