Does the world need another recipe for Jalapeño Poppers? Yes! I’ve worked for years to make these my favorite and solved the issue of undercooked and chewy bacon by wrapping mine with precooked bacon. Now all you have to do is cook the jalapeño and cheesy filling to perfection and the bacon will be ready to go!

Jalapeños

I’m a wimp when it comes to spice, so I can honestly say these poppers aren’t very spicy. The heat from peppers comes from the seeds and membranes inside the pepper, so I like to use a spoon to clean out the inside of the pepper to remove as much of the heat as possible.  If you like the heat, leave a little in.

Cheesy Filling

I’ve seen all combinations of fillings go inside poppers, but I like to keep it simple and mix together some cream cheese, shredded medium cheddar, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. That’s all there is to it!

Bacon

As I mentioned earlier, precooked bacon is going to make your life so much easier when making poppers. Raw bacon and stuffed jalapeños can cook at pretty different rates, but using precooked bacon guarantees everything is ready at the same time.

These are one of our favorite bbq side dishes and we’ll definitely be making them for Memorial Day this weekend. Enjoy!

Jalapeño Poppers

12 fresh jalapeño peppers, washed and cut in half horizontally
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (use regular paprika if that’s what you have)
12 slices precooked bacon, cut in half (or 24 slices whole slices if your jalapeños are large)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

Cut the jalapeño peppers in half lengthwise; remove seeds and center membrane using a spoon. If the jalapeños are large, you will need fewer.

Place the cream cheese, shredded cheese, garlic powder, and paprika in a large bowl and smoosh together using a fork. Once the mixture is smooth, fill each jalapeño half with a generous scoop of the cheesy mixture.

Wrap each stuffed jalapeño with a half slice of bacon, with the cut ends tucked underneath the jalapeño. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until the jalapeño is softened and the cheese is golden and bubbly. Serve immediately. Cover leftovers and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Make ahead tip: jalapeño peppers can be stuffed and wrapped 1 day in advance. Refrigerate until ready to bake!