Pepper Me Up

If there’s one appetizer that disappears faster than anything else at our backyard barbecues, it’s these smoked jalapeño poppers. They’re cheesy, a little spicy, and wrapped in bacon—a combination that’s destined for greatness. The first time my now-fiancé made them for me, I knew I’d hit the jackpot: both in a partner and in an appetizer. Now they’re a staple at just about every backyard gathering we host.

Because of how much people love them, these jalapeño poppers are perfect for Fourth of July celebrations, pool party cookouts, tailgates, and neighborhood cookouts, but I don’t think they need a special occasion to make an appearance. Any excuse to fire up the smoker is a good one in my book, and these poppers are worth planning a meal around. They’re easy to prepare and impossible to stay away from. Try ’em out and see for yourself!

What are jalapeño poppers?

Jalapeño poppers are one of America’s favorite appetizers, and for good reason. They involve fresh jalapeño peppers that get halved, hollowed out, filled with a creamy cheesy mixture, and then are traditionally baked, grilled, fried, or smoked until the peppers are tender and the filling is warm and melty. Bacon is typically tied in somehow, either with the cheese mixture or as a triumphant coat of armor around the whole pepper—which is the route we take!

This version leans into everything I love about outdoor cooking. Instead of baking them in the oven, they’re smoked over hickory wood, giving the bacon and peppers an extra layer of rich, smoky flavor that you simply can’t replicate with indoor appliances. The cream cheese keeps the filling silky, while shredded cheddar adds sharpness and plenty of ooey gooey cheese pulls.

What you need for smoked jalapeño poppers

Our ingredient list for these poppers is short ‘n sweet:

• Fresh jalapeño peppers
• Cream cheese block
• Cheddar cheese block
• Bacon
• Hickory wood chips for smoking

You’ll also need a smoker (or pellet grill with a smoking function), plus a sharp knife, mixing bowl, spoon, and toothpicks if you’d like a little extra security for the bacon.

How to Make Smoked Jalapeño Poppers

Pepper prep. Start by slicing each jalapeño in half lengthwise and removing the seeds and membranes. If you like a milder popper, scrape out every bit of the white membrane. If you prefer more heat, leave a little behind.

Cheese mixture. Mix softened cream cheese with shredded cheddar until well combined, then generously fill each jalapeño half.

Popper assembly. Wrap each stuffed pepper with half a slice of bacon, making sure it overlaps slightly underneath the popper so it stays in place during cooking.

Cook via smoke. In a smoker that’s been prepped with hickory wood chips and heated to 250°F, arrange the poppers in a single layer and smoke until the bacon is fully cooked and lightly crisp and the peppers have softened, about 90 minutes. Serve warm while the filling is still creamy.

Tips for Success

• Wear gloves while cutting the jalapeños to avoid lingering spice on your hands. Most jalapeños I’ve met in my life are pretty tame, but there have been a diabolical few that have stung me. It just takes one stinging encounter with a particularly hot pepper to learn the lesson of spice injury prevention.
• Soften the cream cheese first, but not too much. Pulling it out of the fridge about an hour before assembling the poppers will help the cream cheese mix much more easily with the cheddar. But you don’t want it overly soft; maintaining some of the cream cheese’s structure makes it easier to spoon the cheese mixture into each pepper half.
• Shred your own cheese! If you use pre-shredded, it won’t melt as well. It’s more cost-effective, flavor-effective, and texture-effective to buy a block and shred it yourself than to buy a bag of pre-shredded.
• Don’t overfill the peppers. A generous amount is great, but too much filling means things will bubble over and make a mess during the cooking process. You want that cheese on your plate and down the hatch, not tattooing the inside of your smoker.
• Use thick-cut bacon. Extra thick-cut bacon can take much longer to cook than the peppers, resulting in peppers with no crunch or texture as well as bacon that’s all flop and no crisp. On the other hand, thin-cut bacon will blacken before the pepper or cheese have a fighting chance to soften. Also, who’s buying thin-cut bacon anyways? Use it for salads, maybe, but keep them away from my smoked apps platter. Regular thick-cut is the way to go here.
• Don’t overcomplicate the filling mixture. I think it’d make sense to incorporate some spices or a variety of shredded cheese into your popper filling; but, unless you really have some seasoning that you’re super obsessed with, I truly don’t think it’s necessary to add anything extra. The combo of jalapeños, bacon, and cheese is all the “salt and pepper” you need, and the smoke caramelizes the bacon to a point of expressing a sense of sweetness. So your flavor department has no vacancies. Plus, you’re likely serving these with an array of meats and other sides, so keep the poppers simple, then utilize your favorite spice blends and seasonings with the rest of your menu.

What to Serve with Jalapeño Poppers

These poppers fit into just about any barbecue menu. Serve them before or alongside any of these classics:

• Ribs
• Pulled pork sandwiches
• Cheeseburgers
• Brats or smoked sausages
• Wings
• Pasta salad
• Mac salad
• Potato salad
• Coleslaw
• Baked beans
• Corn on the cob
• Watermelon

For drinks, they’re especially good with an ice-cold lager, a citrusy margarita, or fresh lemonade.