Crab Cake Jalapeño Popper Bites Recipe
If crab cakes and jalapeño poppers got married and had a baby, it would be these crab cake jalapeño popper bites. If you liked their first attempt at going steady, which gave the world crab-stuffed jalapeño poppers, these cute little bites might be your new favorite game-day or movie-night snack.
Stuffed with a mixture of crab, pepper Jack, and cream cheese, enveloped in a crunchy layer of breadcrumbs, and seasoned just like a crab cake would be, these bite-sized poppers are exactly what you want to eat at a party. Each bite is creamy, briny, and punchy, and the texture is crispy at first and then smooth and cheesy inside. The chipotle cream piping on top seals the package with a smoky, cooling garnish that serves as a counterpoint to all the heat.
As a recipe developer and blogger, I'd be remiss if I didn't warn you that before proceeding with this recipe, there are some precautions you should take in recipes with jalapeños as the star of the show. Not all jalapeños are created equal, so taste yours if you didn't make sure they weren't accidentally (or intentionally) the spiciest ones in the store. There are also some tips for working with jalapeños that I always stick to, such as wearing gloves and removing most of the seeds and the membrane, which leaves you with a fresh, vegetal heat rather than the kind that burns your tongue. With all that in mind, go on and make this spicy little party appetizer — your guests will thank you.
Gather the ingredients for crab cake jalapeño popper bites
For the crab cakes themselves, you'll need room-temperature or softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, an egg, jalapeños, shredded pepper jack cheese, scallions, Old Bay seasoning, fresh lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, defrosted crab meat that's been picked over for shells, panko breadcrumbs, kosher salt, black pepper, and vegetable oil for frying.
To make our jalapeño popper bites look especially party-worthy, we'll be topping them with a little dollop of flavor. For the topping, you'll need cream cheese, fresh lemon juice, chipotle powder, and a jalapeño that's been thinly sliced into rounds.
Step 1: Make the cream cheese mixture
Combine 4 ounces cream cheese, the mayonnaise, and an egg in a large bowl and mix until smooth.
Step 2: Add the jalapeños and seasonings
Stir in the diced jalapeños, pepper jack, scallions, Old Bay, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients
Gently fold in the crab meat and half the panko, being careful not to break up the lumps too much. Season with salt and pepper. Chill for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Roll into balls
Roll the mixture into 1 ½-inch balls.
Step 5: Coat in panko
Place the remaining panko in a shallow dish and roll each ball in it to coat.
Step 6: Freeze the arancini
Arrange the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
Step 7: Preheat the oil
Heat about ½ inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat, to 350 F.
Step 8: Fry in batches
Working in batches, fry the popper bites until they're golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
Step 9: Drain and cool the arancini
Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and let cool for 5 minutes.
Step 10: Beat the cream cheese
For the topping, beat the remaining 4 ounces cream cheese, lemon juice, and chipotle powder until smooth.
Step 11: Transfer to a piping bag
Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small star tip.
Step 12: Garnish and serve the arancini
Pipe a rosette of cream cheese onto each popper bite and top with a jalapeño slice. Serve immediately.
What Can I Serve With Crab Cake Bites?
Crab Cake Jalapeño Popper Bites Recipe
Each bite of our crab cake jalapeño popper bites is creamy, briny, and punchy, and the texture is crispy on the outside and smooth and cheesy inside.
Ingredients
- For the crab cake
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced
- 4 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ pounds crab meat, defrosted and picked over for shells
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, to taste
- 3 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- For topping
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced into rounds, for garnish
Directions
- Combine 4 ounces cream cheese, the mayonnaise, and an egg in a large bowl and mix until smooth.
- Stir in the diced jalapeños, pepper jack, scallions, Old Bay, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Gently fold in the crab meat and half the panko, being careful not to break up the lumps too much. Season with salt and pepper. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll the mixture into 1 ½-inch balls.
- Place the remaining panko in a shallow dish and roll each ball in it to coat.
- Arrange the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Heat about ½ inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat, to 350 F.
- Working in batches, fry the popper bites until they’re golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
- Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and let cool for 5 minutes.
- For the topping, beat the remaining 4 ounces cream cheese, lemon juice, and chipotle powder until smooth.
- Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small star tip.
- Pipe a rosette of cream cheese onto each popper bite and top with a jalapeño slice. Serve immediately.
Are there alternatives to deep-frying these crab cake jalapeño popper bites?
Frying gives you the crispiest, most even crust for your jalapeño popper bites. Since these are round bites and not flat patties, frying is genuinely the best method for getting them perfect. However, I don't always want to deal with the mess of deep-frying, so I have come up with some alternatives. None of these will be an exact replica of the fried version, but they'll still taste good.
Broiling in the oven is the closest substitute to frying. We often use it when making crab cakes, because broiling relies on high, direct heat to create a seared finish without submerging the bites in oil. Simply set your broiler to high, place the frozen bites on a parchment-lined, oiled baking sheet, and watch them closely. You will need to rotate them for even color every couple of minutes, because broiler heat only comes from one direction.
My other preferred method is the air fryer. You can use the air fryer to crisp up store-bought crab cakes, so it works here as well. The air fryer circulates hot air to crisp the panko better than a traditional oven, and requires less oil than frying. Cook in batches at 375 F for 5-6 minutes on one side, then another 5 minutes or so on the other. The exact cook time may depend on your air fryer, so watch it closely.
What are some tips for frying crab bites?
If you have decided to go full-on for crisp on these crab cake jalapeño popper bites, there are some tips for frying you should keep in mind. The first and most important thing is oil temperature. Keeping the oil at 350 F is one of the keys to making restaurant-quality crab cakes at home, because it means the panko crust crisps and browns before the inside overcooks. If the oil drops too low, the bites will absorb oil and go greasy. Go too high, and the outer shell will burn before the center heats through. Use a kitchen thermometer for best results instead of guessing.
My other advice is to work in small batches and not crowd the pan. Adding too many popper bites at once will drop the oil temperature and cause them to steam (and sog) rather than fry. Also, make sure to skip the fancy and expensive stuff and use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable, canola, or even avocado oil.
When lowering the bites into the oil or turning them over, handle them gently. Use a spider or slotted spoon rather than tongs, which can squeeze and crack the crust. Make sure to (carefully) turn them occasionally to help them fry evenly on all sides. And once they're done cooking, let them rest for a few minutes before topping them, to help them set and make it easier to hold without burning your fingers.