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These smoked bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers are everything you want in a savory, spicy, rich and creamy snack or appetizer! This easy recipe features fresh jalapenos stuffed with a delicious combo of sausage, cheddar and cream cheese, all wrapped in bacon and smoked (or grilled or broiled!) until lightly crisp and completely irresistible.
Jalapenos, meat, and cheese… With ingredients like this you know these smoked bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers are going to taste incredible!
If you like delicious snacks that bite you back a little, you are going to LOVE these fiery, rich and delicious stuffed peppers. The jalapenos are hot, but we remove the seeds so they aren’t quite so spicy and you get more of the tantalizing flavor.
Plus, the combination of cheddar cheese and cream cheese helps to balance out the heat. (Although, there are a few tasty ways to turn up the spiciness in this recipe: Check out the recipe Variations sections below!)
All of this spicy, rich and creamy goodness is then wrapped in bacon … ’nuff said!
Now, we love to use our Traeger to smoke jalapeno poppers wrapped in bacon low and slow. But we’ve also included handy steps for how to make them more quickly on the grill or broiled in the oven for those days when you can’t or don’t want to bring out the smoker.
However you wind up cooking them – Put out a plate of crisp, lightly chewy and cheesy, super loaded jalapeno poppers at your next game day or party and watch them disappear in a snap! Or serve them as a fun and fiery appetizer, snack, or even as a main dish. Once you try poppers you can’t stop-pers!
Recipe ingredients
Jalapenos. Choose peppers that are ripe green, slightly soft but not squishy. You want ones that are about the same size so they smoke evenly.
Cream cheese. Purchase a block of cream cheese, not the tub, as it is easier to work with. Let the block soften at room temperature so that it mixes well with the other filling ingredients.
Cheddar cheese. You can grate the cheese by hand from a block, or use a bag of shredded cheese for convenience.
Pork sausage. Your choice of ground sweet, mild or spicy sausage.
Bacon. “Regular” cut strips, not thick cut as it’s hard to wrap around the stuffed jalapenos. But choose quality bacon that isn’t so thin it falls apart. Instant Pot collard greens with bacon is another great way to use bacon.
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Variations
Cheese. Cream cheese really is essential for binding the sausage and shredded cheese together. So I don’t recommend trying to swap this with anything else… However, you can definitely use whatever type of shredded cheese you like! Try subbing cheddar with more mild colby jack, or kick up the heat with shredded pepper jack cheese.
Sausage. Here we’re using mild pork sausage. For a more intense flavor you can use spicy sausage, or go even spicier and use Mexican chorizo – a very spicy pork sausage often used in Mexican and Tex-Mex recipes.
For a slightly lighter dish consider swapping pork with dark meat turkey or chicken sausage.
Bacon. You can use turkey bacon instead of pork bacon. However, be sure to purchase thick-but-not-too-thick bacon that’s high quality.
How to store smoked jalapeno poppers
Store poppers in the air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on the grill, microwave or in the air fryer. To make bacon crispy again you can broil them for a few minutes, just watch closely so you don’t burn them!
Expert tips
- Look for medium-sized jalapeños that aren’t too small (hard to fill) or too large (won’t cook evenly).
- Cut jalapeños in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds/membranes carefully for less heat.
- Use softened cream cheese for easier mixing. Add shredded cheese and a dash of garlic powder for extra flavor.
- Use toothpicks if needed to keep bacon in place; soak them in water beforehand to prevent burning.
- Use mild wood like pecan or apple for a subtle smoky flavor that won’t overpower the jalapeño.
Frequently asked questions
Varieties of wood like pecan, cherry, and oak are great options. If you want a REALLY smoky southwest flavor, you might want to use a mesquite or hickory wood.
Once you crank the heat up on the smoker in the last 20 minutes or so, yes, the bacon will get nice and crisp!
Nope, there is no need to flip the poppers in the smoker.
Yes, they are a good bit spicy. The shredded cheddar and cream cheeses plus bacon help to mellow the heat of the jalapeno peppers, but they still have bite!
Other smoker recipe
Smoked chicken wings in electric smoker
Hope you will like this Traeger smoked jalapeno poppers recipe as much as we do. Rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Smoked bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers
Ingredients
- 12 jalapenos
- 12 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz cheddar cheese
- 8 oz pork sausage
- 24 bacon strips
Instructions
- Cut each jalapeno in half. Remove seeds. Cook sausage, mix with cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Stuff each jalapeno.
- Wrap each piece in 1 piece of bacon
- Preheat smoker to 250 degrees. Smoke for 1 hour. change temp to 375 and cook for another 20 minutes, OR grill quick until bacon is crispy. Or broil in the oven
Notes
- Look for medium-sized jalapeños that aren’t too small (hard to fill) or too large (won’t cook evenly).
- Cut jalapeños in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds/membranes carefully for less heat.
- Use softened cream cheese for easier mixing. Add shredded cheese and a dash of garlic powder for extra flavor.
- Use toothpicks if needed to keep bacon in place; soak them in water beforehand to prevent burning.
- Use mild wood like pecan or apple for a subtle smoky flavor that won’t overpower the jalapeño.