Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
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Perfect for game days and parties, these cheesy bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers combine a crispy exterior with a gooey center, making them irresistibly poppable!
If you haven’t yet experienced the deliciousness, a “popper” is exactly what it sounds like—a bite-sized snack meant to be popped straight into your mouth. A staple of Tex-Mex cuisine, these jalapeño poppers start with spicy jalapeños that are halved, stuffed with a rich, cheesy filling, wrapped in bacon, and baked until crispy on the outside and melty in the middle.
Perfect for game days, festive gatherings, or whenever that spicy food craving hits, jalapeño poppers never fail to wow a crowd. A word to the wise: the heat of a jalapeño primarily lies in its ribs and membranes, so if you lean toward milder flavors, give the peppers a thorough scrape before stuffing.
“A huge hit on Super Bowl Sunday!”
What You’ll Need To Make Jalapeño Poppers
- Jalapeño Peppers: The base for the poppers. While jalapeño peppers are naturally spicy, much of their heat comes from the seeds and membranes inside the peppers. For a milder popper, scrape out all of the seeds and membranes before stuffing. Pro tip: Wearing gloves makes the job easier and saves you from any unexpected spicy surprises later!
- Cream Cheese: The creamy and slightly tangy base for the filling. Soften the cream cheese by letting it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese: A mix of 4 cheeses including Monterey Jack and cheddar. It melts beautifully and adds a gooey, rich texture to the filling.
- Scallions: Provide a mild onion flavor without being overpowering.
- Cilantro: Offers a fresh, herbal note and balances out the richness of the other ingredients. Feel free to omit it if you’re not a fan.
- Lime juice: Adds citrusy brightness to the filling.
- Cumin: Infuses the filling with a warm, earthy flavor.
- Bacon: The crispy, savory finishing touch that takes these poppers to the next level. It not only adds incredible flavor but also helps keep the jalapeños from drying out as they cook. For the best results, stick with thin-cut bacon—it crisps up nicely.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F and position one rack in the middle and another near the top. Line a large baking sheet with foil, then place a wire rack on top and give it a good spray with nonstick cooking spray. Now, slice your jalapeños in half lengthwise—leaving the stem intact on one half for a nice presentation.
Use the tip of a small spoon to scoop out the seeds and ribs—remember, that’s where most of the heat hides! If you prefer a milder popper, be sure to give them a good scrape to remove as much as possible.
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, Mexican blend cheese, scallions, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, and salt until combined.
Fill each jalapeño half with approximately one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture.
Once filled, wrap each jalapeño half snugly with bacon. Drape the bacon over the top, then spiral it around, covering the cheese to keep it from oozing out. Place the poppers on the wire rack, cheese side up. (At this point, the poppers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before you plan to cook them.)
Bake for 25 minutes, then move the pan to the upper rack and switch on the broiler. Let them broil for about 2 minutes, just until the bacon is crispy—but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Let the poppers cool for at least 10 minutes, then transfer them to a paper towel-lined platter to soak up any extra grease. Serve warm and watch them disappear!
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Jalapeño Poppers
Spicy, cheesy, and wrapped in crispy bacon, these jalapeño poppers are the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Ingredients
- 12 jalapeño peppers
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 8 ounces Mexican blend cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- 2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons lime juice, from 1 lime
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- Big pinch salt
- 24 slices thin-cut bacon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and set one oven rack in the middle position and one in the top position. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, then top with a wire rack; spray the wire rack with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prep the jalapeños: Cut the jalapeños in half lengthwise, leaving the stem intact on one half. Using the tip of a small spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds and ribs (the ribs are where most of the heat is, so scrape them thoroughly if you have a milder palate).
- Make the filling: In a medium bowl, stir the cream cheese, Mexican blend cheese, scallions, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, and salt until combined.
- Stuff and wrap the jalapeño peppers: Begin by filling each jalapeño half with approximately 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture. Once filled, wrap each half snugly with bacon. To do this effectively, start by draping the bacon over the top of the jalapeño half. Then, spiral it around the popper, ensuring all the exposed cheese filling is covered by the bacon. This method ensures the cheese remains contained during cooking and allows the bacon to achieve a crispy texture. Once wrapped, place the poppers on the prepared wire rack with the cheese side facing up.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then move the baking sheet to the upper rack and turn on the broiler. Broil until the bacon is crisp on top, about 2 minutes (keep a close eye on them so they don't burn). Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then transfer to a paper napkin-lined platter (to absorb any grease) and serve warm.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: You can assemble the poppers up to a day in advance and store them in a covered container in the refrigerator. Allow a few extra minutes baking time if starting from cold.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (24 servings)
- Serving size: 1 popper
- Calories: 169
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 290 mg
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Delish, Jen! My friend made these for appetizers last night. They are sure to be a staple in my appetizer repertoire. Thanks for another winning recipe!
These were great but I had to flip them and broil on both sides because the bacon on the bottom side was kind of soggy looking even though I used the wire rack.
I make these often, and add bacon bits to the filling.
You cannot eat too much bacon.
Also, I season the whole thing after it’s all wrapped up with salt-free BBQ rub. Penzey’s Arizona Dreaming is a favourite!
Can these be frozen after assembly?
I haven’t tried it, but I think you could. Before serving them, I’d bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
I made this for the Super Bowl, what a hit, they were fabulous and gone quickly. I definitely printed this recipe.
A huge hit on Super Bowl Sunday! I prepped them early in the day and refrigerated them until it was time to cook. I added 5 minutes to the cook time before broiling since they were cold. Total broil time was about 4 minutes. A great party food!
Do you wrap the popper with a whole piece of bacon? Or do you cut a piece of bacon in half to wrap a total of two poppers?
Hi Rose, You use one piece of bacon for each popper (once you slice the peppers in half, you’ll have 24). Hope that clarifies!
Could these be done in hot air fryer?
Hi Rhona, I do think that would work.
Our poppers have a piece of steak with pepper jack cheese in a jalapeño half wrapped in a slice of turkey bacon then grilled. Delicious!