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Howdy y'all! I'm a Texan and I'm happy to share with you a terrific food from the Lone Star State. It's the Texas Toothpick, a delicious fried treat to eat, and not something to pick your teeth with. 😅
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What Are Texas Toothpicks?
Texas Toothpicks are basically thin and long strips of jalapeno peppers breaded and then fried to a golden brown perfection.
A few restaurants here in Texas serve TX Toothpicks as appetizers. However if you can't get to a restaurant to enjoy these no worries as they are easy to make at home!
So let me show you what ingredients you will need to make this easy and delicious dish!
🥘 Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this delicious fried appetizer. They are:
- Jalapeños - select large jalapeños for this recipe
- Large Egg
- Whole milk
- All purpose flour
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Vegetable oil
The perfect partner to these is Ranch dressing. I can't tell you how good these are smothered in Ranch! However, you can substitute your own favorite dressing for Ranch if you like.
Ok, so now I'll go through the easy step by step instructions to make your Texas Toothpicks!
🔪 Instructions
Using a sharp knife, begin by cutting the top off the jalapeños and slice them down the middle lengthwise. Deseed and devein the jalapeños and then cut them into thin long strips. Combine the egg and milk in one shallow bowl, and whisk gently to make an egg wash. In another shallow bowl combine the flour and the seasonings and stir to combine well.
Dip a jalapeno strip into the egg wash and let the excess run off. Then roll it in the flour mixture. Repeat with each jalapeno strip.
Add vegetable oil to a depth of about 1" in a large cast iron skillet or large skillet. Heat the oil to about 350F and then add a few of the breaded jalapeno strips. You will want to fry these in batches so that you don't have too many strips frying at once. Fry until the jalapeño strips are golden brown which means you now have Texas Toothpicks! Drain on a plate lined with a paper towel and add a pinch of salt to each batch of Texas Toothpicks.
Please note: The length of your frying time will vary according to how hot your oil is. Mine fried up pretty quickly so it's best just to keep an eye on them while cooking and be prepared to remove them as soon as they turn golden brown. If your oil is super hot, these can go from golden brown to burnt pretty fast!
How To Serve Your Delicious Appetizer!
Enjoy these with ranch dressing as a dipping sauce, or substitute your own favorite dressing. You'll be amazed at how fast these disappear!
I hope you will find this to be one of your most favorite delicious appetizers!
FAQ
Texas Toothpicks are made of thin strips of jalapeno peppers breaded and then fried to a golden brown perfection. They make for a mouthwatering appetizer!
Technically these can be reheated, but these are best enjoyed straight out of the hot oil! If you do reheat them, your best option is to reheat in an air fryer for around 3 minutes at 350F. Just be aware that they will most likely be a bit limp and not as crisp as when they come out of the hot oil when cooking them.
My favorite sauce to serve with this fried jalapeno appetizer is ranch dressing. However I think mayo would also work well, and why not try guacamole, sour cream, or even bbq sauce?!
Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!
Here are some other recipes which you may enjoy:
- Easy Chicken Armadillo Eggs Recipe
- Arkansas Fried Pickles
- DELICIOUS Texas Chili Made Easy Using CASI Terlingua TX Chili Recipe Mix
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Cheers!
Grace
Easy Texas Toothpicks Recipe
Equipment
- large skillet or cast iron pan can also use a deep fat fryer if you prefer
Ingredients
- 5 each jalapeños select large jalapeños and remove the seeds and veins
Egg wash
- 1 egg select a large egg
- 2 tablespoon milk use whole milk
Flour and seasonings
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ ts salt plus additional
- ½ ts pepper
- ½ ts garlic powder
- ½ ts onion powder
Oil for frying
- vegetable oil for shallow frying
Dipping sauce
- Ranch dressing for dipping
Instructions
- Cut the top off the jalapenos and slice them down the middle lengthwise. Deseed and devein the jalapenos and then cut them into thin strips. Combine the egg and milk in one shallow bowl, and whisk gently to make an egg wash. In another shallow bowl combine the flour and the seasonings and stir to combine well.
- Dip a jalapeno strip into the egg wash and let the excess run off. Then roll it in the flour mixture. Repeat with each jalapeno strip.
- Add vegetable oil to a depth of about 1" in a large cast iron skillet or large skillet. Heat the oil to about 350F and then add a few of the breaded jalapeno strips. You will want to fry these in batches so that you don't have too many strips frying at once. Fry until the the strips are golden brown which means you now have Texas Toothpicks! Drain on a plate lined with a paper towel and add a pinch of salt to each batch of Texas Toothpicks.
- Enjoy these with ranch dressing as a dip, or substitute your own favorite dressing. You'll be amazed at how fast these disappear!
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