Description
Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers, a spicy, cheesy, grilled appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
- 24 jalapeno peppers (or however many your rack holds)
- 8 ounces shredded cheese (shredded Mexican blend, cheddar, or Colby jack are the best options)
- 1 teaspoon ground ancho pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Stuff the peppers: Cut off the stem end of the peppers. Core the peppers, scraping out the seeds and ribs using a small measuring spoon. Toss the cheese, ancho pepper, garlic powder, and cumin in a medium bowl until the spices are evenly distributed. Pack the peppers with cheese, overflowing them slightly, setting each pepper in the pepper rack as you finish it.
- Set the grill up for indirect high heat: Set the grill up for a two-zone fire, with one zone set to high heat, and the other with no heat. For my Weber Summit, I preheat the grill with all burners on high for 15 minutes, brush the grill grates clean, then turn off all burners except for burners #1 and #2.
- Grill-roast the peppers over indirect heat for 20 minutes: Put the rack of peppers on the grill over indirect heat, not directly over the flames. Close the lid and grill until the cheese melts and browns and the peppers soften, about 20 minutes.
- Serve: Remove the rack from the grill. (Be careful, and protect your hands - the rack is very hot.) Set the rack on a heat-safe surface and let the stuffed peppers cool for five minutes, then remove them from the rack and serve.
Notes
- Gloves for pepper prep: Normally, I don’t wear gloves when I’m dealing with hot peppers. I regret that if I forget and rub my eyes or nose later…but, usually, it’s not that big a deal. This recipe is an exception. I handle a lot of peppers in this one, cutting, coring, stuffing, and getting my hands all over the pepper. If you’re brave (or foolhardy), you can skip the gloves…but I’d recommend wearing a pair of powder-free latex gloves while stuffing.
- Rack size: Check the size of your peppers against the size of your rack - smaller holes may not hold larger peppers, and smaller peppers will fall through the holes once they’ve softened in the grill for a while. Get a rack that holds 18 to 24 peppers - most people can only handle two or three of these spicy peppers before they cry uncle; unless you’re feeding a huge crowd (or a dedicated group of chili heads), 24 peppers will be more than enough.
- No pepper roasting rack? Cook them sideways by making jalapeno boats. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and ribs, leaving the stem end on. (Think “little jalapeno canoes”.) Fill the pepper halves with cheese, then continue with the recipe, placing the peppers carefully on the grill grate over indirect heat, cheese side up.
Tools
- Grill (I use a Weber Summit, which I love, but is massive overkill for this recipe)
- Jalapeno Pepper Rack
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizers and Drinks
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American