These Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers are spicy, loaded with melty cheese, and are perfect wrapped in smoky crispy bacon. Whether you are just having a small gathering or gearing up for the big game, they are the perfect party food.
10piecespre-cooked baconcut in half, do not use thick cut
1/2cupsour cream for dippingoptional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Set aside.
Prepare jalapeno peppers by slicing in half lengthwise (through the stem).
Wearing gloves and using a small spoon, remove ribs (white part) and the seeds.
Place empty pepper halves on a baking sheet, cut side up. Continue until all peppers are prepared.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
By hand or using a hand mixer, mix until thoroughly combined.
Using a small spoon or butter knife, fill each pepper half with roughly 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture. I like to place a spoonful at the stem end of the pepper, smash it in to fill the pepper and then smear the cheese with the back of the spoon toward the end of the pepper.
Wrap each pepper with a half piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick if needed. Place back on baking sheet. Depending on the size of the pepper you might need a whole piece of bacon.
Once all the peppers are wrapped in bacon, bake in the oven at 375F for 20-25 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and the cheese is melty.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Serve with sour cream if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
I recommend wearing gloves when handling the jalapeno peppers to avoid burning your hands or parts later.
*You might need more than 10 pieces of bacon, depending on the size of your jalapeno peppers.
You can pre-cook your own bacon, just enough so that the bacon can be wrapped around the pepper without breaking.
Pick jalapeno peppers that are all close in size that way they cook evenly.
Make sure and wear gloves when handling the peppers. You don't want to have hot hands for later.
When slicing the peppers in half, try to slice through the stem so there is a part on each half. This will give everyone something to hold on to when eating them.
Take out the seeds and membranes of the peppers, that's where the heat is. If you like them spicy, feel free to leave the membranes in.
Soften the cream cheese for easier spreading.
Grate your own cheese from a block as it melts better.
Don't overfill the jalapeno halves as it will run out when baking.
Don't use thick cut bacon, it doesn't wrap well. I like to use pre-cooked bacon (either store bought or cooked myself) as it crisps up nicely. If the piece of bacon is too long, just trim it before baking.
If you like your poppers with extra bacon, just wrap the entire piece around the pepper. I mean, who doesn't want more bacon? And this might be necessary if the peppers are particularly large.
Secure it with a toothpick if it doesn't stay put.