Description
Crispy, golden, battered and fried jalapeño slices served with ranch – a spicy, salty, crunchy appetizer or snack, made without beer.
Ingredients
- Canola oil, for frying
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¾ to 1 cup club soda or sparkling water (instead of beer)
- 1½ cups fresh jalapeño slices, ¼-inch thick rings (from about 4–5 large jalapeños)
- Optional: Ranch dressing, bottled or homemade, for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat canola oil in a heavy-duty pot or electric deep fryer to about 365 °F (185 °C). Line a rimmed tray with paper towels for draining.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Add the lightly beaten eggs and ¾ cup of the club soda or sparkling water. Whisk until smooth. Add more liquid as needed to reach a thinner-than-pancake consistency.
- Add about half of the jalapeño slices to the batter; toss to coat.
- Pick up individual battered slices (letting excess batter drip off), then carefully place into hot oil. Do not overcrowd the fryer/pot.
- Fry each batch for 4-5 minutes or until the slices are lightly golden on both sides.
- Use a wire skimmer or slotted spoon to remove fried jalapeño slices, and place them on the paper towel-lined tray to drain excess oil.
- Repeat with remaining jalapeño slices in additional batches.
- Once all are fried and drained, serve warm with ranch dressing for dipping.
Notes
- Don’t overcrowd the oil when frying, to keep temperature steady and slices crisp.
- Club soda or sparkling water gives the batter a light and crispy texture without the beer flavor.
- When measuring, focus on the liquid, not the bubbles/foam.
- Keep the oil temperature at about 365 °F between batches. Use a thermometer or fry in small batches if needed.
- Remove seeds/membranes from jalapeños if you prefer less heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 185 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 331 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0.01 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 93 mg
