Best Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers (2024)

🌶️ What are jalapeño poppers?

Jalapeño poppers, aka Atomic Buffalo Turds, are a delicious snack or appetizer made with jalapeño peppers, cream cheese, and sometimes bacon or breading.

They are perfect for parties and gatherings and are always a hit with guests!

If you're looking for a tasty way to spice up your next party, give jalapeño poppers a try!

🧡 Why you will love this recipe

• Uses simple ingredients. All of these ingredients can easily be found at your local grocery store.
• Can be prepared ahead of time. This recipe can easily be prepared earlier in the day and placed in the fridge until ready to cook.
• Flavor. These smoky jalapeno poppers are packed with smoky flavor! The combination of smoked jalapenos, bacon, and melty cheese is irresistible. The bacon strips add a delicious flavor that takes them over the top. Of course, everything tastes better with bacon, right? Plus, the bacon keeps the jalapeños from drying out.
• Popular. These are one of the best appetizers for your next BBQ, game day, party, or holiday gathering. Plus, leftover poppers make quick snacks that everyone will enjoy.
• Easy. They are SO easy to make, and this recipe is foolproof; you can't mess it up!
• Make them hot or mild. They can be made to suit your tastes. For example, if you like your poppers extra spicy, leave the seeds in the jalapenos. Or, remove the seeds before stuffing them with the cheese mixture for a milder version.

🧾 Ingredients Needed

• Jalapeno peppers. I used medium-large green jalapeno peppers from my greenhouse that I de-seeded and removed the membrane.
• Cream cheese. I used full-fat cream cheese that I left at room temperature to soften. When it is soft it blends more easily with the other ingredients.
• Cheddar cheese, shredded. I used white cheddar cheese.
• Smoked paprika. I love smoked paprika; it adds great flavor to almost everything!
• Garlic powder enhances the flavor.
• Bacon slices. Cut each slice of bacon in half. I used regular-cut slices of bacon. Thick bacon would not crisp up very nicely. The half strips cover each jalapeno perfectly.
• Red pepper flakes, optional. These add a bit more color and a little extra kick.

See the printable recipe card for quantities.

Preheat your electric smoker to 250 degrees F, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

First, before you do anything, put on latex gloves.

Next, wash the jalapenos with cold water. Then, slice the jalapenos with a paring knife in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and the white membrane. I left the stem on as I like to use it as a handle when lifting the poppers. (Plus it looks pretty). If you want more heat in the poppers, feel free to leave some seeds or membrane in the pepper.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth in a medium mixing bowl. Add cheddar cheese, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Mix until combined.

Fill each jalapeño half with the cream cheese mixture. Divide the creamy filling evenly among all of the jalapeno halves.

Wrap each stuffed jalapeno with a piece of bacon. I wrapped the ends of the bacon so they are underneath the pepper. You can also secure the bacon slice with a toothpick.

Place prepared jalapeno poppers in the preheated smoker, directly on the grill grates or on a grilling tray

Smoke in your electric smoker for 60-90 minutes, or until the peppers soften and the bacon is cooked through and crispy.

After 75 minutes on my Pit Boss smoker, the bacon was completely crispy. If you want your bacon even crispier, put the poppers under the broiler in your oven for about 2 minutes.

Remove the smoked jalapeño poppers from the grill and serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.

Be careful when biting into the smoked popper; it contains molten hot cheese.

Enjoy!

Can You Make this Ahead?

Yes! Simply prepare the recipe up to the point of cooking. Then, cover the poppers in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place them in the fridge until you're ready to smoke them! They will last in the fridge for 2-3 days.

🧤 Do I need to wear gloves when handling jalapeno peppers?

Yes, I highly recommend it.

I did not wear gloves when I prepared these jalapeno poppers. However, unfortunately, I suffered an extremely painful burning sensation in my right hand from the capsaicin in the peppers, which gives the peppers their spiciness.

I tried everything to alleviate the pain. Cold water, an ice pack, soaking my hand in yogurt and milk, and nothing helped.

My hand turned red and it burned terribly. It took about 6 hours before the pain subsided.

The point of this story? Please put on gloves before touching jalapeno peppers as you may have a reaction like I did.

🧀 Substitutions

You can easily change up this smoked jalapeno popper recipe to use what you already have on hand. Here are some options:

• Cream cheese- instead of full-fat cream cheese, you can use fat free cream cheese.
• Cheddar cheese- use different cheeses such as sharp cheddar, gouda cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, or mozzarella cheese.
• Smoked paprika - use regular paprika instead
• Garlic powder - use minced garlic or garlic flakes instead
• Bacon - use turkey bacon or thin-sliced bacon. Thick-cut bacon will not crisp up.

🌶️ Variations

These smoked jalapeno peppers are delicious - and super easy to make!

The best part is that you can easily customize them to your liking. Feel free to experiment with different cheese and spices, or even wrap them in chorizo!

• Spicy: For extra spicy jalapeno poppers, take the seeds and add them to the cheese mixture. You could also add chili powder to the cheese mixture.
• Deluxe: Top bacon-wrapped jalapenos with sour cream.

Be sure to try out my Air Fryer Armadillo Eggs, another great appetizer!

♨️ Equipment You'll Need

Smoker. To make these delicious smoked bacon wrapped jalapenos, you will need a smoker. There are many different models and types of smokers, and they may cook differently.

I have made this recipe on my Pit Boss pellet grill and Traeger Silverton grill.

You can also use any other smoker, such as a Char-Broil, Master Chef, ZGrill, or Masterbuilt smoker.

Just follow the start-up instructions in your owner's manual, as they might be different.

Wood pellets: There are many types of wood pellets that can be used for smoking jalapeno poppers with bacon. Some popular options include hickory, pecan, and maple; or fruit wood such as apple wood pellets.

🌡️ Storage Instructions

Leftover poppers can be placed in an airtight container and placed in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them for about 2 hours. Once frozen, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, transfer them to a plastic bag or container, and place them in the freezer for up to 2 months.

When ready to enjoy them again, thaw the poppers in the fridge overnight.

💭 Top tips

• For the best results, start with fresh jalapenos that are smooth without bumpy lines.
• Always use gloves when removing the seeds and membrane.
• For extra spice, leave in some seeds ... if you dare!
• The cook time will depend largely on the size of your peppers. Large peppers will take longer to cook than smaller peppers.
• When they're done, remove the stuffed smoked jalapenos from the smoker and let them cool for a few minutes before serving. These smoked jalapenos are best served warm, so don't wait too long before digging in!

❓ Recipe FAQs

🥗 What to eat with jalapeno poppers

Some of my favorite dishes to eat with these jalapeno poppers are crispy wings, either Air Fryer Chicken Wings or Smoked Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, or a Taco Bell Crunchwrap.

I also like to serve them with Pressure Cooker Rice, Smoked Pork Butt, and Smoked Burgers.

📑 Food safety

• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended