Jalapeño Popper Tacos

Spice up any gathering with easy, flavorful stuffed jalapeño tacos. Offering savory, spicy and creamy flavors, they make a perfect snack with a hint of spice.

If you enjoy poppers, you might also like slow cooker Mexican shredded beef or shredded chicken, pork carnitas, or green chile egg casserole.

Why You’ll Love It

Incredibly tasty: Everything in this dish goes so well together – the spicy kick of chilies, the meatiness of chorizo, the creaminess of cheese, and the fresh tomato and garlic flavors, plus the cooling sauce.
Easy to prepare: You just stuff and cook the jalapeños, blend the sauce and simply serve both together.
Perfect for a crowd: If you’re expecting guests, whip up a batch of these tasty bites. Everyone will love them!
Gluten-free: Served with corn (instead of flour) tortillas, these poppers are a tasty gluten-free choice.

Stuffed Jalapeño Taco Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Jalapeños: Choose firm, fresh jalapeños for the best texture. Look for ones that aren’t too big, as smaller ones tend to have more flavor.
Chorizo: Adds a rich, smoky flavor to the poppers.
Tomato and onion: For fresh flavors.
Garlic: Always amazing with savory snacks (throw in extra if you love it!)
Quesadilla cheese: This Mexican cheese melts beautifully.
Tortillas and cilantro: For serving the Mexican stuffed jalapenos.
Avocado: Adds a creamy, nutty flavor to the sauce.
Tortillas: Flour tortillas work well with these or you can use corn tortillas for a gluten-free option.
Mexican crema: The Mexican version of heavy cream.
Lime juice: Fresh is best here!

How to Make Mexican Jalapeño Popper Tacos

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Roast the jalapenos: Brush the chilies with oil and bake them on a baking sheet until slightly softened. Cut them down the middle and discard the membrane and seeds.
Add cheese: Stuff them with the cheese and bake until the cheese melts.
Make the chorizo mixture: Cook the chorizo until browned, then stir in the onion, tomato and garlic, and cook a little more. Stuff the jalapenos with the chorizo mixture using a small spoon.
Bake them again: Add cheese on top and bake until the cheese bubbles.
Make the sauce: Blend the avocado, Mexican crema, cilantro, lime juice, and optional jalapeno if using, until smooth. Season with salt.
Serve warm and enjoy: Cool slightly and serve the stuffed jalapenos on a Mexican themed serving platter with the avocado sauce and warm tortillas, garnished with cilantro.

Substitutions and Variations

Quesadilla cheese: You can use “queso quesadilla” if you can find it, or Mexican blend cheese mixture. Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar cheese, and asadero are more options. You could even swap half the shredded cheese for cream cheese if you wanted more of a cream cheese filling. If so, start with your cream cheese softened to room temperature for easier mixing and make the cheese mixture in a medium bowl.
Adjust the spice level: If you want a milder version, remove all the seeds and membranes from the jalapeños. If you love extra heat, leave some seeds in your hot peppers or add a bit more minced jalapeño to the filling.
Sauce consistency: If you prefer a chunkier sauce, chop the sauce ingredients instead of blending them, and then stir in the crema.
Cooking method: Frying is another option or you can pop these on the grill or smoker.
Bacon wrapping: You might like to wrap them in bacon before cooking for extra savory meatiness!
Seasonings: Add garlic powder, chili powder, cumin or anything else you like to ramp up the flavor.
Cutting the chilies: You can either cut them in half lengthwise without going all the way through or you can cut them through and fill each jalapeño half before pressing them back together.
Mexican crema: You can use heavy cream instead.
Chorizo: Use any kind you prefer. Spanish chorizo is good. Some types of chorizo are fattier than others, so some might require you to drain off the excess grease after cooking.

Serving Suggestions

Appetizers: Begin your Mexican feast with these mouthwatering Mexican poppers. You could also make shrimp ceviche.
Side dishes: Next up, enjoy Mexican street corn salad with refried beans or chicken enchilada casserole.
Desserts: Finish with Mexican rice pudding and homemade horchata.

How to Store Stuffed Jalapeno Tacos

Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days. It’s best to keep the poppers and sauce separate so they don’t get too soggy.
Freeze: You can freeze the poppers but don’t freeze the sauce as it will just separate.
Thaw: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: You can warm them back up in the oven, air fryer or microwave.