Recently indulged in some delicious jalapeño poppers? You may have a few leftover (I won’t ask how).
If so, you’ll need to reheat the jalapeño poppers to restore their gooey and crunchy qualities. This article is all about helping you to get your poppers back to their former glory.
I have personally experimented with several different reheating methods so you don’t have to. These include:
- Reheating jalapeño poppers in the oven (best for baked jalapeño poppers)
- Reheating jalapeño poppers in the air fryer (best for deep-fried poppers)
- Reheating jalapeño poppers in the microwave (Urgh. Avoid this if you can)
- Reheating jalapeño poppers by re-frying (also not great)
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
What’s the best way to reheat jalapeño poppers? The best way to reheat jalapeño poppers is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and place the jalapeño poppers spaced out on a wire rack. Heat the jalapeño poppers for 5-10 minutes or until the top is crispy. For extra crispy poppers, turn on the broiler for 2 minutes to finish reheating.
A note on my experiment
To find out the best way to reheat jalapeño poppers I made a big batch of poppers (and ate a few because I couldn’t resist) and left them in the fridge overnight.
The next day, I tried four different ways of reheating the jalapeño poppers (oven, microwave, air fryer and re-frying).
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’ve based my verdict on the taste and texture of the poppers.
Reheating jalapeño poppers in the oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and arrange the jalapeño poppers on a baking tray or wire rack so they’re not touching. Heat the jalapeño poppers for 5-10 minutes or until the top is crispy. To get a super crispy top, put the jalapeño poppers under the broiler for an extra 2 minutes.
The oven is the best way to reheat baked jalapeño poppers. The poppers will be good as new by the time you pull them out of the oven!
It also works well for deep fried jalapeño poppers – but an air fryer is better (if you have one, more on this next).
To reheat your jalapeño poppers in the oven:
- 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.
For deep-fried jalapeño poppers, you’ll get better results if you place them on a wire rack in the oven. This prevents the bottom of the popper from becoming soggy. Or you can turn them halfway through cooking, but this will only work with intact jalapeños.
My verdict
The oven-baked jalapeño poppers were basically as good as new when they came out of the oven. The breadcrumb topping lacked a little bit of crunch, but this was easily fixed by a minute under the boiler.
Reheating in the oven gave the best results for the baked jalapeño poppers.
The deep-fried jalapeño poppers were also very good. The outside was crispy, the jalapeño still had a bit of crunch, and the inside was soft and cheesy. But, the poppers didn’t have the distinct crunch you get from deep frying.
If you have a lot of poppers to reheat, the oven will be the most convenient method because you can reheat a whole tray in one go.
Reheating jalapeño poppers in the air fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 370°F (190°C) and spray your jalapeño poppers with a light coating of oil. Then air fry the jalapeño poppers for 3-5 minutes.
Air fryers are great little machines. I know not everyone has one, but if you do they’re so good for reheating jalapeño poppers.
To reheat your jalapeño poppers in the air fryer:
- Preheat the air fryer to 370°F (190°C).
- Spray the jalapeño poppers with a light coating of oil (optional but recommended).
- Put the poppers in the air fryer in a single layer for 3-5 minutes.
As you can see this is a really simple and quick method. The poppers will come out nice and crispy. You do need to keep an eye on the time because the poppers can overcook quite quickly.
Avoid stacking the jalapeño poppers on top of each other because this can lead to soggy patches. 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 it’s not necessary for deep-fried jalapeño poppers because there’s already some oil in the coating.
If you have frozen jalapeño poppers, they’ll need an extra few minutes in the air fryer.
Air frying is my recommended reheating method for deep-fried jalapeños because it’s the best method at bringing back that crunch crisp you only get from frying.
My verdict
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 slightly, which is why out of the two methods, I recommend the oven for reheating baked jalapeño poppers.
Related: How To Reheat Stuffed Peppers
The deep-fried ones came out perfectly from the air fryer. The outside had the crunch you expect from the breadcrumb coating, and the jalapeño still had some bite to it. You almost couldn’t tell they’d been reheated.
Overall a great method, and the winner for deep fried jalapeños.
Reheating jalapeño poppers in the microwave
Place the jalapeño poppers on a microwave-safe plate making sure they’re not touching. Microwave on high for 15-20 seconds for one popper, adding an extra 5 seconds for each additional popper. Serve immediately.
The microwave won’t give you good results. It’s just about acceptable for baked jalapeño poppers, but it completely destroys deep-fried jalapeño poppers.
The only reason I’ve included it is because sometimes your only option is the microwave, but my honest advice is to wait until you have access to an oven or air fryer to reheat your jalapeño poppers.
To reheat jalapeño poppers in the microwave:
- Place the jalapeño popper on a microwave-safe plate.
- Microwave on full power for 20-30 seconds (add an extra 5 seconds for each extra popper you add).
- Allow the jalapeños to rest for 30 seconds then serve immediately.
Baked jalapeño poppers will be just about edible but lacking any crunch.
If you have breadcrumb-coated poppers, the bread crumbs will go soggy in the microwave. With bacon-wrapped poppers, the bacon won’t crisp up and will become a little chewier.
To fix the soggy/not crispy issue you can pop the poppers under the broiler for 2-3 minutes and this will bring some life back into the breadcrumbs or bacon. But it pretty much defeats the whole point of the microwave in the first place.
If you have deep-fried jalapeño poppers they will come out of the microwave limp and soggy, and will very quickly turn hard as bricks. Deep-fried food and microwaves just don’t mix.
Never try to reheat frozen jalapeño poppers in the microwave.
My verdict
I wouldn’t use the microwave to reheat jalapeño poppers again. The results are just too disappointing. The poppers were a soggy mess and not pleasant to eat.
The microwave zapped all the joy out of my favourite appetizer!
Can you re-fry jalapeño poppers?
I don’t recommend re-frying jalapeño poppers.
The poppers will come out overly greasy and it’s very likely that you’ll burn them.
Deep frying is a very harsh method of cooking. It works well for uncooked food and is very quick. But trying to use it to reheat things is almost always a lost cause, it’s just too powerful.
After just a few seconds in the oil, the jalapeño popper will dry out and burn. You’re much better off using a gentler method with a greater margin for error.
The only time I would suggest re-frying is if you only partially cooked the jalapeño poppers in the first place. This gives you a bit more leeway in terms of time in the oil.
How to store jalapeño poppers
Store jalapeño poppers in an airtight container. If they’re coated with breadcrumbs, don’t let them touch. Separate any extra layers using parchment paper. Place the poppers in the refrigerator and use them within 3-5 days. For longer-term storage, you can freeze them for up to 6 months.
You could also arrange the jalapeño poppers on a cookie sheet pan and wrap the whole tray in plastic wrap.
It’s best not to let breaded jalapeño poppers touch during storage because this can lead to the breadcrumbs becoming soggy.
Make sure to let the poppers cool completely before storing them. If they’re still warm the condensation will leave you with damp poppers.
A good trick is to line your airtight container with a paper towel to soak up any excess moisture.
Can you freeze jalapeño poppers?
Jalapeño poppers freeze best before they’re cooked but you can also freeze cooked ones.
For uncooked jalapeño poppers, prepare them as if you were going to cook them, and then freeze them instead. That way, they’re ready to go straight in the oven or fryer when you decide to cook them.
The issue with cooked jalapeño poppers is that they won’t crisp up as much as uncooked poppers when you’re reheating them. You also risk overcooking them if you reheat them from frozen.
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, you can transfer the jalapeño poppers to a freezer bag, squeeze all the air out, and freeze them for up to 6 months.
Flash freezing is required for jalapeño poppers because otherwise they’ll stick together in the freezer bag. By freezing them solid first, you can keep them together in a freezer bag without worrying about them sticking. Then you can take out as many or as little as you want to cook.
The main issue with freezing food is freezer burn.
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! Vacuum sealing the jalapeño poppers will help them last longer in the freezer.
Always pre-freeze the jalapeño poppers before you vacuum seal them, otherwise they’ll get squished.
The cream cheese mixture will change a bit in texture during freezing, but by the time the popper is cooked, you won’t even notice this. Full-fat cream cheese freezes better than low-fat cream cheese.
Do I need to blanch the jalapeño before freezing it?
Jalapeño peppers (and peppers in general) are one of the few vegetables that don’t need blanching before freezing. In fact, it’s better not to blanch them because this will make it harder for the peppers to keep their shape.
Can you make jalapeño poppers ahead of time?
To make jalapeño poppers ahead of time, assemble them as if you were going to cook them, then either store them in the refrigerator or freeze them. The poppers will last for 2-3 days in the fridge in an airtight container, or up to 6 months in the freezer.
When you’re ready to cook them, follow the original instructions on your recipe. If you’re cooking them from frozen, remember to allow a little extra time.
If you’re making baked jalapeño poppers with a crunchy topping, I advise storing the crunchy topping separately from the jalapeños.
Keeping bread crumbs in the refrigerator will turn them soggy. You can revive them a bit during cooking, but they’ll be more crispy if you sprinkle them on just before cooking.
For bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers, you can assemble the whole thing ahead of time.
If you plan on making deep-fried jalapeño poppers I would advise freezing them instead of storing them in the refrigerator. This is the best method to preserve the coating. In the refrigerator, the breadcrumbs soak up all the moisture and turn into one big mush.
Pre-freeze the poppers on a cookie sheet, then store them in a single layer in a freezer-proof airtight container. When you’re ready to cook them, fry in oil at 365°F (185°C) for 3 to 6 minutes.
How to reheat a jalapeño popper dip
Jalapeño popper dip is a popular party dish and a clever twist on traditional jalapeño poppers.
You can make it in advance, but it’s best served warm.
The best way to reheat jalapeño popper dip is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees then put the dip in for 10-15 mins. Individual portions will need less time. If you’re heating the dip from frozen then add on an extra 10 minutes of cooking time.
You can also reheat jalapeño popper dip in the microwave, but this method is only suitable for smaller portions of the dip. Put the dip in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it on high for 30-60 seconds. To crisp the topping up, you can put the dip under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.
How to store jalapeño popper dip
To store jalapeño popper dip, put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’s best to store any crunchy topping separately because it will turn soggy in the fridge. For longer term storage, you can freeze the jalapeño popper dip.
If you’ve already topped the dip, then cover the topping with a paper towel. The paper will absorb any excess moisture before the topping meaning it should stay relatively crisp.
The BEST Way To Reheat Jalapeño Poppers
Equipment
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.
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