These bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers are creamy, spicy and loaded with cheese. The perfect party appetizer!
I have to admit, I have a weakness for jalapeno poppers. As much as I love them, I’ve never made them at home, because I’m not a fan of deep frying in my own kitchen. These bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers are baked instead of fried, and let me say, they’re even better than the original! Who can resist fresh jalapenos stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon and baked to crispy perfection? Not me, that’s for sure. This is the ultimate party or game day snack!
How to make jalapeno poppers
It probably won’t surprise you that the first ingredient in this recipe is jalapenos. I like to buy jalapenos that are about 3-4 inches long, you don’t want them to be too small or they’ll be hard to stuff. The jalapenos are sliced in half and the seeds and ribs get removed. Removing the seeds and ribs removes most of the heat from the peppers; if you like it spicier, leave some of the seeds and ribs in. The peppers are stuffed with a combination of cream cheese, cheddar cheese and spices.
The final step in the process is the bacon. You definitely want to avoid thick cut bacon here as it’ll take a lot longer to crisp up in the oven. The jalapenos get wrapped in half a slice of bacon and then secured with a toothpick. You can remove the toothpicks before serving like I did here, or leave them in for people to grab off the party platter. Whatever you prefer!
I like to serve my bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers with a side of ranch for dipping, but honestly they’re awesome as-is too. This is one of those party snacks where everyone will be asking you for the recipe! You can even fill and wrap the jalapenos up to 8 hours before you plan to bake them, simply store them in the fridge until you’re ready to go. You might even want to consider making a double batch, these little guys disappear quickly!
More appetizers for your next party
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers Video
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
Ingredients
- 12 jalapeno peppers approximately 3-4 inches long
- 1 8 ounce block cream cheese softened
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 12 slices bacon do not use thick cut
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and coat it with cooking spray.
- Cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and ribs.
- In a medium bowl mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Fill each jalapeno half with the cheese mixture.
- Cut the slices of bacon in half crosswise and wrap each pepper half in a slice of bacon, using a toothpick to secure the bacon.
- Arrange the peppers on the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until bacon is crispy and browned. Serve immediately.
Jennifer says
Can you make ahead and instead of cooking, free them for later?
Sara says
I think you could do that, although you’ll just want to keep in mind that the peppers will likely be softer upon thawing!
Kim says
Love this recipe! The only thing I do instead so the bacon isn’t soggy is chop it up and cook it in a pan prior to baking. Then I mix it with the rest of the ingredients and cook it for twenty minutes. Then I get get pieces of bacon in every bite…it’s pretty delicious and keto friendly!
Sara says
Great idea, I’ll try it this way next time!
Jennifer says
Prepare same way but use thick cut bacon cook in air fryer at 400° for 13 minutes. Perfection!
Sara says
Sounds great I’ll try it that way!
Denise Braun says
Thoughts on making then keeping warm in a crockpot? To serve at a party??
Sara says
A crock pot wouldn’t work here because the bacon will get soggy and the filling could leak out. I’d recommend keeping them warm in a 250 degree oven until you’re ready to serve them. Hope you enjoy!
Cooking Dad says
I use a grapefruit spoon (serrated edges) to “gut” the jalapeños. Works like a champ.
Sara says
That’s a great idea!
Marie says
Great tip! Just made these and used a knife. Since they’re so amazing, and I’ll be making them a lot, I’ll go buy a grapefruit spoon!
kerry Methot says
These are amazing, make them just like they say. The only thing that is WAY off is the prep time. It takes me 45 minutes to prep and I cook them for 45 minutes so the bacon is crispy. They are a bit time consuming but worth the effort!
Sara says
So happy to hear you enjoyed them, I made a batch the other day too!!
Angie says
I made these and OMG!!! Delicious!!! So easy and inexpensive to make. I would love to make these for my next family BBQ. I used thick cut bacon and cooked in my oven. So good.
Sara says
So glad you enjoyed them, thanks for reporting back!
Cianna says
I have used this great recipe numerous times with perfect results! I’m able to achieve crisp bacon by using precooked bacon I buy at Costco (Hormel). These slices are very pliable eventhough they are fully cooked! Try it.
Sara says
That is a great idea I will for sure try it next time!
Denise says
These look awesome! My son’s 23rd birthday party is tomorrow. We are having a cookout with some of his friends. I am sure they are going to love these. I was wondering if the jalapeño peppers will burn the hands while cutting and scooping all the stuff out. Has anyone had a problem with is this? Thanks!
Sara says
If you’re worried about that, you can wear gloves. I’ve never had an issue with the peppers burning my hands but there will be a little residual pepper oil on your hands so be sure not to touch your eyes!
Renee R says
Yes! Absolutely. I learned the hard way! The skin under my fingernails was on FIRE for days! I will never clean them and scoop out the membrane part without wearing gloves ever again!
Stacey says
I use the plastic vegetable bag that I bought the jalepenos in from the store as a barrier, and scoop the seeds out with my thumb. I started doing this because the plastic is more pliable than my thick rubber dish gloves. It works just as well.
Bear in a can says
This dish is the nastiest thing ever ha jk it was wonderful the cheese in the jalapeño was delicious
tom Masterson says
sounds great. will be making for a party this weekend. I will not be home so will make on Thurs. and keep in refrig. until Sat and they will cook them. would i precook the bacon before wrapping and will they be okay for two days in the fridge?
Thanks.
Sara says
Yes that should work, you just want to par-cook the bacon so that it’s still pliable enough to wrap around the peppers.
candy wharton says
Going to try these today for my daughter’s birthday party! Will let you know how they turn out.
Sara says
I hope you enjoyed them!
candy wharton says
These were absolutely delicious! They were gone in minutes! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!!!!! Everybody raved about them!
Sara says
Thank you so much for reporting back, glad they were a hit!
Camille says
My family loves these! I have been making these for years but never thought to add cheddar cheese. I will try this next time. Someone requested I make these for a party that I’ll be attending but I would like to prep them beforehand. Any suggestions on how to reheat the next day? Thanks!
Sara says
I would just stuff the peppers and wrap them in bacon, then store them in the fridge for a day and bake them right before serving. Otherwise I’m not sure how you’ll get the bacon to crisp back up. Hope that helps!
FAYE HUGGINS says
what am I doing wrong ?? I have made these twice and I am very disappointed to say the least….
my cheese runs bad, nothing like the picture, har to get bacon crisp the taste is great, but appearance is terrible
PLEASE HELP !!!!!!
Sara says
I’m wondering if maybe you’re cooking them for too long if the cheese is running everywhere? One option is to par-cook the bacon. Just bake it in the oven until it’s about halfway done, then wrap it around each jalapeno. The bacon will crisp up much quicker that way. I hope that helps!
Linda says
I preheat a cast iron griddle in the oven at 500 degrees to get it nice and hot, then I reduce heat to 400 add peppers and flip half way through to get bacon nice and crispy.
Esme Sy says
I read Jalapeno and Bacon and I clicked. Not disappointed. As a spicy kind of person, I would definitely make this treats with some extra seeds in it. The way the bacon’s wrapped around the Jalapeno is just simply creative and makes sense for easier bites. Just perfect!
Pat Cummings says
My spouse is also a spicy-food lover. I will make this with shredded Jalapeno Jack instead of regular cheddar, but take the seeds and ribs out for my less-adventurous guests.
Eileen says
Yum! These look so tasty! I love bacon wrapped anything!
Elizabeth O says
This looks like a really simply and quick recipe to make. It would be great at a dinner party or Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Great job and thank you for sharing it.
Rachel says
this sounds delicious! What a great idea for a dinner party!
Pat says
Fresh jalapenos stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon, and baked–instead of fried–sound like a jalapeno lover’s delight.
Nicole says
This looks so delicious! I love anything with bacon!
Lisa Rios says
These look like great party appetizers for movie night! I bet these would be a hit.
Luci says
These look so cheesy and delicious. Will be making these soon for maybe Mother’s Day.
Shoma says
Yumm, I love spice and I love bacon! This is the perfect combination!
Holly says
Oh, this looks super yummy. I will definitely have to try this. I love trying new recipes!!
Preet says
Wow! This one’s a winner.This looks so delightful and tasty. I would love to try making this recipe. My boys would both probably DIG this!
Britney Kaufman says
Before I was vegan I would have totally devoured these. My husband loves spicy and would still eat these however!
Kristi Ann says
These are delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Annemarie LeBlanc says
I make something similar but I wrap it with rice paper and then deep fry. I guess I should try making it in the oven next time. These bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers look really good.
Mary Nicole Galbraith says
Yum! I really do want to make this dish! It looks absolutely fabulous.
Gladys parkeP says
OMGoodness do these bacon wrapped stuffed jalapeno peppers look awesome! I, too, dislike deep frying, in fact we don’t even own a deep fryer. What a hit these would be.