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.
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.
Ingredients
- 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Step #8. Cool. Remove from the grill and cool for a few minutes because the filling will be very hot.
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
The poppers can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat on the grill or in the oven.
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.
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.
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.
❤️More BBQ Recipes You Will Love
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
How to Grill Jalapeño Poppers
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.
- Place a jalapeño pepper onto a cutting board and slice it in half lengthwise, exposing the seeds and white membrane.
- 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.
- 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.
- Wrap each stuffed pepper in a bacon slice. Secure with toothpicks.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cool for a few minutes because the filling will be very hot. Serve and enjoy!
Equipment
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
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Leave a Reply