Slices of fresh jalapeño coated in a light beer batter and fried to golden crispness. Perfect as a game-day snack, appetizer, or side for BBQ.
These crunchy, spicy bites are addictive. Serve with garlic mayo or your favourite dipping sauce for a tasty contrast of heat and creaminess.
They also work brilliantly as part of a barbecue spread alongside ribs, mac and cheese and chips.
Table of Contents
- 📋 Ingredients
- How to make it
- Pro Tip
- 🍽️ What to serve it with
- 🍲 More fantastic crispy appetizers
- Fried Jalapeños Recipe
📋 Ingredients
Self-raising flour – If you don’t have self-raising, use the same amount of plain (all-purpose) flour plus 1 tsp baking powder, and still add the extra ½ tsp baking powder listed for the batter.
Beer – A pale ale or light IPA gives a light, savoury batter. You can use lager instead, or soda water for a non-alcoholic version. The colder and more carbonated the liquid, the lighter the batter.
How to make it
Full recipe and detailed steps are in the recipe card below.
- Whisk the dry batter ingredients together, then slowly stir in the chilled beer until smooth and lump-free.
- Combine cornflour, salt and pepper in a separate bowl to make a seasoned dry coating.
- Dust the jalapeño slices in the cornflour mixture, then dredge them in the batter so it adheres well.
- Fry carefully in hot oil for 1–2 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Drain on paper towel and serve immediately.
Pro Tip
Use cold beer (or cold soda water) for the batter — this helps create the lightest, crispiest coating.
This recipe is a great way to use leftover batter from beer-battered fish.
🍽️ What to serve it with
Turn these into part of a barbecue feast — they complement smoky and creamy sides really well. Ideas:
- BBQ dry rub ribs
- Four-cheese mac ‘n’ cheese
- Homemade chips or air fryer fries
- Dip into a creamy bang bang or garlic mayo
Quick to prepare and a crowd-pleaser for summer gatherings.
🍲 More fantastic crispy appetizers
Appetizers
Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls
Appetizers
Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
Appetizers
Bang Bang Cauliflower
Appetizers
Homemade Vegetable Samosa Recipe
Asian
Korean Fried Chicken
Appetizers
Onion Bhaji
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Fried Jalapeños
Ingredients
Beer Batter
- 120 g (1 cup) self-raising flour (see swaps)
- 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in USA)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 240 ml (1 cup) refrigerated pale ale (must be cold) — or lager/soda water
Also:
- Oil for deep frying
- 3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in USA)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 8 fresh jalapeños, sliced into 1/2 cm rings
Instructions
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep pan to 180°C / 350°F.
- Make the batter: combine the flour, cornflour and baking powder in a bowl, then stir in the cold pale ale until the batter is smooth with no lumps.
- Mix the cornflour, salt and pepper in a small bowl to make the dry coating.
- Dust the jalapeño slices in the seasoned cornflour, then dredge them in the batter so it clings to each slice.
- Lift slices out with a slotted spoon to let excess batter drain, then add to the hot oil. Fry in batches for 1–2 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately.
Notes
Make ahead
You can make the batter ahead and refrigerate for 2–3 hours. Keep it cold before frying.
Swaps
If you don’t have self-raising flour, use plain (all-purpose) flour plus 1 tsp baking powder, and still add the ½ tsp baking powder listed for the batter. For a non-alcoholic batter, use cold soda water.
Scaling
Halve the recipe for a smaller batch or double it for a crowd, keeping the same ingredient ratios.
Nutritional information
Approximate per serving (1 sliced jalapeño): 169 kcal, 18 g carbs, 2 g protein, 9 g fat. Nutritional values are estimates and can vary.
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