• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

In the Kitch

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Mother's Day
  • Recipe Index
  • Guides
  • Tutorials
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Mother's Day
    • Recipe Index
    • Guides
    • Tutorials
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    In the Kitch » Recipes » Grilling & BBQ

    Updated: Apr 20, 2024 · Published: Jul 15, 2019 by Joss Dyckson · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    How to Grill Jalapeño Poppers

    Jump to Recipe
    Grilled jalapeño poppers with text overlay that says 'how to grill jalapeño poppers'.

    If you've ever been to a sports bar or a really cool restaurant, you know the absolute joy of the jalapeño popper. Cheese stuffed whole jalapeños wrapped in bacon and cooked to delicious, bubbly, crispy perfection.

    To make them even better, I'm going to show you how to grill jalapeño poppers with the addition of an extra hit of smokiness and char with the help of your standard backyard barbecue grill.

    Grilled jalapeño poppers on serving board.

    This method will elevate this already amazing appetizer to a whole new level. I also make these bacon wrapped scallops and bacon-wrapped pickles that you might like.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • ❤️More BBQ Recipes You Will Love
    • 📋Recipe

    Ingredients

    Grilled jalapeño popper ingredients prepped and labeled.
    • jalapeño peppers - You could even try this with other peppers such as red Fresno chili peppers (one of my favorites), serranos or poblanos, but keep in mind this can change the spice intensity and size of popper.
    • smoked bacon strips - I use whatever kind I have on hand, usually classic or thick-cut. Classic strips are easier to wrap around the peppers and will cook quicker than thick-cut.
    • cream cheese - Brick style. Make sure to soften it before you begin.
    • cheddar cheese - You could also go with a Mexican cheddar cheese for something different.

    *Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.

    💭If you liked this jalapeño appetizer, you might also enjoy my collection of Hot & Spicy Jalapeño Recipes.

    Instructions

    Charcoal grill with indirect and direct heat.

    Step #1. Preheat grill. Once you've prepped the ingredients, lightly oil the grates of an outdoor grill and preheat it to medium heat.

    Charcoal Grill: Once the coals are ready, place them on one side of the barbecue, to have a zone of direct heat and indirect heat so that you can control the cooking of the jalapeños.

    Gas Grill: Preheat the grill to medium heat using all of the burners. Once preheated, turn off half of the burners for an indirect/direct heat source.

    Jalapeño peppers sliced in half.

    Step #2. Slice the peppers. Place a jalapeño pepper onto a cutting board and slice it in half lengthwise, exposing the seeds and white membrane.

    Jalapeño peppers sliced open on cutting board and gloved hand holding paring knife.

    Step #3. Scoop out the seeds. With a small knife, carefully scrape out the seeds and membrane, leaving the pepper hollow. Repeat with the rest of the peppers. A spoon would work too.

    Cheese filling getting squeezed into open jalapeño pepper.

    Step #4. Stuff the peppers. Mix the cheddar cheese with the cream cheese and add it to a piping bag. Stuff each pepper with the cheese mixture.

    Uncooked jalapeño poppers on baking sheet.

    Step #5. Wrap with bacon. Wrap each stuffed pepper in a bacon slice. Secure with toothpicks.

    Chef's Note: Alternatively, you could spoon the mixture in if you don't have a piping bag.

    Uncooked jalapeño poppers on grill.

    Step #6. Grill. Grill the peppers on the indirect-heat side of the preheated grill with the lid closed. Cook until the peppers are hot and juicy and the bacon is browned, approximately 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them.

    Jalapeño poppers cooking on the grill over charcoal.

    Step #7. Crisp up the bacon. Then, transfer them over to the direct heat part of the grill and cook until the bacon is crispy (about 3 minutes). It will depend on how thick the jalapeños are and how crispy you’d like the bacon.

    Jalapeño poppers on grill and baking sheet with tongs.

    Step #8. Cool. Remove from the grill and cool for a few minutes because the filling will be very hot.

    Grilled jalapeño poppers on serving board with toothpicks.

    Step #9. Serve. Serve and enjoy!

    Tips

    • Grilling time. The key to mastering this recipe is just figuring out how long to roast your peppers on the grill, charcoal fires being somewhat less predictable compared to an oven. Once you get that down, you shouldn't have any problems.
    • Spice level. The membrane is the hottest part of the pepper, so if you would like the poppers to be more spicy, you can leave a bit of the membrane and/or seeds behind. Removing it all leaves a hint of spice behind after being grilled.
    • Protection from spice. Use latex gloves to protect your hands from the peppers' spice if needed.
    • Bacon strip size. If the bacon slices are too short or long, cut them to whatever size works with the peppers you have. You want them to be able to wrap around and overlap slightly so that you can secure it with a toothpick, but overlapping too much will cause the bacon to cook unevenly.
    • Piping the cheese. The cheese filling doesn't have to be piped perfectly into the pepper. It will end up melting into the shape of the pepper as it cooks.
    • Dips. Experiment with dipping sauces for serving. Try a white nacho cheese sauce or Manitoba honey-dill sauce.

    Recipe FAQs

    How long can you store leftover jalapeño poppers in the fridge?

    The poppers can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat on the grill or in the oven.

    Do you flip jalapeño poppers on the grill?

    With this recipe, there is no need to flip the poppers on the grill. They will be cooked over indirect heat and then moved to direct heat to crisp up the bacon.

    What temperature do you grill jalapeño poppers?

    The grill will be preheated to medium heat which is a great temperature for the poppers. It allows time for the pepper to soften and cheese to melt while the bacon cooks.

    How do you make jalapeño poppers that aren't spicy?

    To tone down the spice, you need to remove all of the inner membrane and seeds of the pepper. You could also try using poblano peppers instead because they have less heat, but keep in mind that they are larger than jalapeños.

    Grilled jalapeño poppers with toothpicks on black serving board.

    ❤️More BBQ Recipes You Will Love

    • Grilled bread on outdoor grill with tongs.
      How to Grill Bread
    • Jumbo shrimp on skewers on white dish with chimichurri on the side.
      How to Grill Jumbo Shrimp
    • Grilled pineapple rings on serving dish.
      How to Grill Pineapple Slices
    • Grilled broccoli on plate with tongs.
      How to Grill Broccoli

    If you tried this recipe tutorial for 🌶 How to Grill Jalapeño Poppers or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!

    📋Recipe

    Grilled jalapeño poppers on black serving board.

    How to Grill Jalapeño Poppers

    Joss Dyckson
    Check out how to grill jalapeño poppers step by step. These cheese stuffed whole jalapeños wrapped in bacon are cooked to delicious, bubbly, crispy perfection.
    5 from 2 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 23 minutes mins
    Total Time 38 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American
    Servings 32 poppers
    Calories 93 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 16 jalapeño peppers - rinsed clean
    • 8 ounces cream cheese - softened (1 brick)
    • 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese - shredded
    • 16 slices smoked bacon - cut in half crosswise

    Instructions
     

    • Lightly oil the grates of an outdoor grill and preheat it to medium heat.
      Charcoal Grill: Once the coals are ready, place them on one side of the barbecue, to have a zone of direct heat and indirect heat so that you can control the cooking of the jalapeños.
      Gas Grill: Preheat the grill to medium heat using all of the burners. Once preheated, turn off half of the burners for an indirect/direct heat source.
      Charcoal grill with indirect and direct heat.
    • Place a jalapeño pepper onto a cutting board and slice it in half lengthwise, exposing the seeds and white membrane.
      Jalapeño peppers sliced in half.
    • With a small knife, carefully scrape out the seeds and membrane, leaving the pepper hollow. Repeat with the rest of the peppers. A spoon would work too.
      Jalapeño peppers sliced open on cutting board and gloved hand holding paring knife.
    • Mix the cheddar cheese with the cream cheese and add it to a piping bag. Stuff each pepper with the cheese mixture. Alternatively, you could spoon the mixture in.
      Jalapeño peppers stuffed with cheese filling.
    • Wrap each stuffed pepper in a bacon slice. Secure with toothpicks.
      Uncooked jalapeño poppers on baking sheet.
    • Place the peppers on the indirect-heat side of the preheated grill and close the lid. Cook until the peppers are hot and juicy and the bacon is browned, approximately 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them.
      Uncooked jalapeño poppers on grill.
    • Then, transfer them over to the direct heat part of the grill and cook until the bacon is crispy (about 3 minutes). It will depend on how thick the jalapeños are and how crispy you’d like the bacon.
      Jalapeño poppers cooking on the grill over charcoal.
    • Cool for a few minutes because the filling will be very hot. Serve and enjoy!
      Grilled jalapeño poppers on serving board with toothpicks.

    Equipment

    • Outdoor grill
    • Toothpicks

    Notes

    • The membrane is the hottest part of the pepper, so if you would like the poppers to be more spicy, you can leave a bit of the membrane and/or seeds behind. Removing it all leaves a hint of spice behind after being grilled.
    • Use latex gloves to protect your hands from the peppers' spice if needed.
    • If the bacon slices are too short or long, cut them to whatever size works with the peppers you have. You want them to be able to wrap around and overlap slightly so that you can secure it with a toothpick, but overlapping too much will cause the bacon to cook unevenly.
    • The cheese filling doesn't have to be piped perfectly into the pepper. It will end up melting into the shape of the pepper as it cooks.
    • The poppers can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat on the grill or in the oven.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 93kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 129mgPotassium: 54mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 230IUVitamin C: 8.3mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 0.1mg

    Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.

    Want to see our recipes in action?Subscribe to our channel on Youtube!

    More Awesome Grilling & BBQ Recipes

    • White BBQ sauce dripping from spoon.
      White BBQ Sauce
    • Grilled PBJ sandwiches cut in half in serving dish.
      Grilled PBJ Sandwiches
    • Grilled pineapple juice in stemless wine glass with grilled pineapple wedge garnish.
      Grilled Pineapple Juice
    • Grilled bison ribeye steak sliced on cutting board with spices on the side.
      Grilled Bison Ribeye Steaks
    176 shares
    • Share55
    • Tweet
    • Email
    • Bluesky
    • Reddit

    Reader Interactions

    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Joss D author image.

    Hi, I'm Joss!

    I am the creator and editor of In the Kitch. I am inviting you on this food journey with me to learn, grow and bring out that inner chef in you. I hope to inspire you to get creative in your own kitchen!

    More about me →

    Mother's Day Recipes

    • Spring white wine sangria in wine glass.
      Spring White Wine Sangria

    • Strawberry shortcake ice cream in martini glasses with syrup pouring out of spoon.
      Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream

    • Lemon basil pasta with chicken and Parmesan cheese on plate.
      Lemon Basil Pasta (with Chicken)

    • Roasted white asparagus with capers and fresh dill.
      Roasted White Asparagus

    • Strawberry liqueur in jar with fresh strawberries on the side.
      Strawberry Liqueur

    • Iced lemon mousse in small jars.
      Iced Lemon Mousse

    Popular

    • Peanut butter soup in a speckled bowl.
      Peanut Butter Soup

    • Cake pop frosting in bowl with spatula.
      Cake Pop Frosting & Coating

    • Cake mix cake pops in small pails with sprinkles on top.
      How to Make Cake Pops with Cake Mix

    • Hamburger scrambled eggs in cast iron pan.
      Hamburger Scrambled Eggs

    • Electric skillet fried chicken in a dish.
      Electric Skillet Fried Chicken

    • Electric skillet pot roast with vegetables on serving tray.
      Electric Skillet Pot Roast

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    In the Kitch

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Disclaimer
    • Accessibility Statement

    About

    • About
    • The Team

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 In the Kitch

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.