I am a big fan of jalapenos. While the pre-sliced ones in the jar will do in a pinch, there is nothing like a fresh jalapeno to give you some appreciation for the power a little pepper can bring. I eat them raw, roasted, sautéed and even dipped in chocolate.
Last December I was spending some time walking around a kitchen supply store and found something I just had to get, so I bought myself a Christmas gift. It was a jalapeno grill rack. So simple, but a great little invention. As you can see in the pictures below, it is merely a piece of stainless steel bent (to create the feet) with 18 quarter sized holes drilled into it. This allows you to stand up the jalapenos while you grill them.
I’ve grilled stuffed jalapenos many times before, but they rarely turn out how I want them to. If I slice them open to remove the ribs and seeds (I love the heat but not everyone in the family likes it that hot), the cheese (or cream cheese) melts and runs out. If I just inject the filling, the seeds remain. The chili pepper grill rack solves the issue by allowing me to remove the seeds and rib while keeping the pepper standing up to keep the filling inside.
As the grill has finally come out to play, I was excited to try it out.
I decided to fill two peppers with a queso cheese and two others with a Santa Fe cream cheese mix.
The rack came with a tool to core out the insides. It generally worked well.
A view from the top.
And the side. The peppers were a little thick to fit deep into the holes. I decided to try anyway.
After a few minutes on the grill I found the big bad wolf had visited and blew them over. While I ate them anyway, the filling had mostly melted out.
Attempt two was with smaller peppers. As they were smaller, it was tougher to get the filling all the way down. I ended up using a food syringe (removed the needle).
The were a little more secure. I put the tops back on them with a toothpick.
Well into cooking they are still upright and some bubbling over of the filling has occurred, but not too bad.
I love how the tips are black. Just peel that away and eat!
I think this would be very easy to make on your own. If you do, I would suggest a variety of hole sizes from quarters through half dollars.
Rantings of an Amateur Chef 
Looks like a nifty gadget. I love jalapenos, too. If you grow your own, you’ll find that some turn out quite mild, while others can taste hot, hot, hot! I made some stuffed jalapenos for my wine club one time, and I was the only one who would eat them! (More for me, I guess.)
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I love that you posted a food failure that turned into a success! Too often foodie blog posts are about perfect food that is perfectly photographed, when most often we find food perfection through trial and error 😉
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I love that, too…it’s nice to learn what works and what doesn’t.
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Totally 😉
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Well put!
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😉
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Yum! These look so delicious. A few years back I had a little obsession with the cream cheese stuffed jalapenos that you could buy frozen in the grocery store. These look so much better though! I bet the grill gives them amazing flavor. And your photos look so yummy!
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I’ve never stuffed jalapenos, but this looks delicious. And one of those handy contraptions seems to certainly make it easier!
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Sinful!!! Absolutely sinful (I’ll take three, please).
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I saw one of those the other day and wondered if it worked well. I was worried about the holes being too large and not fitting most jalapenos. I’ll have to purchase one now for sure. Looks so yum!!
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I love stuffed jalapenos. Thanks for the tips.
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I have 2 kits like this &use it often. Great post!
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I want one! 🙂
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I love your blog. It is always interesting and exciting. I would think you can use the jalapeno rack to fill canneloni, hold ice cream cones, fill paper icing cones, etc. Will keep my eyes peeled for one here in the UK.
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Look so good! I have such an obsession with jalapenos too!! actually with almost anything spicy
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I have been planning on picking up a jalapeno griller myself. These look amazing. I will have to give them a try.
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Agh. This kind of blog just starts my creative DIYer thinking, “Hmm, maybe the holes need to be a bit bigger, or the legs a bit longer, and maybe there’s some way to stop the wind blowing them over…”
Sweet gadget though. And ditto above, I love that you’re willing to show the trial and error of finding glorious food!
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Make sure he makes the holes different sizes. If he is successful, I may see if he hires out his skills!
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Ah, perhaps I should have phrased that better! I meant my INNER creative DIYer, as brought up by my very practical Dad. Yes, a range of different size holes would make better sense, wouldn’t it, otherwise you’d be constantly scouring the supermarket shelves for a particular size and shape of jalapenos!
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Do it before I do! 🙂
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You’re on. But you’ll probably win…
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It’s the reckless Texan in me!
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Many decades ago, my father took me w/him to get these little cherry pepper plants for the garden. They had the prettiest little baby peppers just hanging there and sitting on the back seat beside me. Since he told me not to touch them of course I did & popped one in my mouth. OMG!! I thought I was going to lose it but of course when he asked if I’d eaten one I had to lie & tell him no, of course not. Can’t look at a hot pepper in the eye ever since. They do look wonderful but I guess just not for everyone (some old memories just won’t die)
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Innovative but simple. I’ve had the same problems with stuffed jalepenos you mentioned. I’ll have to get one of these and give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
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Jalapeno poppers taste like happiness. Oh and I love the cheese syringe.
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you heat seekers (my husband is one too) are serious about your jalepenos! 😀
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Chocolate covered?
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Oh yeah. I saw them at Cleveland’s West Side Market on day and tried it. First yu hit the sweet cooling chocolate and it is then followed by the heat. I’ve made them both chocolate dipped and chocolate filled (heat first). You have to be able to take a whole raw jalapeno pepper to make it work.
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Sold! … I just have to try that!
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lol- you just created a new item for the honey do list…lol but he loves the stuffed peppers too so he shouldn’t mind making one a home made verson too much.
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I eat almost all of my meals out, but you are really tempting me to start cooking.
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While I normally hate that particular little pepper, I do like them stuffed w/ cheese. Contrary to my roommate’s believe that I don’t like cheese. But what this article really makes me want to do is get some aniheim peppers, cream cheese, crab, and bacon so I can make bacon wrapped, stuffed peppers.
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I just got the grill last year and haven’t totally explored all I can do with it yet. I do know I love the side burner on it though, it’s a lot more powerful than the burners in the kitchen of this place which works for certain things.
That said, I’ve not tried stuffed anything on it just yet. But those peppers look damned good.
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I love to stuff peppers, sometimes jalapenos, and sometimes mini sweet peppers. I am in love with your rack, now I am going to have to find me one. We just broke out the grill for the first time since our move to Louisiana over a year ago. Can’t wait to do peppers on the grill!
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We cut ours in half, fill with goat cheese, a tiny strip of bacon, thin slice of cheddar and throw it on the bbq. Mmmmm. We grow our own peppers, this year we will be growing plenty more, can’t get enough of them.
Yours look great!
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As I was reading your post, I thought, “hmm I wonder if hubby could make one of those for us…” and then you added that idea in at the end! I wouldn’t have thought to make different sized holes though – thanks!
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That’s genius!!! 😀 Thanks for sharing! it looks so yummy!
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Getting one of these gizmos after your great post and how-to’s. Thanks for the tips on roasting these.
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awesome!!!
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Love this! As a New Mexico girl (Hatch, baby!) I appreciate all things pepper ~
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Clever idea – will have to keep an eye out for one of these. Love jalapeños – or anything with a bit of heat.
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These look great! Can’t wait to try them!
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I`m not a fan of spicy peppers but this is Awesome! The piece of DIY stainless steel holder is pretty awesome too. Unlike Giant stuffed bell peppers, these are a lovely little size.
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Are there any non-dairy alternatives to this great treat? mmmmm…………
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I love it, it looks so yummy. We dont really get fresh jalepenos in Canada(while at least where I live anyways) So im stuck with just the canned. but those look fantastic
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Oh yum! Too good!
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Gone are the days when I could eat anything that hot … but still my mouth watered … 😉
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Dang, I’m gonna have to get one of those jalapeno racks!
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I have never seen one of those racks before (or if I did, I had no idea what it was). Must. Buy. One.
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Dipped in chocolate?? Tell me more!
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I am going to show this to my husband, he grows a variety of peppers and loves to grill, this rack is very cool.. thank you.. c
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I love jalapenos, I was practically drooling. Very nice gadget.
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You have left me mouth-watered and hungry once again!
Well done.
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Yummy! I’m a big fan of jalapenos, too. Thanks for the recipe and thanks for visiting my blog. ❤
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Thanks for reading and liking my blog posts. I just clicked on your blogs and saw your latest blog post was on one my most favourite foods 🙂 Love jalepenos and this crazy invention sounds totally amazeballs.
Please follow my blog for more recipes : http://shantarella.wordpress.com/
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The idea is really cool! You know what you could try next time… to make it healthier and more flavorful… Add some cooked and ground kidney beans to the cheese – along with some oregano seasoning!
Btw, thanks for liking my post 🙂
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This looks delicious and like something I can do. I won’t feel bad when mine doesn’t look like a magazine cover. Great site!
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Hey, cool idea…LOVE grilled peppers from hot to mild. Maybe try to grill them to about 1/2 way done then put the filling in so it oozes out less (?) just a thought. Hurray for grill season starting.
*anna
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What a neat little grill accessory. I grow jalapenos and I am always looking for another way to get them into our meals. Thanks for showing this little gadget!
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my mouth fired up just by the look of this post!!!!
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Amazing!!! Looks yummy! Can’t wait to make my own!! thanks chef!
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I hope that jalapeno stand is available here. I would like to try these. Thanks for sharing!
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I want some!
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Thanks for visiting my blog! My 12 year old son LOVES all things hot. He would be drooling all over if he saw these stuffed peppers. Living in Niger, Africa, we don’t get jalapeños but we do get some other spicy varieties. However, when anyone is visiting us from the US, we always asked for canned jalapeños. They’re better than not at all!
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In the southwest region of the US, they sell candied jalapenos. I bet your son would love them as you get both the sweet and the hot all in one bite.
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Great blog Chef! I hope that you ever need to pick a wine my blog can be as big a help to you as yours has been to me.
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Looks delicious!!
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Jalapenos and chocolate? I love jalapenos as well but even I think that’s slightly weird.
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I love jalapenos on sandwiches, in casseroles, in pimento cheese… I love jalapeno poppers (Captain D’s). I am going to have to get the grill holder for the summer.
Thanks for sharing.
Joyfully,
Jackie
My Attempt at Blogging
Quaint Scribbles and 3 D Learners
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Is it bad that it’s not yet 9am over here and I’m already thinking that I need jalapenos to be part of my lunch?!
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Tried doing something like this once, but I forgot to remove the seeds…while still extremely delicious, it destroyed me. I’ll have to keep my eye out for a rack like this.
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Who knew?! I’ll have to get on of these. Bet the peppers would be fantastic on the Green Egg. Thanks!
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