Jalapeno Chicken Poppers (Copycat Recipe)

Back with another copycat recipe (shocker, I'm sure).
If you watched my stories over the past few weeks, you would have seen Eddie and I finally try some Real Good Foods poppers. While I did enjoy them, I felt they were just okay for the amount of money we spent on them. I also felt I could definitely recreate them if I really set my mind to it. Surprisingly enough... I think I actually nailed it!

Now, before I get ahead of myself - they may not be exactly the same as their version, but Eddie and I loved these from the first batch. They are definitely a bit time consuming, but I think making them ahead and freezing them could be a perfect option for quick dinners down the line.

Plus, as with any recipe I rave about, they are so easy to switch up flavor-wise. We went with cheddar jalapeno, but I am already imagining all of the other things we could stuff inside of these bad boys..

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

• 8oz Cream Cheese
• 3oz Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 40g Jalapeno, chopped
• ½ tsp Garlic Powder
• Pinch of White Pepper
• Pinch of Pink Salt
• ½ tsp Onion Salt (I use the one from Trader Joe's because I am obsessed with it)

CHICKEN INGREDIENTS:

• 16oz Chicken (I used chicken thighs, and technically only had 13oz once I removed the excess fat. This is pretty forgiving and will just make a slight difference in your total number of poppers)
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tbsp Ground Dijon Mustard
• ¼ tsp Chili Lime Seasoning (another Trader Joe's find!)
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Pink Salt
• ½ tsp White Pepper

BREADING INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
• 2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese

THE PROCESS:
Filling:

1. Begin by mixing all of your filling ingredients in a medium bowl. (This will be easier if you soften your cream cheese - but you will have to wait longer for them to set up afterwards. I just tough it out and get in a bit of an arm work out in the process.)
2. Once combined, grab small bits of your mixture and roll into balls. (I ended up with 18 using a ½ Tbsp measuring spoon, but I suggest making them a bit smaller than I did)
3. Place your cream cheese balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop them into the freezer to set up while you make your chicken mixture.

Chicken:

1. Begin by cutting off any excess fat from your chicken thighs and cutting them into chunks for easier grinding.
2. Add your chicken chunks into your food processor, followed by the remaining chicken mixture ingredients.
3. Process until your mixture comes together, pulling away from the sides, resembling an actual dough.
4. Transfer your chicken into a medium bowl and place into the refrigerator to firm up for easier handling.

Assembly:

1. Once your chicken mixture has firmed up slightly, remove a handful of your cream cheese balls from the freezer, and set up a station to begin forming your poppers. (Leave the remaining balls in the freezer until needed so they do not begin to soften up while you are working)
2. Portion your chicken mixture out to match the total number of cream cheese balls. (I eyeballed this and came up three short - don't make the mistakes I make)
3. Grab a pre-portioned bit of chicken mixture, flatten it a bit in your hand, add the cream cheese ball to the middle of the flattened chicken, and begin forming the chicken around the cream cheese ball. (You can roll this around in your hand similar to rolling a ball of cookie dough)
4. Continue this process for the remaining cream cheese balls (removing the rest from the freezer as needed)
5. Once you have finished the last ball of cream cheese - pop all of the chicken poppers back into the freezer to set up again. (I believe I left mine for about 15 minutes)
6. While setting up, mix your 'breading' ingredients together. 
7. Once your chicken poppers are set, bring them out of the freezer and give them a quick roll in the breading mixture. (I usually 'press' them into the mix a bit. It tends to stick very well to the raw chicken without any additional egg baths)

Cooking:

I actually tried this three ways. Fried in a bit of coconut oil, Air fried, and baked. The Air fryer leaked the insides everywhere (most likely due to me not knowing which temperature/time combination was the best). The oven worked fairly well. The coconut oil frying on the stove was phenomenal. If you are open to actually frying your food, I highly suggest this method.

Oven Baked:

1. Preheat your oven to 350. 
2. Add your poppers to a parchment lined baking sheet and pop into the pre-heated oven.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven to flip each popper over. 
4. Place back into the oven for another 8-10 minutes.
5. Enjoy! 

Shallow Fried in Coconut Oil:

1. Melt 1 tbsp Coconut Oil over medium high heat. 
2. Add your chicken poppers a few at a time, making sure to roll them while they cook to ensure even frying. 
3. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
4. Enjoy!