Jalapeño Poppers
These jalapeño poppers are fresh chiles halved and stuffed with a garlicky, sharp-cheddar cream cheese, wrapped in bacon, and baked until the peppers soften and the bacon turns deep and crisp. Every bite is molten, smoky, and mildly spicy inside a crackly bacon shell. Baking on a wire rack lets the fat render away so the bacon crisps evenly instead of steaming, while the oven's heat mellows the raw bite of the jalapeños.
Halve 12 large jalapeños lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and membranes, then beat 8 oz softened cream cheese with 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, and salt until smooth. Mound about 2 teaspoons of filling into each pepper half, wrap each with a half slice of thin-cut bacon, and secure with a toothpick. Set them seam-side down on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400°F (205°C) for about 25 minutes, then broil 2 to 3 minutes until the bacon is crisp. Rest 5 minutes so the filling sets before serving.
- Bake on a wire rack set over a sheet pan so rendered bacon fat drips away and the bacon crisps instead of steaming.
- Bring the cream cheese fully to room temperature so it whips smooth and won't bubble out of the peppers.
- Wear gloves to seed the chiles, and leave some white membrane in if you want real heat.
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Wire rack
- Mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Toothpicks
- Disposable gloves
Ingredients
Cheese filling
- 226 g full-fat cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 115 g sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- 3 g garlic powder
- 2 g smoked paprika
- 2 g onion powder
- 2 g fine sea salt
- green onions, thinly sliced, optional
For assembling
- large fresh jalapeños, about 680 g / 1 1/2 lb
- thin-cut bacon, halved crosswise into 24 pieces
Method
- STEP01
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Wearing gloves, halve each jalapeño lengthwise and use a small spoon to scrape out the seeds and white membranes. Leave a little membrane in for extra heat, or remove all of it for a milder popper. Pat the insides dry with a paper towel so the filling grips.
- STEP02
In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a rubber spatula until smooth and creamy. Fold in the shredded cheddar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and the sliced green onions if using, until everything is evenly combined.
- STEP03
Spoon about 2 teaspoons of filling into each jalapeño half, mounding it slightly and pressing gently so it stays put. Wipe any stray filling off the edges so it doesn't scorch on the rack.
- STEP04
Wrap each filled half snugly with a half slice of thin-cut bacon, tucking the ends underneath, and pin with a toothpick if needed. Arrange the poppers seam-side down on the wire rack, leaving a little space between each one.
- STEP05
Bake in the center of the oven for about 25 minutes, until the peppers are tender, the cheese is bubbling, and the bacon has rendered most of its fat and started to color.
- STEP06
Switch the oven to broil on high and move the sheet to the upper third. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely, until the bacon is deeply crisp and browned.
- STEP07
Let the poppers rest for about 5 minutes so the molten filling sets and firms up slightly. Remove any toothpicks and serve warm.
Make ahead
Assemble and wrap the poppers up to 24 hours ahead, arrange them on the rack, cover, and refrigerate; bake straight from the fridge, adding 2 to 3 minutes. You can also freeze the unbaked wrapped poppers for up to 1 month and bake from frozen at 400°F (205°C) for 30 to 35 minutes.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 375°F (190°C) oven or air fryer for 6 to 8 minutes to re-crisp the bacon; skip the microwave, which turns the peppers soft and the bacon limp.
Variations
No-bacon vegetarian poppers
Skip the bacon and top each filled half with a mix of panko and melted butter, then bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 20 minutes until golden. Note that the panko version is no longer gluten-free.
Buffalo chicken poppers
Fold 3/4 cup shredded cooked chicken and 2 tablespoons hot sauce into the cheese filling and finish with crumbled blue cheese before wrapping in bacon.
Extra-spicy pepper jack
Swap the cheddar for shredded pepper jack, leave the membranes in, and add a pinch of cayenne to the filling for a serious kick.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Frequently asked
How do I keep jalapeno poppers from getting soggy or leaking?
Bake them on a wire rack so rendered bacon fat drips away instead of pooling under the peppers, and don't overfill. Fully softened, room-temperature cream cheese seals better than cold, and chilling the assembled poppers for 10 minutes before baking helps the filling stay put.
Can I make jalapeno poppers ahead of time?
Yes. You can stuff and wrap the poppers up to a day in advance, cover them, and refrigerate, then bake fresh so the bacon crisps properly. Add a couple of extra minutes in the oven since they'll be going in cold.
How spicy are jalapeno poppers, and how do I control the heat?
Most of a jalapeño's heat lives in the seeds and white membranes, so scrape them all out for mild poppers or leave some membrane in for a hotter bite. The cream cheese also tames the burn, which is part of why these jalapeno poppers stay crowd-friendly.
Can I make these jalapeno poppers in an air fryer?
Absolutely. Arrange them in a single layer and air-fry at 375°F (190°C) for 12 to 14 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the cheese is bubbling. Work in batches so the poppers aren't crowded.
Why isn't my bacon crisping up?
Use thin-cut bacon, keep the poppers on a wire rack so air circulates, and finish under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Thick-cut bacon looks great but often stays chewy before the peppers are done.
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