The jalapeno popper is a classic appetizer that has been reprised and recreated with the popularity of home smokers and barbecue. Spicy jalapeno peppers combines with the creaminess of a block of cool cream cheese. Mix this with your favorite combination of sausages, shredded cheese, and don’t forget about the bacon. These poppers contain a kick with the addition of siracha sauce and are sweetened with a locally sourced honey. These jalapeno poppers are a fam fav and we are excited to share them with you.
Our family loves finger foods, especially these poppers. These can be labor intensive, but oh so worth the wait. A combination of heat and sweet, these appetizers wet the appetite before the main course is ready to go. Whether it is on a Saturday afternoon gameday, or in the summer time at the campground, these poppers are kid friendly and can be made days ahead of time to be sure they are ready to go.
What Our Fam Loves About This Jalapeño Popper Recipe
Crispy Bacon- These poppers are wrapped in a blanket of salty cured meat that balances out the sweet and the heat for a trio of intense flavors. Our kids love the flavor of the bacon, matched with the spice of the pepper and the creaminess of the creamed cheese.
Finger Foods – Our kids love to be able to experience their food with all of their senses. They love to be able to eat finger foods, and these poppers allow that to happen. They love the smell of the smoked bacon, the intensity of the heat of the jalapenos and the sweetness of the honey. Its all wrapped up into a small vessel that provides a punch of flavor in each bite.
Heat and Sweet – These poppers can provide a wallop of heat. We love how the heat doesn’t hit you up front, but rather gets you in the back of your tongue. The salty bacon masks the flavor up front, and the coolness of the cream cheese hides the heat of the peppers. Its not until you fully commit that you get that pocket of heat and flavor from the pepper. The balance between the ingredients challenges you, but wants you coming back for more.
Jalapeño Popper Ingredients
Jalapeño Pepper Chiles
These are extremely affordable and can be purchased by the bushel. Your local supermarket probably sells these as a medium size pepper and these work best. Avoid peppers that show the lines on the exterior of the pepper because they have a wood like texture. Smaller peppers are filled with seeds and ribs which is a primary source of the heat. The medium peppers work best because of the space that is left in the cavity after being cored and seeded.
Cream Cheese
A block of cream cheese provides a cool texture for the filling and a salty flavor. Soften the cream cheese to allow it to be mixed and pumped into the interior of the pepper filling.
Shredded Cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese provides a salty component and also provides a stretch in each bite. This cheese alters the cream cheese, but both provide a salty flavor to each spicy bite.
Siracha Sauce
People think of jalapeno peppers as a source of heat, so why would we add more heat with siracha sauce. Siracha sauce provides a smoky flavor along with the heat. It has a distinct flavor that stands out and above the heat of the jalapeno pepper. The flavor of the siracha hides within the cream cheese and jumps up on your taste buds to make you question the flavors you are experiencing.
Honey
With all of the heat and flavors of this dish, the sweetness of honey provides balance to the various flavors. Salty, spicy, and sweet, these poppers provide a myriad of flavor profiles that come from all directions to your tastebuds. Dancing and hitting all spots of your tongue, the honey is the finishing touch to complete the flavors of this dish.
Where Does The Term Jalapeño Popper Come From?
The popper is an alternative to the classic chiles rellenos, a stuffed pepper served with a creamy stuffing on the interior. The rellenos is deep fried with a light breading, while the popper is usually wrapped in bacon and baked or grilled. Our version of the popper is smoked and sauced for a delicious appetizer in each and every bite.
Our jalapeño popper recipe is served with a dipping sauce. You can serve with ranch to cool the flavors of the pepper or with Blues Hog Raspberry Chipotle Sauce to provide a small dab of sweet with each and every bite. This raspberry dipping sauce provides a distinct flavor that helps balance each bite.
How To Make Jalapeño Popper Recipe
Prep Your Peppers
Wash and dry your peppers. Use a veggie wash to help remove the chemicals that are used to prevent insects in the growing process. Rinse your peppers with cold water and dry each of them and set aside
Slice the stem off each jalapeño and use a pepper corer to remove the seeds and ribs from each individual pepper, set aside and prepare to fill
Mix Your Filling
In a mixing bowl add softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, siracha sauce, honey, and your favorite rub mixture. Mix thoroughly to incorporate all the ingredients.
Spoon your mixture into a Ziploc bag to use as a piping bag. Fill the bag and cut the corner of the bag. Pipe the cheese mixture into the open end of each pepper. Be sure to not over fill your jalapeño peppers. You will use roughly a tablespoon per pepper of the mixture.
Wrap Your Pepper
Lay a piece of bacon on the cutting board and lay the pepper diagonally across the bacon. Roll the pepper along the bacon to make sure it is completely wrapped with bacon.
Sprinkle your wrapped pepper with your favorite rub to season. We like to incorporate a sweetness with the salty bacon using Sweet Rib Rub from the Spice Lab.
Smoke Your Peppers
On a smoker, evenly place your wrapped jalapeño popper with the pepper standing up. Using a Popper Tool to help the peppers stay up right, place them on the smoker. Cook for 45 minutes at 250F with a sweet wood like Apple or Cherry. Remove the poppers when the bacon is crisp and the peppers have become soft. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Tips and Tricks of The Jalapeño Popper
Choose the Right Tools – A specific coring tool makes this extremely easy and much less messy. Amazon has very affordable corers that allow you to keep the pepper’s shape and structure, but still be able to get out the ribs and seeds of the pepper.
Control Your Heat- Control the level of heat from the peppers by removing the seeds and the ribs. This is where a majority of the Scobell units of heat come from. The flesh of the pepper provides some heat, but a large majority of it comes from these areas.
Serve As A Series of Appetizers – Serve these peppers as part of a spread of appetizers at your next tailgate or party. We love to serve with our Bacon Wrapped Shotgun Shells: A Great Gameday Option, Golden Wings: Balance of Spicy and Sweet, and Cheeseburger Sliders Done on the Grill. These make a great gameday spread.
Smoke Your Peppers Vertically – When you place your peppers on the grill, make sure you smoke them vertically to keep your filling in the jalapeño popper. If you lay them horizontally, the filling will run out and you’ll lose all that delicious flavor.
Other Fam Favorite Recipes
- Easy Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Slider
- One Dish Sheet Pan Nachos
- Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings Done Easy
Jalapeño Popper
Equipment
- 1 Pellet Smoker
- 1 Pepper Corer
- 1 Piping Bag
- 1 Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 12 Jalapeño Peppers
- 2 Blocks Cream Cheese
- ½ Cup Siracha Sauce
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Pound Sliced Bacon
- ½ Cup Honey
- ¼ Cup Rub
Get Recipe IngredientsInstructions
Prep Your Peppers
- Wash and Dry your peppers
- Slice the stems off each pepper
- Core the peppers and de-seed and remove the ribs
- Rinse to assure you remove all the seeds
Mix the Filling
- In a mixing bowl, add cream cheese, siracha, honey, and shredded cheese
- Mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed
- Spoon mixture into a plastic Ziploc bag
- Cut the corner of the bag and squeeze to pipe the mixture into each individual pepper
Wrap The Peppers
- Lay a slice of bacon down on a cutting board
- Lay the pepper diagonally across the bacon
- Roll the pepper to wrap the bacon completely
- Season bacon wrapped peppers with your favorite pork rub
Smoke the Poppers
- Place the poppers vertically on the smoker
- Cook at 250F for 45 minutes until bacon is crispy and peppers soft
- Serve with your choice of dipping sauces
