Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Naan

Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Naan are a spicy cheesy fusion. Naan stuffed with cream cheese, cheese and jalapenos, then brushed with garlic butter.

I’m virtually ‘high fiving’ all of you guys that are jalapeno popper fans. You really are my people.

This recipe is especially for you guys, as well as the naan fans. It’s a combination of the two to create something that’s spicy, cheesy, and honestly irresistible. I don’t know why that sounded like someone’s Tinder bio, but here we are.

This naan is a take on my Naan Recipe, so if you’re looking for something a bit more traditional then feel free to head on over there! But if you’re up for some cheesy, spicy takes on a classic naan, then carry on reading. I promise it’ll be worth it.

Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Naan

These naan are filled with the same filling you’d find inside jalapeno poppers. This filling consists of cream cheese, cheddar, mozzarella, and jalapenos. Are you convinced yet? I hope so!

It’s made by mixing all the cheeses jalapenos, and cream cheese until it’s quite thick. Then generously spooned inside some naan dough before being sealed and hand stretched.

The naan are then cooked over a high heat for some serious bubbling and to get all those cheeses melted and oozing. The very second the naan comes of the pan, it’s brushed immediately with garlic butter for a glorious and deserving finish. And that my friends, are Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Naan.

What are jalapeno poppers?

Jalapeno poppers are crispy breadcrumb coated jalapenos that are stuffed with cream cheese and cheese. The cheese can vary dependent on personal preference, but I always love cheddar, Monterey Jack, or mozzarella.

I guess the ‘pop’ in jalapeno poppers comes from the sensation of eating them. They really do pop into a spicy cheesy mouthful. If you’d like to learn how to make them, I’ve got a recipe for you right here.

What is naan?

Naan are a leavened flatbread that are eaten all over the South Asian sub-continent. Though its origins are often contested as to whether it was invented in India or by Mughals and Persians.

Regardless, it’s become a staple bread for much of the Asian community and its diaspora. It’s often leavened with yeast, though more instant methods are commonly used that rely on self raising flour and yogurt.

In all honesty, I’m a fan of the yeast method and having tried the latter, self raising flour and yogurt just do not do naan justice in my opinion. Yeast provides an additional flavour which is greatly enhanced and increased when cold-proving naan. A method I strongly swear by and never stray from.

What does cold-proving mean?

Cold-proving dough means to prove your dough in the fridge, i.e. in the cold. This allows for stronger gluten development and slower yeast fermentation. The gluten is like the skin of a balloon, and the gas produced by the yeast is the air inside.

If the ‘skin’ of the balloon is stronger, it’s better able to hold the gas. So you get a better texture in the final product. The yeast also produces more flavourful acids in the cold which means it also tests better too!

I use this method in by Pizza dough recipe, and honestly in all my doughs really.

This Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Naan is basically like chilli cheese naan

It is, but it also has one main difference that makes it stand out. Chilli or chili cheese naan tends to have a filling made from a mixture of cheeses with either fresh chillies or dried chilli flakes. It also sometimes has ground spices added in too.

This Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Naan has fresh jalapenos in it, but that’s not the main difference. The main difference here is the cream cheese. This provides a creamy, gooey texture to the centre of the naan. It’s a bit of a different texture in comparison to just using cheese alone.

How do you make stuffed naan?

You start by making a normal naan dough (included in my recipe below), and then you allow it to prove. After the dough proves, it’s time to portion it into doughballs.

It’s at this stage we can flatten each piece of dough and stuff it with the cheesy filling. The dough then gets sealed shut and left to prove once more.

Finally we stretch the dough out as normal, though you’ll probably find it’s a bit easier to leave it slightly thicker when you’re adding a filling into it. Cook on a hot pan and there you have it, you’ve just made stuffed naan.

What to eat with Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Naan

It’s a naan that can be most definitely enjoyed on its own (guilty). But it also pairs well with plenty of curries!

I like to serve it with spicy curries as chili and cheese always makes for a great combination. Two of my favourite pairings are my Smoky Daal or my Malai Kofta.

Let’s talk about some of the ingredients

I’ll cover the main ones below but the full recipe can be found at the end

• Bread flour – this is a white flour with a higher protein content than plain flour/all purpose flour. The additional protein content means a stronger gluten network will form allowing for a more airy bread/naan. Plain flour/all purpose flour will work as a substitute but the texture will be slightly inferior
• Yeast – I personally use instant yeast (which can be added directly to the flour) but active dry yeast (requires activating in warm water and sugar) and fresh yeast can also be used. I’ve included the measurements for all 3 yeasts in the recipe
• Cream cheese – any brand of cream cheese will work, but I recommend using full fat as it’s thicker and holds up better for the filling
• Cheese – you can use your favourite cheese combination here, I recommend using cheddar and mozzarella
• Jalapenos – you’ll require fresh jalapenos which can be purchased from South Asian shops as well as most large supermarkets (in the UK). If you struggle to find jalapenos, you can use some green chillies as a substitute

The KEY TIPS for making naan

• Sufficiently kneading the dough – this is when the dough starts to develop its gluten network and strength which are crucial for holding pockets of air. The windowpane test is a great way to check if you’ve kneaded enough. Take a small portion of dough and gently stretch it between your fingers. If it can stretch into a thin translucent membrane without tearing, you’ve kneaded enough
• Cold rising the dough – more information on this above in the blogpost
• Not adding too much flour – the more flour you add, the drier the naan will be. So avoid adding more than stated in the recipe unless you absolutely have to
• Cooking the naan over a medium-high to high heat – a high heat and short cooking time is crucial for a bubbly naan and some degree of charring. If the heat is too low, you’ll end up with a crispy and dry naan

How to make Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Naan

How to make the naan dough

1) Mix together the bread flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl

2) Whisk together water, yogurt, and olive oil

3) Then pour the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture

4) Mix everything together to form a shaggy dough

5+6) Once the dough looks like this (i.e. no more dry flour), turn it out onto the counter and knead for around 7-8 minutes. This will also work perfectly well in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment on a low speed

7) Next shape the dough into a smooth round ball

8) Then place it back into the mixing bowl and cover with a lid or mixing bowl and leave to rise until doubled in size. For best results place in the fridge to cold prove for at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours instead of proving at room temperature

How to make the jalapeno popper filling

1+2) Mix together the cream cheese, cheeses, jalapenos, spring onion, and salt

How to make Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Naan

1) After the naan dough has proved, turn it out onto a floured surface

2) Next, portion the dough equally into 8

3) Stretch out a section of the portioned naan dough. I like to do this by dimpling it

4) Then fold the corners inwards in order to create a round shape

5) Stretch the dough out slightly once more

6) Place a heaped tbsp of the jalapeno and cheese mixture into the centre

7+8) Crimp the edges of the dough together to seal the cheese mixture inside

9) Keep working all the way around until fully sealed

10) Flip the dough over so it’s seam side down and then lightly drag across the counter which will help to ensure the seam is fully sealed

11) Place in a floured tray and cover with a lid or cling film. Allow to prove once again until increased about 1.5x in size

12) After the dough has proved, take a dough ball and place it onto a floured surface

13) Stretch the dough out with your fingertips or with a rolling pin to about 4-5mm thick

14) Cook the jalapeno popper naans in a dry pan over a medium-high heat

15) Flip the naan over once the underside has browned with just a slight charring

16) Finish with a generous brush of garlic butter as soon as the naan comes off the pan

Frequently asked questions

Can this Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Naan be made vegan?

The naan can be made vegan by using a plant based yogurt such as soy yogurt. However the jalapeno popper filling might be a little more difficult.

You’d need a good vegan cream cheese that holds up well under heat as well as a good vegan melting cheese. If you’re able to find both, then that will work well.

Substitute the butter in the garlic butter for any plant based butter block.

Can this naan be made gluten free?

Unfortunately not with this method/recipe as it relies on a strong gluten network to trap the air. I would advise seeking out a tried and tested gluten free naan recipe.

What can we use instead of fresh jalapenos?

You can use any chillies of choice instead.

How long will these naan keep? And what’s the best way to store them?

These will last for 3-4 days. Keep them in an airtight container and refrigerated. I like to reheat these on a hot pan for best results.

If you enjoyed this recipe

Please do let me know! Leave a review and a rating below, I’d love to know how you got on.

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Until then, happy cooking!