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The Only JalapeƱo Poppers Recipe You’ll Ever Need

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Smoked Jalapeno Poppers

Boring deep fried jalapeƱo poppers have got nothing on our smoked, bacon wrapped version!

When it comes to unappealing food names, Atomic Buffalo Turds (a.k.a. ABTs) ranks at the top of my list. However, when you cook these smoked bacon wrapped jalapeƱo poppers, theyā€™ll be gone faster than the last corndog at the county fair.

The ribs and seeds are removed from the jalapeƱos, so even spice weary guests can enjoy them. To personalize these irresistible BBQ and grilling appetizers, mix different cheeses into the stuffing or try blending in chopped bacon, smoked chicken, or perfect pulled pork!

When cooking the jalapenos, you can either use a jalapeno rack such as the one found here, you could make your own jalapeno rack as shown here, or simply cook them directly on the grill grate over indirect heat. Also be sure to check out our other jalapeno popper recipe here!

Smoked ABTs Recipe, a.k.a. Bacon Wrapped JalapeƱo Poppers


Bacon wrapped jalapenos
Tried this recipe?Tell others what you thought of it and give it a star rating below.
3.93 from 85 votes
In this tested ABT recipe, whole jalapeƱos are cored then stuffed with cream cheese and cheddar before being wrapped in bacon and slow smoked to perfection. These poppers will be gone faster than the corndog at the county fair.
Serve with: Your favorite pale ale.

Course:
Appetizer
,
Side Dish
,
Snack
,
Vegetable
Cuisine:
American
difficulty scale

Makes:

Servings: 2 JalapeƱo Poppers

Takes:

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 medium jalapeƱos
  • 1/2 cup cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 6 slices bacon
Metric conversion:

These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page

Method

  • Fire up. Prepare a smoker for indirect cooking. Alternatively, you can set up a charcoal grill forĀ 2-zone cookingĀ by placing a chimney full of pre-heated charcoal briquets on one side of the grill's charcoal grate in order to create direct and indirect cooking zones. Adjust the smoker or grill vents to bring the temperature to about 225Ā°F (107.2Ā°C) and add 2 to 3 chunks of your favorite smoking wood to the charcoal for flavor. On a gas grill, adjust the temperature knobs so that one half of the grill is off and the other half is heated enough to maintain a temperature of approximately 225Ā°F (107.2Ā°C) on the indirect side.
  • Prep. Cut the tops off of the jalapeƱos. Remove the seeds and ribs from the interior of the jalapeƱos with a jalapeƱo corer. Or use the handle end of a small kitchen spoon to scrape the ribs and seeds from inside the jalapeƱos.Ā 
  • Combine the cream cheese and cheddar cheese in a medium mixing bowl and blend well.Ā Stuff the peppers with the cheese mixture.Ā 
  • Cut the bacon slices in half crosswise. Wrap each one with 1/2 slice of bacon and secure the bacon with a toothpick.
  • Cook. Place the stuffed jalapeƱos into aĀ jalapeƱo rackĀ and set the rack on the cooler side of the grill. Or you can use a paring knife to cut a series of 1-inch by 1-inch (2.5 cm by 2.5 cm) Xs into an upside down disposable aluminum pan and insert the bacon wrapped jalapeƱos into the Xs. Cover the grill and allow the poppers to cook for 30 minutes.
    Cooking JalapeƱo Poppers
  • Increase the smoker or grill temperature to 375Ā°F (190.6Ā°C) and allow the poppers to cook with the lid closed for approximately 30 minutes more until the bacon is crisp.
  • Serve. Plate the smoked bacon wrapped jalapeƱos and serve immediately.

Related articles

Published On: 7/31/2021 Last Modified: 2/13/2024

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  • Clint Cantwell, Champion Pitmaster - Clint Cantwell is AmazingRibs.com's Senior Vice President of Whatever, charged with creating recipes, writing articles, shooting photos, and a little bit of everything else. He was named one of the "10 Faces of Memphis Barbecue" by Memphis Magazine and was the winner of Travel Channel's "American Grilled: Memphis".

 

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