This recipe was originally created as a mistake during a recent duel between Andrew and I. It wasn’t at all the right plan for a burger topping, but it was instead an incredibly delicious finger food!
There is a lot of flexibility in the recipe to make these treats as spicy or not as desired. I used a mix of habanero, jalapeño, and serrano chilies, doubled in size with anaheim. This made for a nice kick of heat, a very rounded collection of chili flavors, and a lot of green freshness. You can, however, make the proportion of hot chilies to mild as intense as you want, even opting to use solely pablanos for virtually not spice at all. The same goes for the inclusion of aji amarillo.
I made a great dip to go along with these using achiote dry rub and sour cream. That recipe is also below.
Crunchy Two-Bite Chili Pepper Balls
By: Semiserious Chefs
Makes: ~15 balls
Ingredients:
- 2 habanero chilies
- 2 jalapeño chilies
- 2 serrano chilies
- 1 anaheim chili
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup, lightly packed, finely shredded white cheese
- such as monterrey jack, mozzarella, or oaxaca
- 1/4 t salt
- 1/4 t pepper
- 1/2 t aji amarillo (or ground de arbol, or cayenne)
- 2 t corn starch
- 2 eggs
- ~2 cups panko
- oil for frying
Directions:
- Either working by hand or using a food processor, chop all of the chilies and the garlic down to a very fine mince.
- Add the salt, pepper, ground chili, corn starch, and cheese, and mix well to incorporate.
- Prepare two bowls, one with the eggs gently beaten, and one with a cup or two of panko.
- Scoop out 1-2 teaspoons of the chili and cheese mixture and form it into a ball. Dip it into the egg to coat, and allow excess to drip off, then roll it in the panko.
- Fry each ball, turning as needed, in 350°F oil, until golden all around. Allow to drain and cool on a drying rack.
- For an excellent dip, try blending together 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 water tablespoons water, and 2 tablespoon dry achiote seasoning blend, but even stand alone they are delicious!
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