Louisiana Longhorn Café's Cajun Kisses
These jalapeño poppers from Louisiana Longhorn Café in Round Rock are not your average snack—they’re Texas-sized and with a Cajun twist! This fan-favorite appetizer is double-cooked with baked jumbo jalapeños stuffed with cheese, bacon, and shrimp and then battered and fried to perfection. One batch is never enough!
Ingredients
- 5 jumbo jalapeños (about ½ pound)
- 1 Tablespoon canola or grapeseed oil
- ¼ pound shrimp (roughly ten 41/50 shrimp), peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt and pepper
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 5 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked, finely chopped
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- Peanut oil for deep frying
- Corn tortilla chips, celery sticks, and ranch dressing for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175°F. Arrange the jalapeños on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Let cool for 15 minutes, then slice off the tops of the peppers and hollow them out with a small spoon.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the canola or grapeseed oil. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then cook over moderate heat, turning once, until the shrimp are opaque and turn a light pink, about 3 minutes. Let the shrimp cool slightly and then chop.
- In a large bowl, combine the cheese, bacon, and shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Fill the peppers with the mixture.
- Fill a deep fryer or large enameled Dutch oven with 4 inches of peanut oil. Heat to 350°.
- Meanwhile, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, and baking powder. Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk the milk with the egg, and then stir into the dry ingredients until you have a smooth batter.
- Dip the stuffed jalapeños in the batter and then drop in the fryer. Cook for 4 minutes, or until a crisp, golden brown. Let drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Arrange a layer of tortilla chips in a shallow bowl. Top with the fried jalapeños and celery sticks. Serve with your favorite ranch dressing for dipping. Enjoy!
Notes
The stuffed jalapeños can be prepped the night before and refrigerated overnight. Dip the jalapeños in the batter before frying.
Instead of using salt and pepper, the shrimp can also be seasoned with your favorite Cajun seasoning.
Recipe courtesy of Louisiana Longhorn Café.
Photo courtesy of DoorDash.
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