Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers Recipe

Game day favorite Jalapeno Poppers for everyone! This recipe is an easy store ingredient pick up. Bacon wrapped jalapenos appetizer is a fun party food but there is a method behind this baked little pepper. Learn everything you need to know about preparing poppers and ideas for more goodie eats.

Eat them with all the dips, salsas [our favorite is easy to make salsa guacamole], chips and even with the soft hot dog buns at the snack table. 🙂

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What makes this Poppers Recipe so Good

Cause it’s simple to make but has details! These Jalapenos are great for sharing with a group since it’s not prepared often.

Poppers are also known as being breaded and deep fried but I’ve always preferred to share these because salty + crisp texture of bacon.

Also, in this recipe style they will be gluten-free. So more ppl will enjoy. It’s nice to have options inclusive to people with allergy / carb friendly needs.

I just keep the buns on the side for goodness like this. 🙂

Ingredients

Grocery Quick List: fresh jalapeno peppers, bacon, cream cheese, monterey jack cheese.

• 2 lbs jalapeno peppers (about 16-18 whole peppers, sliced and de-seeded)
• 1, 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups monterrey jack cheese, shredded
• 1 lb package Classic Bacon, cut in half
• 1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt

Optional seasonings:

• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Onion powder

For Make-Ahead and storage see notes section down below.

Ingredient Notes / Variations

• Jalapenos – Select fresh and firm. Firm peppers will be easy to work with when cleaning and de-seeding. Soft ones are fine to use also but may require a bit more time to clean-up.
  • There may be extras, which can be made into more delicious salsas and appetizers.
  • Pick the peppers with the freshest stems.

• Bacon – classic and standard cut bacon. I’m not going to call it thin because unless you’re ordering it from a butcher a standard classic 1-pound bacon package is all you need.
  • There is classic and lower sodium types of [uncured] bacon.
  • Fully cooked bacon is not an option because bacon will turn out over-cooked and peppers wont get tender enough on time. Trust me, and avoid food waste.
  • Skimping on the bacon is not a good look in the final bake so don’t do it.

• Monterey Jack – cheese shredded by hand or purchase pre-shredded package. Monterey jack is used but colby and pepper jack also work well.
  • Macaroni and cheese is the sharp cheddar at the table so we save the yellow cheeses for that side and hook up the poppers with melty monterey.

• Cream Cheese – the soft whipped one is a little messy so we like preparing the jalapeno appetizer with a classic cream cheese block. It’s 8 ounces and exactly what you need to make this recipe.
  • Taking the cream cheese out of the fridge and onto your kitchen counter to soften / reach room temp is the first step.
  • It must stay in the package until ready to make the cheesy filling.
  • Sometimes there may be a few ounces of filling left over depending on how stuffed the peppers are. Leftover filling means easy salsa and queso dip is definitely a possibility.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Pepper poppers recipe prep

*FIRST THING: Place cream cheese on counter to soften at room temp before beginning prep.

Leave stems on (or remove), rinse the jalapenos, and using a good knife, halve all the peppers.

Gently scoop and de-seed all pieces.

Soak all pieces for 5 minutes to release natural spiciness (for spicy do not soak, simply use a napkin tip to remove excess seeds).

A printer-friendly recipe card with instructions is available at the bottom of this post.

Place shredded cheese, softened cream cheese, salt and spices in a bowl. Break up the cream block first, then begin to fold all cheeses together, about 5 on and off minutes by hand. (Note: Feel free to use a food processor if you’d like the work done by kitchen appliance.)

Form a ball at center of bowl, then refrigerate for a few minutes to set / firm up. (Note: It makes filling the peppers easier and less sticky-fingers.)

Tip: If you’re making-ahead; wrap the mixture up as a cheese ball in plastic wrap like in the photo above.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To assemble Jalapeno Poppers

Fill each jalapeno halve with about a tablespoon of cheese mixture.

Once all are filled, proceed to wrap each piece with half a bacon strip for each halved chili pepper.

Wrap the bacon around the jalapeno starting at the stem and wrap around twice and place on baking tray, see photo example. (Note: Cover as much of the halved opening with the bacon as possible.)

For easy clean up, line tray with aluminum foil. Otherwise, use baking sheet tray. Bake for 23-25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Let cool for 5 minutes then carefully transfer jalapeno poppers to serving platter.

A note from Erika: After baking 23-25 minutes the bacon will still look light, tempting you to bake it for longer. Don’t do it. Once the poppers cool, the color and crisp bacon come through!

Ways To Spice Up Even More

Want them purely spicy to the max? Skip 5-minute water soak and use Pepper jack cheese in the filling instead.

(Note: ensure you wash them while still whole to remove any dirt and debris if opting out of brief water soak.)

Foods To Eat It With

The perfect snack grazing tables always have salsa variety, guacamole, bean dip, spinach dip, cut fruit, potato and tortilla chips, or even better classic shredded beef hardshell tacos.

Ways to Flip Leftover [Fresh Jalapeno]

Make a small batch of creamy jalapeno sauce or our salsa macha recipe for a smokey flavored drip. It’s a good call to have a little spice on the side incase the jalapeno poppers turn out on the mild side.

Pro Tips / Receta Notes

Recipe yield: 30-32 pieces. Serving size 4 pieces per person.

Storage: Any remaining poppers should be placed in food storage with airtight lid. Reheat on the stove for 4 minutes on medium heat or in an air fryer for 3 minutes at 370.

If you’re making-ahead; wrap the mixture up as a cheese ball in plastic wrap like in the photo above. And place a napkin over jalapenos to absorb any moisture.

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Equipment

• Plastic wrap
• Bowl
• Knife
• Vegetable Peeler
• Large Spoon
• Aluminum foil (helpful for easy bacon grease clean-up!)