Appetizers & Snacks/ Recipes

J is for: Jalapeño Poppers {a Tailgate Special}

Jalapeños, bacon, and cream cheese. What more do you need?

My dad has a few “signature” dishes that constantly get requested at family gatherings. Among them: artichoke dip, baked beans, chili, and jalapeño poppers. I love them all.


It being “J week” and all, I decided to make the poppers for my tailgate blog. But instead of roasting them in the oven, I thought they would be great on the grill…making them perfect for a tailgate party.  Spicy, cheesy, and smoky all rolled into a single bite.

(**UPDATE 1/1/13: Most of the Authentic Eats links on the website seem to be broken, so I’m posting the original recipe here).



For that very reason, along with my addiction to kitchen gadgets, I decided to get this jalapeño corer from Williams-Sonoma at the recommendation of my friend Kim.



Unfortunately, the peppers I bought were too small for the corer, so I had to improvise. Next time, I’ll buy bigger peppers and I think this would work great!



Instead, I sliced the jalapenos on one side, taking care not to slice them all the way through. Then I cleaned out the seeds and membranes…and I found a grapefruit spoon to be extremely useful here. Note: you might want to wear rubber gloves when handling the peppers. Some people are really sensitive to them, but for some reason they don’t bother me at all. (Just don’t touch your eyes!)



Put the whipped cream cheese in a plastic bag with a hole cut in the corner and “pipe” it into the peppers. 



Close them up and wipe off excess cream cheese with a clean paper towel. Next up: the bacon!



Starting at the top, wrap the bacon around the pepper, and secure with a toothpick that has been soaked in water for at least five minutes. (The reason you don’t see toothpicks in this photo is because I was out of toothpicks and didn’t have time to go to the store. I made it work without them, but it would definitely make it a lot easier with them). If you are using the corer method, make sure to cover up the top of the pepper with part of the bacon strip so the cheese doesn’t leak out. (If making them for a tailgate, transfer to a large tupperware container or disposable aluminum pan and grill when you get to the stadium. Can be made the night before). 



Pre-heat grill to medium-high. Grill peppers, turning every couple of minutes to cook all sides of the bacon. This process will probably take around 20 minutes. (If you’re really serious about making these things often, they also make this handy pepper roaster).



Remove from grill, let them rest for a couple of minutes, pop one in your mouth, pass the rest around and watch them disappear!

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers

by Jaymee Sire
Keywords: grill appetizer jalapeno cream cheese bacon Tailgate Super Bowl

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Ingredients
  • 20 large, fresh jalapeños
  • 8 ounces cream cheese (I used the “whipped” variety)
  • 20 slices of bacon
  • 20 toothpicks soaked in water for 5 minutes
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat grill to medium-high.
  2. Slice the jalapeños on one side, taking care not to slice them all the way through. Clean out the seeds and membranes (a grapefruit spoon works great).*
  3. Put the whipped cream cheese in a plastic bag with a hole cut in the corner and “pipe” it into the peppers.
  4. Starting at the top, wrap the bacon around the pepper, and secure with a toothpick that has been soaked in water for at least five minutes.
  5. Grill peppers, turning every couple of minutes to cook all sides of the bacon. This process will probably take around 20 minutes.

*Note: you might want to wear rubber gloves when handling the peppers. Some people are really sensitive to them. (Just don’t touch your eyes!)
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  • Todd V
    December 15, 2011 at 1:45 am

    Holy Crap….can't wait to try these!! Love jalapeno poppers.

  • Teralyn Byrd
    December 24, 2012 at 10:52 pm

    the link says the page isnt found 🙁

    • jaymeesire
      December 24, 2012 at 11:07 pm

      We've been having some issues with the archives on the CSN page. Send me your email and I'll email you the recipe!

  • CNC Female
    April 22, 2013 at 6:15 am

    hey.. i use a half slice of bacon on mine, and i add some shredded mexican cheese(in the bag, finely shredded) and garlic powder to my cream cheese .. and i do them in the oven.. (no toothpix needed if you pack them tight enough).. about 30 fit in a 9×13.. and bake them till they are done.. and if you dont care for as much heat, you can boil the jalapenos just a couple minutes (also helps them cook faster).. just sayin.. i've done these once for friends for a party, now they wont come to visit unless these are on the menu! 🙂

  • sal lugo
    July 21, 2017 at 5:34 pm

    Looks good! We love jalapeños on anything and with anything…we like to use banana pepper (not the long one) and stuff with muenster cheese and baby shrimp. Very delicious too!!!!!

  • jaymeesire
    November 14, 2017 at 6:45 pm

    ooohhh…. great idea!!