Ultimate Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers are the party app you need to make. Loaded with cheeses and baked to perfection, no one can resist them!

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers are always the first appetizer to go at any party! They work for any diet! They’re gluten-free, low carb, and keto-friendly, but most of all they’re delicious!

These flavors are so amazing! Want more bacon jalapeno poppers, how about a Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Bloody Mary or Bacon Jalapeno Quesadillas?!

If you need an appetizer for your next cookout, game day or party, make these bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers. They are incredible and have the perfect combination of flavors! The crispy bacon complements the melted cheeses so every delicious bite keeps you coming back for “just one more”.

The combination of jalapeno and bacon makes these poppers are my absolute favorite appetizer when I’m not craving Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs! When I found the recipe online, I had to try them immediately. I have made them many times for family and friends and have received requests to make them for every event. Savor every bite because they go fast!

What is A Jalapeno Popper?

A jalapeno popper is a fun little party appetizer that really never disappoints. There are a few different ways they can be made, but every recipe includes hollowing out a jalapeno and stuffing it with a mixture of cheese and spices.

Some recipes call for them to be coated in bread crumbs and deep-fried, or you can wrap them in meat and bake them. No matter how they’re prepared, you’ll love them!

Ingredients Used To Make Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

JALAPENOS: Make sure to grab good sized-jalapenos. You want each popper to be about 2-3 bites. If you can only find smaller ones, that’s okay. Just grab some extras so you can use all the cheese filling (and extra bacon too).

CHEESE: You could substitute jack cheese for the cheddar cheese if you’d like. I like the cheddar because it has a bolder flavor against the bacon and pepper. You could also flavor your cream cheese filling before stuffing your pepper halves with garlic powder and salt and pepper but I really think that in this case simple is best and don’t use the cream cheese mixture! There are a lot of big flavors in these guys so I don’t think it needs it!

BACON: You want to use regular-sliced bacon for these poppers. I find that thick-cut bacon doesn’t crisp up all the way through, and everyone loves crunchy salt bacon. To cut down on the amount of fat vs. meat I do recommend center-cut bacon for your poppers.

How To Cook Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

STEP ONE: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Then spray a broiler pan or cover a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside for later. Prep the jalapenos using a chef’s knife to cut off the stems and cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise. Then, use a spoon to scrape out all the seeds and the white-ish membrane inside the pepper.

STEP TWO: Use a spoon to fill each pepper with about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese. The cream cheese will stick out over the top edge of the pepper. Just do your best to keep it in the cavity. Then you’re going to sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cheddar cheese, for each pepper, on top of the cream cheese.

STEP THREE: Take 1/2 slice of bacon and wrap it around a pepper, starting the bacon on the cheese side of the popper. The strip should end on the cheese side too. Be sure to wrap the bacon at an angle so that it doesn’t overlap and you get bacon in every bite. Continue wrapping bacon around the peppers until they’re all done.

STEP FOUR: Place the peppers on the baking sheet and bake the poppers for 15 minutes to 20 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the bacon is fully cooked. You want your bacon crisp. Use pot holders to take the pan out of the oven. Let the pepper cool to the touch on the baking sheet. Then you can transfer them to a serving platter are serve warm right away or let them cool down to room temperature before serving.

Tips For Making A Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Recipe

• Try to buy jalapenos that are on the larger size. The smaller ones will be harder to stuff, and you won’t be able to fit as much into one. They’re also a lot easier to work with the bigger they are.
• If you use thicker cut bacon be sure to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time as the thicker bacon will not cook as fast as regular sliced bacon. Now that I’ve made them a million times I do prefer thick-cut bacon!
• If you want to do some prep in advance, you can assemble the uncooked bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers a day in advance. You can place them on a covered baking sheet in the refrigerator. That way all you have to do is pop them in the oven just before your friends arrive!

Are These Jalapeño Poppers Spicy?

Since this recipe uses a jalapeno, they do have a bit of spice to them, but as long as you thoroughly remove all of the seeds they’ll not be eye-watering, mouth on fire spicy by any means. The cream cheese really helps level out a lot of the spice, as well as the process of cooking them, but if you’re still worried, you can also, give each jalapeno a quick wash under cold water to remove more of the spice.

If you are very sensitive to any spice I recommend staying away from this particular appetizer, and try one of the other great appetizer recipes listed below, there are some really great, non-spicy options! While there is some spice even my dad was able to eat a few and he can NOT handle spice.

What Can I Do With Leftover Jalapeno Poppers?

I’m going to make a good guess that if you bring these bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers to any kind of gathering, you won’t be leaving with any leftovers. If that somehow happens, here’s what you can do with the leftovers.

You will need to store them in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, zip-top bag, or wrap them in foil. Since cream cheese is used in the recipe, you will want to eat any leftovers sooner rather than later, to be sure everything is still fresh. I suggest only storing this jalapeno popper recipe for 2-3 days.

The leftovers reheat well and can easily be microwaved the next day, or reheated in the oven on broil covered in foil for just a few minutes.

What to serve with bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers

• Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs
• Chicken Enchilada Dip
• Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
• Loaded Potato Skins
• 7 Layer Dip

*This post originally posted on 08/28/2012.