Jalapeño Poppers with Fried Catfish, Swiss, Sautéed Onions and Tartar Sauce started out as an experiment with some leftover fried catfish. But, once I got the recipe the way I wanted, it is so tasty that it quickly became a dinner staple at my house.
Jalapeño Poppers with Fried Catfish, Swiss, Sautéed Onions and Tartar Sauce
This is an Experimental, Jalapeño Poppers-Lover Recipe. I develop these recipes to have fun, taste new tastes and push the boundaries of what a Jalapeño Popper can be. I welcome comments, innovations and improvements on ALL recipes – but especially these.
But…
Even though this started out as an experiment with some leftover fried catfish, it has become a quick and easy dinner at my house.
If I have the time, I prefer to make my own fried catfish fillets. I’m pretty good at it. But this is also perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. I normally have everything in the recipe, except the fish, in my fridge or cupboard. So I just stop at a restaurant or supermarket on the way home from work and pick up a box of freshly fried catfish or other fried fish. Twenty minutes or so of prep-time and, Bob’s you uncle, I have a wonderful filling dinner.
Note – Fried Catfish is a Southern Favorite. But you can use just about any fried fish in these and I expect it would taste just fine. I have not tried every fish, of course, but I do know Cod is good and Walleye is delicious.
Note – Make these jalapeño poppers for yourself if you love catfish. I have tried these on a few friends, not as a whole dinner, yet, but just as a sample, and the results have been mixed. If you like catfish and jalapeño poppers, I think you will love these. But these are NOT the poppers to convert someone who has never tried poppers. (Give them a couple of these instead – Jalapeño Poppers Wrapped in Honey Butter Crescent Dinner Rolls Recipe)
Jalapeño Poppers with Fried Catfish, Swiss, Sautéed Onions and Tartar Sauce Recipe
About the Recipes
One thing you will notice immediately is that most of our recipes do not have quantities listed for the ingredients. This is by design.
Jalapeños come in many different sizes and shapes (often depending upon the time of year). Their size, the cut you choose (see below) and your own personal tastes will determine how much cream cheese, bacon or other ingredients you put into each pepper. Use your tastes and be sure to experiment a bit.
You will also notice that most directions call for cooking the poppers in an oven. This is because that is the easiest and quickest way for most of us to cook and enjoy jalapeño poppers year round. But if you want to grill, smoke or cook your poppers any other way – Almost every recipe we have will work. We will let you know if it won’t.
How to Cut and Clean Jalapeños for Poppers (With Pictures)
Click the links below to how to make any style Jalapeño Popper cut.
Jalapeño Poppers with Fried Catfish, Swiss, Sautéed Onions and Tartar Sauce Recipe
This Jalapeño Popper started out as an experiment with some leftover fried catfish. But, once I got the recipe the way I wanted, it is so tasty that it quickly become a dinner staple at my house.
Ingredients (See Box Above, "IMPORTANT - About Our Recipes" for Information about Quantities)
- Jalapeño Peppers
- Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
- Cream Cheese
- Freshly Fried Catfish Fillets bought from a local seafood restaurant or supermarket or homemade (See below for links to some good recipes to make at home)
- Onions sliced thin
- Butter or Chicken Fat to sauté onions
- Swiss Cheese sliced
- Tartar Sauce store bought or homemade (See below for links to some good recipes to make at home - The Red Lobster Tarter Sauce recipe is especially good!), to dip
Instructions
- Prepare catfish (if making at home) according to the recipe you are using. Set aside.
- Prepare tartar sauce (if making at home) according to the recipe you are using. Set aside.
- Place a medium skillet on the stove-top over medium heat.
- Add butter or chicken fat.
- When hot, add onions and sauté until tender and starting to brown.
- Remove onions and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cut the jalapeños into a boat or canoe cut. (Click link above to see how to do a Boat Cut or a Canoe Cut) NOTE - I used the boat cut.
- Sprinkle insides of cut jalapeños lightly with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place the jalapeños on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in preheated oven. Cook for about 10 minutes. (Skip this step if you prefer your finished jalapeños to be more raw and crunchy.)
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly so you can handle them.
- Add cream cheese to each jalapeño to cover the bottom, leaving a concave "well" to place other ingredients. (Click the link above to see pictures of this step, if the instructions are unclear to you.) Set jalapeños aside.
- Cut prepared catfish into chunks, sized to fit the jalapeños. Place as many chunks as will fit into each jalapeño.
- Layer as many sautéed onion slices as you like - or as you can - on top of the catfish.
- Place jalapeños back on cookie sheet and place back in oven.
- Cook, watching closely, until cream cheese is hot and bubbling, about 15 - 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and turn oven to broil.
- Place several slices of Swiss cheese - cut to fit - over the onions.
- When oven is hot, place jalapeños back in oven.
- Cook, watching closely, until Swiss cheese is hot and melted, about 1 - 2 minutes.
- Remove from oven when done and serve with prepared tartar sauce, for dipping, and chips or fries.
Catfish and Fried Fish Recipes:
Click on any Name below for the Recipe
- Texas Roadhouse Fried Catfish Recipe – Make our Texas Roadhouse Fried Catfish Recipe at home tonight for your family. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your Fried Catfish will taste just like Texas Roadhouse’s.
- Captain D’s Batter Dipped Fish Recipe – Make our Captain D’s Batter Dipped Fish Recipe at home tonight for your family. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your Batter Dipped Fish will taste just like Captain D’s.
- …More Delicious Catfish Recipes Coming Soon
Tartar Sauce Recipes:
Click on any Name below for the Recipe
- Big Boy Tartar Sauce Restaurant Recipe – Make our Big Boy Tartar Sauce Restaurant Recipe at home tonight for your family. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your Tartar Sauce will taste just like Big Boy’s.
- …More Delicious Tartar Sauce Recipes Coming Soon
Related Recipes:
Click on any Name below for the Recipe
- Long John Silver’s Cole Slaw Recipe – Make our Long John Silver’s Cole Slaw Recipe at home tonight for your family. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your Cole Slaw will taste just like what you get at Long John Silver’s.
- Golden Corral Seafood Salad – They call it Seafood Salad – but it’s Crab Salad.
- …More Delicious Recipes Coming Soon
Here are a Few More Recipes You Will Love:
Click on any Name below for the Recipe
- Applebee’s Wonton Tacos – Make these Applebee’s Favorite appetizers at home. Spicy chicken-stuffed wonton shells with slaw and cilantro.
- Old Fashioned Salmon Pasta Salad Recipe – This salad is perfectly at home anywhere – at an afternoon tea with the ladies, at a Superbowl party with the dudes or beside the pool with the kids.
- …More Delicious Recipes Coming Soon
Recipe is original and utterly delicious. Additional Information Courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission
