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    Home » Cinco De Mayo Recipes

    Jalapeño Popper Skillet

    Published: May 4, 2021 by Richa 19 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

    Vegan Jalapeño Popper Skillet is a delicious and quick vegan dinner that comes together in less than 30 minutes making it perfect for any night of the week. Dairy-free and can be made gluten-free.

    a serving of vegan jalapeno popper skillet served on a small white plate next to a skillet and a dish with cashew cream

    In the mood for spicing things up for dinner tonight? Amazing! I have something for you! Jalapeno Popper Skillet – Say what? Yes, we take a popular restaurant appetizer and turn it into dinner! All made in one skillet like we did with this enchilada skillet

    A delicious and quick vegan dinner perfect for any night of the week. Especially perfect now, with Cinco de Mayo around the corner!

    overhead shot of vegan jalapeno popper skillet

    Now that the days are getting warmer, I love me a  quick, easy, and tasty one-pan dinner that allows me to stay outside longer. And this one is seriously easy.  Traditionally, Japaneño Poppers are a bit fiddly to make, First hollowed out, then stuffed with a mixture of cheese and sometimes ground meat before they are breaded and deep-fried. This skillet dinner is more like a deconstructed cheater’s version. We take those cheesy briney flavors we love and incorporate them into a delicious Mexican-inspired tortilla skillet.

    A simple hearty mix of sauteed onion, tomato and bell peppers with added veggie crumbles and some pickled jalapeno is the base of this Tex Mex Skillet dinner. No breadcrumbs needed here! I went with some sliced tortillas that get tossed with the jalapeno popper filling directly in the pan. Cheese and jalapeno popper sauce on top, and DONE! No fussing, no stuffing no breading or frying involved. WIN!

    a portion of vegan japaleno popper skillet served on a white plate next to a skillet

    You can serve this Vegan Jalapeño Popper Skillet Dinner with some tortilla chips, over rice or cauliflower rice,  with a salad or just straight out of the pan. The most important thing is drizzling it again all over with a generous amount of vegan Jalapeno Popper Cream for a bit of tang.

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    Recipe Card

    Print Recipe
    5 from 9 votes

    Jalapeno Popper Skillet Dinner

    Vegan Jalapeño Popper Skillet is a delicious and quick vegan dinner that comes together in less than 30 minutes making it perfect for any night of the week. Dairy-free and can be made gluten-free. 
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time20 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Tex Mex
    Keyword: jalapeno popper skillet, vegan jalapeno popper
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 327kcal
    Author: Vegan Richa

    Ingredients

    • 2 tsp oil
    • 1/2 cup (80 g) thinly sliced onion
    • 1/2 cup (74.5 g) thinly sliced bell pepper red, green or both
    • 1 cup (82.09 g) veggie crumbles or cooked lentils
    • 1/2 cup (74.5 g) chopped tomatoes
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp chili powder blend
    • 2-3 tortillas sliced into triangles or use tortilla chips
    • 2 tbsp chopped pickled jalapeno

    For the Jalapeno popper cream-

    • 1/4 cup cashews soaked for 15 minutes in hot water, see notes for Nutfree
    • 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
    • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 4 or 5 slices pickled jalapeno
    • 3-4 tbsp water

    For toppings

    • Sliced Avocado
    • Cilantro
    • Pickled Jalapeno

    Instructions

    • Heat a cast iron, or regular skillet over medium high heat, add oil.
    • Add the onion and peppers, cook for 2 minutes, then add in the veggie crumbles, salt, and chili powder blend, and mix in. Cook until the onion is golden.
    • Add in the tomatoes, and two tbsp of water and mix in. Cook until the tomatoes are somewhat tender. Mash some of them.
    • Add in the tortillas and the pickled jalapenos and mix in
    • Reduce heat to medium.Top with the jalapeno popper cream sauce, pickled jalapenos, and 1/4 cup of vegan cheese shreds, if using. The cover the skillet with a lid, and continue to cook until the cheese melts, 4-5 minutes.
    • Remove from the heat, top with avocado and cilantro and serve.

    To make the jalapeno popper cream sauce-

    • Blend all of the ingredients until smooth and creamy,
    • Taste and ajust flavor by adjusting salt, adding more tang with the brine from the pickled jalapeno as needed.

    Notes

    • Nutfree: use 1/3 cup Silken or firm tofu or 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds for jalapeño cream sauce 
    • Glutenfree: use Glutenfree tortillas or corn tortilla chips
    • Top these with sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, and some more pickled jalapeno.
    • Pico de Gallo would be amazing with this but I would serve it on the side, not spooned on top as it would make the dish watery and the tortillas soggy.
      You can add in some black beans or sweet corn to bulk this up a bit. 

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Jalapeno Popper Skillet Dinner
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 327 Calories from Fat 135
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 15g23%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Sodium 654mg28%
    Potassium 571mg16%
    Carbohydrates 34g11%
    Fiber 7g29%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 16g32%
    Vitamin A 1944IU39%
    Vitamin C 57mg69%
    Calcium 60mg6%
    Iron 5mg28%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Ingredients:

    • sauteed onions, tomatoes, and bell pepper form the base
    • I add some veggie crumbles as a stand-in for minced meat but you can use cooked lentils
    • 3 standard-sized cut-up wheat tortillas are added to take this Tex Mex dish into an even more Mexican direction. Choose gluten-free tortillas if you want.
    • pickled jalapenos add that briny taste and that perfect amount of heat
    • chili for some extra spice, if you want.
    • I like to sprinkle vegan cheese on top. Not a must but recommended.
    • For the Jalapeno Popper cream, we blend cashews with lemon juice, pickled jalapenos, ACV and nutritional yeast. SO GOOD!

    overhead shot of ingredients needed for making jalapeno popper skillet


    Tips:

    • Skip the chili powder if you suspect the jalapenos are already spicy enough for you.
    • You can add a pinch of smoked paprika if you want a hint of smokiness or a pinch of cayenne pepper for even more heat, if you want extra spicy.
    • Top these with sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, and some more pickled jalapeno.
    • Pico de Gallo would be amazing with this but I would serve it on the side, not spooned on top as it would make the dish watery and the tortillas soggy.
    • You can add in some black beans or sweet corn to bulk this up a bit.

    How to make Jalapeno Popper Skillet:

    onions and bell pepper sauteeing in a skillet

    Heat a cast iron, or regular skillet over medium high heat, add oil. Add the onion and peppers, cook for two minutes, then add in the veggie crumbles, salt, and chili powder blend, and mix in. Cook until the onion is golden.

    veggie crumbles bell pepper and onion in a black skillet
    Add in the tomatoes, and two tbsp of water and mix in. Cook until the tomatoes are somewhat tender. Mash some of them.

    tortillas and chopped tomatoes being added to skillet with veggie crumble mix
    Add in the tortillas and the pickled jalapenos and mix in.

    jalapeno popper cream being poured over veggies and veggie crumbles to make jalapeno popper skillet
    Reduce heat to medium. Top with the jalapeno popper cream sauce, pickled jalapenos, and 1/4 cup of vegan cheese shreds, if using. Then cover the skillet with a lid, and continue to cook until the cheese melts, 4-5 minutes.

    vegan jalapeno popper skillet covered with shredded cheese ready to be cooked
    Remove from the heat, top with avocado or salsa and cilantro and serve.

    vegan jalapeno popper skillet topped with cilantro and chopped avocado

    To make the jalapeno popper cream sauce!

    Blend all of the ingredients until smooth and creamy,
    Taste and adjust flavor by adjusting salt, adding more tang with the brine from the pickled jalapeno as needed.

     

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    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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    1. Deb

      April 09, 2023 at 4:20 pm

      5 stars
      Omg yummy. Quite delicious and simple!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        April 10, 2023 at 7:46 pm

        Yay!

        Reply
    2. Diane

      June 15, 2021 at 5:34 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight – absolutely loved it. My two teenagers love it. The cashew cream is to die for. I did not think anything could compare to your turmeric carrot loaf, but this is a close contender.

      Reply
    3. Sayani

      June 05, 2021 at 5:30 pm

      5 stars
      This was so flavorful, especially the sauce! I made this into burritos for work lunches and added everything but the tortillas to the skillet to make the filling. Your recipes are always the best!

      Reply
    4. Melanie

      June 04, 2021 at 5:37 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING. It was a huge hit with my family.
      I went with lentils instead of the veggie crumbles and I did not use any shredded cheese. It was so flavorful and rich without it. I can’t wait to make it again.

      Reply
      • Richa

        June 04, 2021 at 9:16 pm

        Yay

        Reply
    5. Sal

      May 23, 2021 at 3:16 pm

      5 stars
      This was so simple and delicious! Next time I will double the cream recipe. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 23, 2021 at 8:45 pm

        Awesome

        Reply
    6. Margaret Pearce

      May 12, 2021 at 6:07 pm

      5 stars
      I made this with TVP instead of veggie crumbles since that’s all I had. It turned out so good! The cream sauce pulls it all together. Next time I will double up on the sauce and leave some on the side. Thanks for another delicious recipe Richa! Your blog is the best 🙂

      Reply
    7. Maneesha

      May 12, 2021 at 10:27 am

      5 stars
      AMAZING RECIPE, RICHA! The jalapeno popper sauce is awesome! I’m definitely going to incoporate this sauce in more of my Mexican dishes! Thanks for a slam dunk recipe! I used Beyond Meat and Follow Your Heart Cheddar – totally hit the spot!

      Reply
    8. Tara

      May 12, 2021 at 9:04 am

      Are raw cashews necessary for the sauce, or can/did you use standard ones? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        May 15, 2021 at 10:19 am

        those would also work

        Reply
    9. Sue

      May 05, 2021 at 6:20 am

      This recipe sounds easy and delicious! I was wondering if canned diced tomatoes could be substituted for the fresh tomatoes and water?

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 06, 2021 at 8:55 am

        Yes

        Reply
    10. Carol

      May 04, 2021 at 1:54 pm

      By tortillas, do you mean soft tortillas (either corn or flour)? Do they get soggy/mushy? Or would it be better to use chips? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 06, 2021 at 8:56 am

        Yes soft tortillas. You can use tortilla chips and if you prefer they stay crisp, add them just before adding the jalapeño popper sauce. And serve immediately once the mixture has thickened

        Reply
    11. PamelaB

      May 04, 2021 at 8:49 am

      5 stars
      I love how you come up with different spins on food!
      Have saved this & will definitely be enjoying it soon.

      Reply
    12. JoAnn

      May 04, 2021 at 8:12 am

      What are veggie crumbles? I’ve never heard of them and where do you but them? This recipe sounds amazing

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        May 04, 2021 at 11:56 am

        you can see what they look like in one of the photos and basicly a crumbly vegan protein. trader joes or other health food stores stock themand you can read more info in this link: https://www.google.com/search?q=veggie+crumbles&oq=veggie+crumbles&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l9.2652j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

        Reply

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