Looking for last minute recipe ideas for the game? You probably have most of the ingredients at home already. In addition to jalapeños, you can use the batter to make fried onion rings, cauliflower, mushrooms, fish, shrimp, calamari, etc.
Notes / Tips:
Fry immediately after mixing the batter, otherwise you will lose the bubbles.
The flour coating helps the batter stick better.
The cornstarch gets it crispy.
For non-alcohol batter- use seltzer or club soda.
To adjust the batter amount- use the same amount of flour/cornstarch to beer. (example: 1 cup of flour/cornstarch to 1 cup of beer)
To remove seeds, I used the end of a chopstick and poked through the holes.
I used 1 inch of oil to fry jalapeños. Use more if frying larger items, like fish.
The first batch may take longer to fry as it adjusts to the temperature. You will notice that the remaining batches fry faster.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees to keep warm while you fry remaining batches.
To make ahead: fry as directed and place on a baking sheet. When ready to serve, reheat in the oven.
Importance of Oil Temperature
If the oil temperature is too hot, it will burn on the outside before cooking on the inside.
If the oil temperature is too low, the food absorbs the oil, which ends up greasy and soggy.
If you don't have a thermometer there are 2 ways to see if the oil has reached temperature:
Drop a bit of batter into the oil to see if it sizzles to the surface.
Stick the end of a wooden spoon into the oil to see if bubbles form around the wood.
Beer Batter Fried Jalapeños
Ingredients
5-6 jalapeños, sliced or cut into spears ( optional - seeds removed)
flour for coating
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Optional seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, etc.
1 cup beer (8oz)
Vegetable or canola oil for frying
Salt
Serving: ranch dressing
Directions
In a pot or skillet, heat about 1 inch of oil to 350 degrees F. (use more oil if frying larger items)
In a bowl or plate, toss jalapeños with some flour and set aside. ( just enough flour to lightly coat)
In a large bowl, add flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper and other other seasonings and mix together.
Slowly pour in beer, whisking until smooth. The batter should look like pancake batter. If it’s too thick, add more beer. If it’s too thin, add more flour.
Working in batches: shake off excess flour and add jalapeño slices into the batter.
Add to hot oil and fry for about 3 minutes or until golden brown, flipping the slices.
Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with optional salt. Finish frying remaining batches.