Make this easy Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers recipe for your appetizer tray at your next party, or for snacking on at the holidays! Each and every bite is loaded with a creamy, mildly spicy, cheesy, and smoky bacon flavor that is totally irresistible!
Table of Contents
These bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers are the perfect party appetizer, and great for game day snacking! With the winning combinations of the smoky crispy bacon wraps, rich cream cheese and cheddar filling, and the mild jalapeño spice, there’s an explosion of flavor in every bite.
So to all you football fans out there, this one is for you. I’m completely obsessed with the flavor of these jalapeño poppers, you need to try them! This bacon-wrapped twist takes your classic jalapeño popper to the next level. I cannot ever have just one or two of these delicious poppers, so I’d recommend making a double batch!
This is a great recipe for birthday parties and family gatherings. It’s even great for kids because the jalapeños aren’t really that spicy once the seeds and membranes are scraped away. With the added cream cheese mixture stuffed inside, these little guys are a huge hit with our kids!
Jalapeños are irresistible, I use them a lot because I love their fresh flavor, and how well they go with other savory flavors. I already made a deconstructed version of this recipe as a Jalapeño Popper Dip, and it’s one of my favorite appetizer recipes.
If you love flavorful appetizers like this one, be sure to check out my collection of Easy Appetizers for a Crowd. It contains some of my favorite appetizers, like Classic Philly Cheesesteak Dip, Sweet, Savory & Spicy Korean BBQ Chicken Wings, and my Delicious Easy Chicken Parmesan Sliders!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy recipe takes just 40 minutes from start to finish!
- Completely customizable in heat and flavorings, you can add your favorite savory garnishes to it as well.
- This fun finger food is handy for a party table spread.
- Bursting with amazing flavors!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Bacon – Use smoked bacon to give the best smoky flavor for these poppers.
- Jalapeño Peppers – For best results find large, fresh jalapeños and half them lengthwise yourself.
- Cream Cheese – Use your favorite kind, full fat or reduced fat.
- Cheese – Sharp cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese works well, depending on the heat level you want.
- Garlic – Garlic powder will work fine here, as you will be adding it into the filling.
- Salt and Black Pepper – Enhances all the flavors, giving a slight kick to the cream cheese mix.
How to Make Jalapeño Poppers
Prep the jalapeños. Firstly, you need to wash and slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise. Scrape out all of the seeds and white membrane using a spoon. You might want to wear rubber gloves to do this. If you don’t have any, try sticking your hand in a plastic Ziploc bag to protect your skin from the jalapeño juice.
Make cream cheese filling. Combine the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper together in a bowl. As long as the cream cheese is softened by sitting on the counter for half an hour, this should be easy to do with just a spoon.
Stuff the jalapeños. Fill each of the jalapeño pepper halves with the cream cheese mixture. Make sure you don’t overfill or you will have a mess while the poppers bake since the cheese will ooze out all over the place. I find it easiest to just spread the cream cheese in with a butter knife.
Add bacon wraps. After they have been stuffed, wrap the bacon fairly tightly around each jalapeño and arrange it so that the seam where the bacon ends is on the bottom of the jalapeño. Doing this tends to keep them wrapped without using toothpicks, but you can secure the bacon with a toothpick to help it stay put if you need to though. Remove the toothpics before serving. If your jalapeños are larger, you might want to use a full slice of bacon for each popper rather than just a half piece.
Set on a wire rack. Put the bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers on a wire rack that has been sprayed with cooking spray set over a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil for easier clean-up.
Bake. Let the jalapeño poppers bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 400°F until the cheese is melted and the bacon is cooked all the way and crispy.
Serve. Remove them from the oven and serve hot with cool ranch dressing as a dipping sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Jalapeño bombers are another name for jalapeño poppers, or jalapeño bites, that have been prepared a bit differently.
To make a jalapeño bomber, instead of using a jalapeño half, you would cut off the top of the jalapeño and hollow it out. The hollow jalapeño is then studded with a mixture of cream cheese, cheese, spices, and even ground meat, coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried.
They can also be cooked in an air fryer or oven. You often get this kind of jalapeño popper in chain restaurants.
Jalapeño poppers can be made up to 2 days in advance, giving you more time to enjoy your party. Just assemble the poppers on a baking sheet, uncooked. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge until ready to bake.
Absolutely! Using aluminum foil in your air fryer can save you clean up time, and also help cook your dishes more evenly. I would recommend using foil that has holes in it to match your air fryer basket to ensure full circulation when cooking this way. You can use foil for air fryer jalapeño poppers as you can lift them out more easily this way.
How to Make Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
If you have an air fryer, you can easily use it to cook your stuffed jalapeño poppers. Simply preheat the air fryer to 325°F, then cook the jalapeño poppers in a single layer for 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bacon is crisp.
You may want to turn them over halfway through cooking. You may have to cook them in smaller batches, but this is ideal for a smaller crowd or for snacking!
Storage and Reheating
Freezing: You can freeze these delicious appetizers on the baking sheet for 60 minutes, then transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container or reusable bag. When ready to serve, just place as many of the frozen jalapeño poppers as you would like on a baking sheet and bake without thawing, adding 10 to 15 minutes to the regular baking time to account for them being frozen.
Reheating: Leftovers (if there are any) reheat pretty well in the microwave the next day. The bacon won’t be as crispy, but it’s still a delicious bite! Or chop them up and stir them into a bowl of mac and cheese for something different. It’s so good!
Tips for Success
- As spicy as you want: If you get all the seeds and membranes out, then your jalapeño poppers will hardly be spicy at all. I hardly notice any spiciness when the jalapeños are prepped this way. The cream cheese filling will cool much of the spiciness that remains after removing the seeds and membranes. If you like them very spicy, try leaving in some of the membranes and seeds.
- Look for larger jalapeños: I try to choose ones that are about 3-4 inches long each. They are easier to clean and easier to stuff with the filling. They also make more of a substantial bite for a party appetizer, and are easier to hold!
- Regular vs. thick-cut bacon: The choice is really whichever your family prefers, although I like to stick with regular bacon for this recipe. Thick-cut bacon will need a few extra minutes of baking time to cook all the way through. It might also be slightly more difficult to wrap around the jalapeno halves and have it stay put without a toothpick, so just keep that in mind.
Make your jalapeño peppers easier to hold by slicing right through the stem and leaving it on. This gives you something to hold onto, making them the perfect finger food!
Substitutions and Variations
- Garnish with finely chopped green onions or chives. Alternatively, add finely chopped green onions or chives into the cream cheese mixture.
- The seeds and membranes are the spiciest parts of a jalapeño, keep some of it in if you want a spicier bite.
- Turn up the heat by adding some red chili flakes on top, or mix them into the cream cheese before stuffing it into the jalapeño halves.
- For ultimate heat, try and source some scotch bonnet peppers. Scotch Bonnets may be cute and round, but these bad boys pack a fiery punch!
- Add chopped bacon to the cream cheese mixture before adding it to the jalapeños.
- Use a mixture of cheese like cheddar and mozzarella, or pepper jack and cheddar for extra cheesy flavor.
- Substitute the jalapeño peppers for sweet peppers for a crowd that doesn’t do spicy foods.
More Amazing Appetizer Recipes
- Papa John’s Copycat Garlic Knots
- Slow Cooker Little Smokies in Honey Garlic BBQ Sauce
- Oven Baked Korean BBQ Chicken Wings
- Bacon Green Onion Deviled Eggs
- Pickled Eggs
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
- 12 slices bacon sliced in half
- 12 large jalapeño peppers halved lengthwise with stem intact, seeds and membranes removed
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese or pepperjack cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with foil and lay bacon slices on it so they aren't overlapping. Partially bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove bacon from the baking sheet and set a wire rack on top. Spray the wire rack with cooking spray.12 slices bacon
- While the bacon is cooking, slice jalapeños in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and white membrane by scraping the sides with a spoon.12 large jalapeño peppers
- In a medium bowl mix the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper until combined. Use a knife to spread some of the cream cheese mixture into each jalapeño half. Do not overfill.8 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese or pepperjack cheese, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Wrap each jalapeño half in a half slice of bacon, securing bacon with a toothpick, if necessary. Arrange the wrapped jalapeño poppers on the wire rack.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until bacon is crispy and and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately with ranch dressing for dipping.
Notes
- Bacon: If you prefer your jalapeño poppers more well-wrapped, you can use a full slice of bacon on each. This is sometimes necessary if the jalapeños are especially large. Decide this before assembling the poppers, as you will need double the amount of bacon if you use a full piece for each popper.
- Make Ahead: Jalapeño poppers can be made up to 2 days in advance, giving you more time to enjoy your party. Just assemble the poppers on a baking sheet, uncooked. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge until ready to bake.
- Freezing: You can freeze these delicious appetizers on the baking sheet for 60 minutes, then transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container or reusable bag. When ready to serve, just place as many of the frozen jalapeño poppers as you would like on a baking sheet and bake without thawing, adding 10 to 15 minutes to the regular baking time to account for them being frozen.
- Reheating: Leftovers (if there are any) reheat pretty well in the microwave the next day. The bacon won’t be as crispy, but it’s still a delicious bite! Alternatively, chop them up and stir them into a bowl of mac and cheese for something a bit different. It’s so good!
Nutrition
This post was originally published in February, 2019. The content was updated in November, 2022.
Everything is better wrapped in bacon. Love these!
These turned out delicious! I used block cheese grated (cheddar) with a little Mexican cheese blend. I also added a splash of milk to the mix to make it not so thick. Yummy! Will make again.
Not a bad recipe, but personally id hold the salt, half the cheddar and throw in some parmigiana, it still adds some saltiness, but also adds to the flavor profile
Yum
These are delicious, and this time I used a Mexican fiesta blend to spice it up! Wonderful recipe, thanks for sharing 🙂
These turned out great we loved them, I left some of the membrane for a little kick and sprinkled some homemade BBQ rub on them prior to cooking, they cooked perfectly in my XL air fryer. Delicious 😋
So glad you enjoyed them! The homemade BBQ rub sounds FANTASTIC. I’m definitely going to have to try that next time!
I would love to try making these but a friend said she cooks her’s cream cheese side down for 12 minutes then flips them over to finish cooking them. My question is wouldn’t all of the melted cheese run out around the bacon? She stated that she does it that way to seal the edges of her bacon? Expert advice please 🥺
Hmmm I have never made it that way but I am sure it works too? I love this recipe and have never had a problem with the bacon and they’re always a hit whenever I make them. And honestly, they don’t have to look perfect, they just need to taste good, and these taste amazing. 😉