Looking for the perfect appetizer? These smoked Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers are a 5-ingredient fan favorite. They’re made up of jalapeño, chorizo, cream cheese, and cheddar; all wrapped up in perfectly cooked, crispy bacon.
Table of Contents
- What Are Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers?
- Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers Ingredients
- How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
- Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tips
- Leftovers & Reheating
- What to Serve With Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
- Recipe FAQs
- More Delicious Appetizer Recipe
- Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers Recipe
Need some delicious appetizer recipes to serve at your next party or family gathering? Look no further than these bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers – the perfect party appetizer and side dish for those who love a bit of heat in their food. With simple ingredients like fresh jalapeños, smoky bacon, and a rich cream cheese mixture, this classic appetizer is a huge hit on social media and at any game day snack table.
What Are Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers?
Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers are made with spicy jalapeños scooped out and topped with yummy chorizo and cream cheese, then wrapped in thin-cut bacon! First, you take a spicy jalapeño, cut it in half, and remove the white membrane. Then, you stuff it with cream cheese and wrap it in a strip of bacon. Next, you can either bake them in the oven or, if you’re fancy, air fry them for a crispy, delicious finish. And voila! You’ve got a savory jalapeño popper perfect for any party or gathering!
Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers Ingredients
- Jalapeños
- Chorizo – Use any type of Chorizo you like, whether that’s hot, sweet, smoked, Mexican-style, you name it.
- Cream Cheese – Softened to room temperature.
- Bacon – Use thin-cut bacon so it wraps easily and cooks fully.
How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
- Slice the jalapeños in half, then remove the seeds and as much of the inner walls as possible.
- Brown the chorizo in a skillet until cooked through, then drain on a paper towel. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, chorizo, and cheddar.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop the cream cheese filling into each jalapeño half. Use your thumb to press the mixture in place, if necessary.
- Arrange 12 slices of bacon onto a clean work surface, slice each in half in the middle, then wrap each jalapeño half in 1 slice of halved bacon.
- If baking: place jalapeño halves on an oven-safe wire rack in a single layer with the filling side up, then place the rack on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Bake at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes.
- If smoking: place the jalapeño poppers over the grill grates (lining with foil if your heat isn’t offset), then smoke at 335ºF for 45-60 minutes.
- Let the poppers cool for 10 minutes before serving! Then, serve with ranch dressing or any of your favorite sauces!
Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tips
- If you want to control the heat a bit, remove the white strips of pith and the seeds from the jalapeños. Those are the hottest part of the peppers.
- You can use pretty much any brand of bacon you like, but make sure you avoid thick-cut bacon. If it’s too thick, it will be hard to wrap and take longer to cook. Thinner works best!
- Wrap the bacon around the entire “boatload” of stuffing in each halved pepper. This helps keep everything inside the popper.
- Make sure you get a chorizo that will crumble, not the sausage kind that holds together when sliced.
- If you don’t have a smoker, you can bake these in the oven. However, the smoker does add a little bonus flavor that I think really makes these poppers.
Leftovers & Reheating
Leftover, cooked poppers will last in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Then, to enjoy again, bake in the oven at 350ºF for 10 minutes or until they’re heated through.
What to Serve With Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
- Traeger Smoked Queso
- Campfire Fries With Creamy Popper Dip
- Buttermilk Brined Chicken Wings
- Smoked Jalapeño Meatball Poppers
- Ginger Lime Sticky Wings
- Grilled Flank Steak Pinwheel Pops
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Although jalapeños are the go-to pepper for poppers, they are not the only option. Depending on your tolerance for heat, you can do bacon-wrapped poppers with a pretty wide selection of peppers—hot or not!
Bell Peppers – if you don’t want any heat, seek out those bags of multi-colored sweet baby bells. These tend to be a bit thinner walled, so make sure to use really thinly cut bacon so the pepper and bacon are done cooking at the same time.
Banana Peppers – these look like yellow jalapeño peppers. They’re very mild, with just a hint of heat that even a baby can handle!
Poblano Peppers – these are bigger, so they would be more like a meal than an appetizer like these enchilada stuffed peppers. Make with more chorizo and rice for a main course.
NOT RECOMMENDED: Habanero Peppers or Scotch Bonnets – these two options will singe your mouth properly, and the heat overwhelms the enjoyment of the cheesy chorizo popper.
Yes, jalapeño poppers are spicy, but the cream cheese in the filling helps to curb the heat from the peppers.
They sure can! To make these poppers ahead of time, simply prep and fill as directed, then place the unbaked poppers onto a lined baking sheet. Cover with saran wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Then, for best results, enjoy the next day.
When you’re ready to bake, bring to room temperature, then bake as directed.
Absolutely! Pop them into the air fryer and cook at 375ºF for 18 minutes.
Yes! You can use a mixture of cheeses, Mexican blend cheese, pepper jack cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, etc. The cream cheese works well as a creamy filling that cuts the heat, whereas the other cheeses would melt in a different way. We suggest mixing your desired additional cheeses into cream cheese for the best results.
More Delicious Appetizer Recipe
These easy appetizers will surely become a crowd favorite at your next party! Not only are these poppers a low-carb favorite, but they also showcase the magical powers of bacon. Cooked to perfection with chorizo and cream cheese, these poppers will hit the spot in one fell swoop. Be sure to rate the recipe card and leave a comment below to help out the next reader.
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
Recommended Equipment
- Smoker or grill
Ingredients
- 12 fresh jalapenos
- 4 oz fresh chorizo removed from casing
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 12 slices bacon
Instructions
Prep the jalapenos
- Slice the jalapenos in half and remove the seeds and as much of the inner pith as possible. Set aside.
Cook the Chorizo
- Brown the chorizo in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain on a paper towel. Let cool.
Prep cheesy filling and stuff
- In a bowl combine the cream cheese with the chorizo and cheddar.
- With a tablespoon, scoop cream cheese filling into each jalapeno half (use your thumb to press the cream cheese mixture in place if needed).
Wrap in bacon
- On a clean work surface, arrange 12 slices of bacon and slice in half at the middle.
- Starting at the bottom of each filling stuffed pepper, wrap each in bacon and arrange on an oven-safe wire rack, filling side up to prevent spilling.
Smoke the Jalapeno Poppers
- Preheat your smoker to 335 degrees.
- Place the jalapeno poppers over the grill grates, lining with foil if your heat isn't offset.
- Smoke for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until the bacon is crisp.
- Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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These are amazing! Will not make them any other way.. making them again on Sunday! Cant wait!!
Thanks Amber! Your comment just popped up and reminded me I need to whip these up for friends soon.
Those look fantastic.
Cannot wait to try these. Great idea for a party. Appetizers that pack a punch 🙂
Just.. whoa. Also Bacon Club needs to be in my life.
Bacon. Club. How did I not know this was a thing? I need this in my life RIGHT NOW! I also really want these in my life too – bacon, chorizo and jalapeños? It’s like my dream happy food.
Bacon club? Well I know what I’m doing with my first big-girl paycheck when it comes…
Whoa, my favorite foods in the same food. YES! These look amazing.
wOW..These are amazing. Love the flavors 🙂
Mmm, bacon!