If you've ever ordered fried calamari at a restaurant and stolen all the fried banana peppers off the plate, this recipe is for you. Crispy, tangy, and ridiculously easy to make at home, with a smoky chipotle aioli that ties the everything together.
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I love fried calamari. But you know what I also love? Those delicious fried banana peppers that usually come along with it at restaurants.
So, why not make a big batch of fried banana peppers and a tasty dipping sauce and have the ultimate snack or appetizer at home?
The whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes, uses pantry ingredients, and pairs with a chipotle aioli that I honestly could eat with a spoon.
These have become my go-to appetizer, especially when friends come over and I want something that feels a little more unique than chips and dip and will wow a crowd.
🫙 Jarred or fresh banana peppers?
You can use fresh or jarred to make fried banana peppers, but I prefer jarred because my grocery store doesn't always have fresh and I love the briny/pickled flavor the jarred peppers have. This recipe will focus on jarred peppers.
Be sure you buy the rings and not whole peppers. Oh, and you're welcome to choose between mild or hot banana peppers. We love the spicy ones in our house!
If you use fresh peppers, you'll have to seed them and cut them into rings. Some people like to soak them in buttermilk for about 15 minutes before frying to mellow the flavor and add a bit of tang.
With jarred ones, you'll need to let them dry a bit since they sit in liquid in the jar.
❤️ Why this recipe works
Using both cornmeal and panko maximizes crunchiness: cornmeal alone gives a classic Southern-style crisp and panko alone gives you a light Japanese-style crunch. Using them together gets the best of both worlds; sturdy and crackly with a slightly delicate texture.
Three-bowl breading coats evenly and sticks: I recommend dipping the dried banana pepper rings into flour first, then egg, then the cornmeal-panko mixture. The flour gives the egg something to grab onto, the egg glues the coating in place, and pressing the cornmeal mix on firmly brings the crunch. This process will keep the coating from sliding off in the oil.
A versatile dipping sauce makes them addictive: whether you're eating these as a snack or a full-on appetizer, the dip really completes the dish. My recommendation is for the chipotle aioli recipe I provide because it has a smoky heat that works perfectly with the tangy peppers. Plus, it's so easy to make.
🗒 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make fried banana peppers (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Jarred banana pepper rings: mild or hot. See recipe card notes if you want to use fresh
- All-purpose flour
- Large eggs
- Hot sauce: optional
- Ground cornmeal
- Panko
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Onion powder
- Salt & pepper
- Neutral oil: like canola or peanut oil
- Flaky salt: for sprinkling on finished banana peppers
And here's everything you need if you want to make the chipotle aioli dipping sauce:
- Mayonnaise
- Greek yogurt
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: you'll want to finely chop the peppers
- Garlic clove: grated or finely minced
- Freshly squeezed lime juice
- Paprika
- Salt
🍌 Recipe tips
- Be sure to dry the jarred banana peppers really well. Pat them with paper towels, then let them sit on a dry towel for at least 15 minutes. If you don't dry the peppers well, they'll end up soggy instead of crunchy once fried.
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- One of my favorite drying tips is to designate one hand for the flour and cornmeal mix and one hand for the egg dip (i.e. one dry hand and one wet hand). Otherwise you end up with what bakers often call "club hands," gloves of breading caked onto your fingers.
- Try to keep oil between 350-375 degrees F. If the oil isn't hot enough, the coating will absorb oil and get greasy. And if the oil is too hot, the coating may burn before the inside heats through. I recommend using a thermometer.
- Right when you remove the peppers from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate, sprinkle flaky salt on them. Trust me on this one.
Holy moly, that cornmeal and panko combination gives these the absolute perfect crunch!
Plus, the combination of garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder, with just a little hot sauce works so well with the brine of the peppers and makes these little rings flavor bombs.
I'm not even going to tell you how many of these I ate by myself.
⏲️ How to store
Honestly, these fried peppers are best fresh, like most fried foods. But if you have an air fryer, you can heat up leftovers to be almost just as crispy as fresh! I recommend doing so at 375 degrees F for 3-4 minutes.
If you're using an oven, I recommend spreading the peppers in a single layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet (or directly on a baking sheet lined with foil).
Reheat at 400 degrees F for about 5-7 minutes, flipping halfway through if you're using a baking sheet without a rack.
The aioli, on the other hand, can keep fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
🍔 What to serve with
These fried banana peppers work as an appetizer, a snack, or part of a bigger spread. Of course, they're delicious when enjoyed with fried calamari, but also make a great side to burgers or any fried seafood.
I think they're especially great served as is with a cold beer during your favorite sporting event.
🍤 Other fun appetizer recipes
My favorite parties are appetizer parties with a variety of small bites to choose from. Here are some of my favorite appetizers that are a little bit different from the ordinary:
Even if you're not a fan of calamari, you can now have an entire plate of fried banana peppers all to yourself. Sounds like heaven to me!
If you make these, I want to hear about it! Tag me on Instagram or leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Fried Banana Peppers
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Ingredients
- 1 (16-oz) jar banana pepper rings mild or spicy (see notes if using fresh peppers)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce optional
- ½ cup finely ground cornmeal
- ¼ cup panko
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- Neutral oil like canola or peanut
- Flaky salt for sprinkling
Chipotle Aioli
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo finely chopped (about 2 Tbsp)
- 1 teaspoon extra adobo sauce
- 1 small garlic clove grated or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Drain banana peppers and pat them as dry as possible with paper towels. Lay them in a single layer on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and let them air dry for at least 15 minutes.
- While peppers are drying, set up three shallow bowls. In the first, add flour. In the second, gently beat eggs with hot sauce (if using). In the third, whisk together cornmeal, panko, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Pour enough oil into a deep skillet so that it comes up about 1 to 1 ½ inches up the side. Heat over medium-high heat until oil registers between 350-375 on a thermometer.
- While oil is heating, toss peppers in flour to coat. Shake off excess flour and dunk them in the beaten eggs. Finally, dredge in the cornmeal mixture, pressing on coating to help it stick.
- Working in batches so as to not overcrowd skillet, carefully drop peppers in hot oil and fry 1-2 minutes per side, until golden and crispy.
- Remove peppers to paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle with flaky salt.
- Continue until all peppers are fried. Serve with chipotle aioli or dipping sauce of choice.
Chipotle Aioli
- Put all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Taste and add additional salt or lime juice as needed.
Notes
- If you'd prefer to use fresh banana peppers, slice them into ¼-inch rings and remove the seeds before breading. You can skip the 15-minute drying step, but if you'd like to mellow the raw flavor and add some tang, soak the rings in buttermilk for 15 minutes and pat dry before dredging.
- Chipotle aioli can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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