Name: Crispy Fried Jalapeño Slices
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 5 jalapeños (sliced widthwise); oil for frying; 1 large egg; 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream; 1/3 cup blanched almond flour; 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon paprika; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Wondering what to do with extra jalapeños? Try slicing and deep frying them with a healthy breading that’s low carb, keto, and gluten free. They come out crispy and crunchy, perfect as a delicious snack or appetizer.

Overview

This is a variation of one of my favorite recipes developed this year: keto fried chicken. Similar to fried asparagus, I’ve used the same egg wash and low carb breading, which easily adheres to both meat and vegetables. It results in a fabulous golden brown crunchy exterior that satisfies all of my fried food cravings.

These fried jalapeño slices (or “bottle caps”) are only mildly spicy, even with their seeds and membranes intact. The interior is meltingly tender, surrounded by crispy breading. Definitely one of my favorite ways to use up extra jalapeños.

Tips For Frying Jalapeño Peppers

If you’re sensitive to capsaicin, wear gloves while handling jalapeños, especially if you come into contact with the seeds or membranes. Trust me, you don’t want to have “pepper hands.”
Breading can be a huge mess. To make it less messy, here’s what I do: one hand touches the egg wash and the other hand touches the breading. Only one hand ever touches either bowl. This keeps your fingers from being breaded.
The parmesan cheese used for the breading is the finely grated kind with a sandy consistency, not the shredded kind. It’s usually found in the refrigerated cheese section of a supermarket.
When selecting an oil for frying, verify that its smoke point is above the frying temperature of 350 F. The last thing you want is for your oil to start smoking. Also, pick one with a neutral flavor. I typically use canola oil or vegetable oil.
I recommend getting a deep fryer if you fry often, since it comes with automatic temperature control and neat features like oil filtration. Easier than dealing with a pot of hot oil and a thermometer, and constantly adjusting the gas flame. If you don’t have a deep fryer, enlist someone to monitor your oil temperature and adjust as needed while you do the deep frying part.

Serving

I recommend serving these jalapeño slices as a standalone appetizer or snack, without any accompanying dips or sauces. I eat them the way I would eat a bowl of flavored chips. The crunchy breading is tasty and doesn’t need any flavor enhancers.

But if you’re dying to add some kind of sauce (buffalo wing sauce?), I would suggest keeping it on the side as a dip rather than tossing with the fried jalapeño slices. Any kind of sauce will moisten the breading and it will quickly lose its crunch.

Other uses for fried jalapeño slices include adding them to salads, burgers, and pizza.

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