Bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers are the perfect appetizer for your game day/night gatherings. Made with spicy jalapeños filled with cream cheese and cheddar cheese and wrapped in bacon.
There are certain appetizers that seem to be a given when you gather to watch or play a game. Jalapeño poppers tend to be near the top of that list for everyone. They are easy to make and with just a few simple ingredients. The best part is that they travel well if you need to take them to a friend or family member’s house. Every time I would bring these around my friends they were one of the first things to completely disappear. If you like to grill, pop these on the grill instead of the oven for that wonderful grilled flavor.
Table of Contents
In this recipe
One of the best parts about this recipe is its simplicity. There are only 5 ingredients. This makes it a great last minute kind of recipe even if you have to run to the store quickly to get everything. To make it go even faster you can buy shredded cheese instead of doing it yourself.
Jalapenos: the basis of the recipe, choose firm jalapenos that are a deep green color.
Bacon: adds a smokey flavor to the poppers.
Cream cheese: is the base for the filling and allows all the cheese to melt and combine nicely.
What cheese should I use for bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers?
There are all kinds of cheese that you can use for this recipe. However, you will want to stick with ones that melt well and have a strong flavor. I tend to use a combination of cheddar and either Colby jack or pepper jack. Adding pepper jack cheese can help increase the heat of jalapeno poppers. Other options can include but not limited to Monterey jack, gouda, muenster, and Havarti. Feel free to mix and match any combination of these to make this recipe your own.
What bacon should I use?
Thick cut bacon is the way to go with this recipe. It is a bit harder to work with but you will get more of that wonderful flavor in each bite. In my personal experience although it is easier to use thinner bacon however there isn’t a lot of bacon in each bite. The trick is to stretch out the bacon a little before you wrap the jalapenos. This will make the slices a bit longer so they cover the entire pepper. Tuck the ends of the bacon into the last coil when you wrap it to help secure the ends when baking.
How to prepare the jalapeno poppers
To get the most space out of the jalapeno it is important to remove the pith and seeds. Once cutting in half using a sharp knife make a V-shaped cut around pith (the white part at the top) to remove. If you do this I would suggest using gloves. This will help protect your hands and any sensitive skin you might touch. This also includes other people and pets. If you like spicy jalapenos leave the ribs running down the sides in tact but remove the seeds at the top. That is where the glands that hold capsaicin in them are located.
Looking for other game day recipes?
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
Equipment
- Foil lined sheet pan
- Baking rack
- Food processor
- Piping bag optional
Ingredients
- 1¾ pounds thick cut bacon
- 9 jalapeño peppers halved, cored
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
- 4 ounces Colby jack cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, 200°C or gas mark 6.
- In a food processor combine the Colby jack, cheddar, and cream chesses together. Blend until combined.8 ounces cream cheese, 4 ounces cheddar cheese, 4 ounces Colby jack cheese
- Using a piping bag or spoon, fill the sliced jalapenos with the cream cheese filling. Press down to get the cheese filling inside the pepper.9 jalapeño peppers
- Then starting from the top of the pepper with the wider of the two ends of bacon wrap the bacon around the pepper and tuck in the ends.1¾ pounds thick cut bacon
- Place on the wire baking rack on the foil lined sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes or until the bacon is cooked.
Nutrition
