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Home » Recipes » Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

by Mike Hultquist · Nov 16, 2018 · 38 Comments

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These spicy bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers are filled with melty cheese and loads of spices. They're the perfect party appetizer recipe. Watch them disappear!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers served.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Looking for the perfect twist on Classic Jalapeno Poppers? This is it! Bacon! In my kitchen, it's ALWAYS time for jalapeno poppers, especially when they're stuffed with cheesy awesomeness and wrapped in bacon.

BACON!

As you already know by now, I have quite the obsession with all things jalapeno and all things poppers. #MikesJalapenoObsession. I just can't help myself!

They really are the perfect party appetizer, holiday gathering starter, game day table centerpiece, you name it - if there is a party of any sort, you need jalapeno poppers there to make everyone happy. Like this recipe in particular. We're talking easy, cheesy Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers and they're every bit of fabulous as they sound.

These poppers are filled with a seasoned mixture of cream cheese and cheddar cheese, all stuffed into cored out jalapeno peppers than wrapped in smoky bacon and baked to crispy perfection. Oh baby.

Don't they look great?

Let's talk about how we make them, shall we?

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers Ingredients

  • Jalapeno Peppers. 8.
  • Cream Cheese. 4 ounces, softened.
  • Cheddar Cheese. 4 ounces, shredded.
  • Chili Powder. 2 tablespoons + extra for sprinkling.
  • Garlic Powder. 1 tablespoon.
  • Salt and Pepper. To taste.
  • Bacon. 16 slices (thin cut).

How to Make Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers – The Recipe Method

First, slice open your jalapenos in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides, making them hollow enough for your stuffing.

Slicing open the jalapeno peppers and coring them out

Next, mix your cream cheese (at room temperature for easier mixing), cheddar cheese and your seasoning mixture in a bowl, then fill each jalapeno pepper half with the spicy cream cheese mixture.

A note about jalapeno heat: Most people believe that removing the seeds will reduce the jalapeno heat. However, the seeds actually contain no heat. Most of the jalapeno heat is in the cored out whitish innards, so if you'd like spicier jalapeno poppers, chop it up and mix it in with your cheese mixture.

Mix the stuffing then stuff the jalapeno poppers

Next, wrap each stuffed jalapeno boat with a slice of bacon. Pierce with toothpicks to hold the bacon in place for baking.

Wrapping the poppers in bacon and securing them with a toothpick

Sprinkle the poppers with extra chili powder and set them on a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake them for 20-30 minutes, or until the peppers soften and the bacon is starting to crisp.

Seasoning the jalapeno poppers and setting them into the oven

You can blast them with the broiler a couple of minutes at the end if you need to in order to get them as crispy as you'd like.

Remove from heat, cool slightly, and serve.

BOOM! Serve them up! It's party time!

Check out my video below for a full demonstration of how to make bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers.

A Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper in my hand, with extras plated

Tips on Wrapping Poppers with Bacon

Sometimes the bacon can shrink up and partially fall off of the poppers, or they can get a bit soggy underneath. The key to achieving properly wrapped bacon is to use a large enough piece of bacon that wraps around properly. Note that the bacon will shrink up during cooking, so ensure a good wrap.

Second, make sure you cook them long enough. If the bacon isn’t very crispy, keep cooking until it is. You can also hit them in the broiler a few minutes to get that crispy bacon, or sear them on the grill to achieve the same effect.

If you fear the bacon will shrink up too much, use toothpicks to hold them in place. I’ve found, though, that the bacon holds together very nicely, but use your best judgement.

How to Slice the Jalapenos

When making jalapeno poppers boat style, it is best to hold the peppers by the stem and slice with knife from the tip to the stem, straight in the middle. This will get you two even pieces of jalapeno. Then, simply scoop out the seeds and ribs (the whitish innards) to make room for your cheese filling.

Stuffing Options for Your Party Poppers

The beauty of bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers is - you can stuff them with pretty much anything you want! YES! I chose a mixture of seasoned cream cheese and cheddar cheese, but you can try other ingredients, such as cooked chorizo, shredded chicken, pulled pork, and even chopped shrimp.

Try them with other cheeses, like pepper jack cheese or a good sharp cheddar.

So many ideas! I love it.

Recipe Tips & Notes

As mentioned, most of the jalapeno heat is in the cored out whitish innards, so if you'd like spicier jalapeño poppers, chop it up and mix it in with your cheese mixture.

Also, you can conserve on bacon by slicing them in half and then wrapping the stuffed jalapenos. They're still super tasty this way, though I prefer a lot of bacon in each bite. The choice is yours.

Thin cut bacon is best for this recipe. Thicker cut bacon may not crisp up enough to your preference.

For the seasoning mixture, I used simple chili powder with garlic, salt and pepper, but try using garlic powder, a taco seasoning blend or a Cajun seasoning blend for flavor variations.

Here is an extra tip on a question I get sometimes...

Storage & Leftovers

Storing your Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers in an airtight container in the fridge may allow to keep it for up to 2-3 days. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate them promptly.

More Popular Jalapeno Popper Recipes

  • Grilled Jalapeno Poppers
  • Four Cheese Jalapeno Poppers
  • Candied Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
  • Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers with Shredded Chicken and Cheese
  • Baked Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers
  • Smoked Jalapeno Poppers
  • Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
  • Pimento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers
  • Armadillo Eggs
  • Check Out More Jalapeno Poppers Recipes
  • Jalapeno Poppers and Other Stuffed Chili Peppers, the Cookbook
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers - On a plate

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers served.
Print

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers - Recipe

These spicy bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers are filled with melty cheese and loads of spices. They're the perfect party appetizer recipe. Watch them disappear!
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: poppers
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Calories: 151kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 16 poppers
Tap or hover to scale
4.67 from 15 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 8 jalapeno peppers
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder + extra for sprinkling
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 16 slices bacon (thin cut)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Slice the jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides with a spoon.
  • Add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and seasonings to a bowl and mix well.
  • Fill each jalapeno pepper half with the spicy cheese mixture. You might have some leftover, depending on the size of your peppers. Just distribute evenly.
  • Wrap each stuffed jalapeno boat with a slice of bacon. Pierce with toothpicks to hold the bacon in place.
  • Sprinkle them with extra chili powder and bake the jalapeno poppers about 20-30 minutes, or until the peppers soften and the bacon is starting to crisp. You can blast them with the broiler a couple of minutes at the end if you need to.
  • Remove from heat, cool slightly, and serve.

Video

Notes

Makes 16 bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 151kcal   Carbohydrates: 1g   Protein: 5g   Fat: 13g   Saturated Fat: 5g   Cholesterol: 29mg   Sodium: 229mg   Potassium: 103mg   Vitamin A: 545IU   Vitamin C: 8.3mg   Calcium: 63mg   Iron: 0.4mg
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers served.
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

Reader Interactions

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Georgeana L Rodarte says

    November 22, 2023 at 4:53 pm

    I'm making these tonight to take to our family dinner tomorrow. Will they be fine reheated ?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      November 22, 2023 at 7:52 pm

      These are good reheated, Georgeana. I think they're better right off the grill, but still good! Warm them in the oven or on the grill before serving. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Karen says

    August 19, 2023 at 11:11 am

    5 stars
    Okay, this recipe looked delicious and easy to adjust. I made mine with a Mexican blend cheese and instead of chili powder I used taco seasoning. Because that blend already had a decent amount of cumin, I added onion powder and chives instead. For the kiddos and adults that don’t want the heat, I’m going to stuff small sweet peppers for them. This tastes so good. I bought thin center cut bacon, which is a tad smaller and covers the peppers completely. This is my go-to forever now. Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      August 19, 2023 at 12:36 pm

      Outstanding! Glad you enjoyed them, Karen!

      Reply
  3. Rebecca Wilborne says

    February 12, 2023 at 3:32 pm

    4 stars
    I made these but using the chili powder they came out dark! Will use less chili powder the next time!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      February 12, 2023 at 5:30 pm

      Thanks, Rebecca.

      Reply
  4. Penny says

    February 11, 2023 at 11:24 am

    Hi Mike, love your website and recipes!!
    Two questions:
    Can I use frozen jalapenos for this recipe?
    Can these be made a day ahead and reheated?
    Many thanks!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      February 11, 2023 at 11:26 am

      Thanks, Penny. Yes, you can use frozen. Thaw them and try to dry them out a bit. They will be fairly soft after thawing. Also, yes, you can make them ahead. Keep refrigerated in a sealed container, then reheat to serve. Let me know how it goes for you!

      Reply
  5. Laura T says

    August 11, 2020 at 3:35 pm

    Hello!
    Same question, different recipe. Can you freeze these at any point?
    Thanks!!!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      August 11, 2020 at 3:44 pm

      Laura, check out my post on How to Freeze Stuffed Peppers: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/cooking-with-chili-peppers/freezing-stuffed-peppers/. I have never tried to cook these from frozen with the bacon on them, but I think it can work. Let me know how it goes if you try it.

      Reply
  6. sharon meinert says

    July 12, 2020 at 5:09 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing!! A new favorite!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      July 13, 2020 at 5:32 am

      Thanks, Sharon!

      Reply
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