These spicy breaded serrano rings were a byproduct of our need for something crunchy and spicy to top a particular cheeseburger of ours with. You might have stumbled across them on one of our Dueling Duleys post here: Dueling Duleys – What The Jalapeño Gonna Do With These!?!?!?
They’re nothing fancy, but they do their job well. You can probably find similar items to this at your local grocery store so that’s an option if you don’t feel like making them at home yourself. However, I enjoy the cooking process and prefer the flavor of these over other bagged breaded peppers I’ve tasted.
In the Dueling Duleys post, we hinted at a different recipe that called for these breaded chili peppers rings. They ended up being really tasty and quite simple to make. They shine through with serrano flavor but contain the crunch necessary to add some texture to whatever you want to top with them. Cornstarch is mixed with regular all-purpose flour so they will retain their crunch better if topped with a sauce such as barbecue sauce.
Serrano peppers can be quite hot, so if you don’t do well with heat I would suggest using something different such as a jalapeño or an Anaheim pepper. Although Anaheims are a much larger pepper so you might consider making thin “straws” out of them as opposed to “rings”.
I also decided to mix a little white vinegar in with the milk and although there isn’t any good reason to do that, it added a little extra depth to the already delicious flavor of the pepper. This is totally optional on your part, because like I said, I don’t know if there’s any good reason to put vinegar in milk. After all, we’re not trying to make milk here.
350° F is a nice safe all around temperature for your frying oil. That’s what I prefer most of the time. These aren’t very large though, so you could safely go a little higher. As always though, be very careful when working with hot oil. If at all possible keep the cooking pan or pot on the back burners with the handles facing backwards or to the side; never forward if you have small children or dogs present.
Crunchy Breaded Serrano Pepper Rings
By: Semiserious Chefs
Serves: Varies, but this makes enough rings for 4 large hamburgers
Ingredients:
- 5 – 6 fresh serrano peppers (somewhat thinly sliced and at a large angle)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk (3 tablespoons milk if not using vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar (optional)
Directions:
- Place the serrano peppers on a cutting board and begin cutting slices from each. These slices should be a little on the thinner side and cut at an angle no less than 45 degrees, so the slices or rings are larger than if simply cut into rings. It’s likely that you’ll get 5 – 6 nice slices from each pepper.
- Begin preheating the frying oil over medium heat until it reaches 350° F (roughly 175° C). Cast iron dishes work well because they retain heat and keep the oil a consistent temperature. Just make sure you have enough oil to completely cover the breaded serrano rings. An inch or so of oil should be fine.
- Mix milk and vinegar (if using) together in a small bowl.
- Whisk flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a different bowl until blended.
- Drop a few serrano rings into the milk and then remove and place in the flour and cornstarch mix. Make sure each piece is completely coated. I prefer using a fork for this job but hands are quicker.
- Place rings into hot oil and let cook for 2 – 3 minutes flipping occasionally. If you like extra crispy rings, let them cook a little longer.
- Remove rings with a slotted spoon and let dry either on a wire rack or paper towels.
- Use as a crunchy topping on your favorite burgers, salads, sandwiches or to add some extra spice to soups.
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