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
- Sausage Cheese Balls
- Slow Cooker Party Wings
- Cowboy Caviar
- White Queso Dip
- Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
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.
Derek Bank says
I got jalapeños in my eyes wowza! Thats spicy!
Barbara says
Wear some gloves if you can next time, but if you don’t have them treat the jalapeño juice like essential oil. You never want to put water in the oils first, that makes them worse rather than better. You treat it with another oil. Get some vegetable oil or some other cooking oil and rub it all over your hands, then get some dish washing liquid (no water yet) and rub that real good all over your hands. This will be very messy. Then finally rinse it off really good. You may want to do the soap thing once more. I know this sounds like a big pain, but you’re basically dealing with jalapeño oil and you have to treat it differently. Water is not your friend at first, oil is. Hope this helps.
Leah Belding says
My sister has been bringing these to many family functions for years, and are always a big hit. She will also add a little brown sugar to the top and some cayenne pepper.
Lora says
Excellent way to prepare jalapeños! I added finely chopped green onion to the cheese mixture and used thick applewood smoked bacon that was pre- cooked and crumbled on top of the jalapeños. Yummmmm!
Terri Burke says
We added 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the filling and pre-cooked the bacon slightly. We also tried wrapping the poppers with the bacon as suggested and tried some with 1/2 of a slice placed on top…The slice on top was a winner as it cooked more uniformly. Really easy recipe and sooo YUMMY!!!
Jlh says
Great tip, and great recipe. Super easy and YUM!
Maria says
My family loved it just as is. Its a great recipe.
Lauren says
Just made for super bowl snacks. Big hit with the fiancé and dropped some off at my parents’. Mixed half mozzarella and half cheddar cheese. Will make again!
DAVID SCHANDING says
My God this is the greatest thing i have eaten. Don’t take out all the seedsand membrane.b you’re eating a jalapeno. There’s the heat/flavor. The very best snack. Next time i will pre-cook the bacon a while before wrapping the jalapenos. I feel that may be perfection.
Lahle says
I made your bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers today and they were gone in five minutes. Thank you for this delicious and easy recipe — it is a total hit with my family.
Mayra says
I love this recipe so much I’ve made it many times for gatherings and someone even paid me once to make them for a party! The only thing I changed was adding garlic powder, using only 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese ( I like tasting more of the cream cheese and less of the cheddar cheese) and I used maple bacon. So yummy, thanks for the recipe!
Steve P says
Great recipe and so easy, make them all the time! I add garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder. Before wrapping the bacon I press the cheese into Pablo bread crumbs. Gives an extra crunch like the fried ones
Susan Sawicki says
Like this recipe but forgot to buy bacon and had sausage so I browned that, threw in the cream cheese to combine and then filled the peppers. I also left some seeds and ribs in a few poppers and proclaimed Popper Roulette! Wouldn’t recommend this for kids but had a few laughs with adults😅🤣
Stacy Scott says
My family devoured these! We actually fought over the last few! I did have to cook them a bit longer than directed but I like my bacon extra crispy! It didn’t affect the cheese mixture though & they were absolutely delicious!
Zoe says
Can you prep the mixture the day before? Prep it all the day before?
Sara says
Yes you can stuff and wrap the peppers a day in advance!
Danny lanham says
I added beef kielbasa and chive and onion cream cheese. Mixed in my ninja. Then filled the peppers wrapped the bacon added smoked paprika before baking. Amazing!!!!
Dale Senger says
Stuck at home in lockdown looking for something to make and this was just the thing. I changed the recipe a bit using half cheddar and half Monterey Jack in addition to the cream cheese. I also wrapped them in Prosciutto instead of bacon because the bacon I had onhand was too thick. I only has to cook them for 17 minutes.
Lindsey says
We’ve been making this recipe at Christmas for years. It’s the best recipe on the web for poppers. Delicious!
Not a Chef Nate says
Best. Stuffed. Jalapenos. Ever.
Marianne says
Drizzle with Captain Rodneys Glaze!