Smoked jalapeno poppers is one of the best party foods and are very easy to make. This recipe uses a secret ingredient that makes them better than ever before. Make sure you make enough.
Smoked jalapeno poppers was one of the first foods that I made when I got a smoker. I was hooked forever. Seriously, once you try these little morsels you immediately fall in love with them.
I love them both hot right off the grill and cold from the fridge. Yes, they taste great cold too. That's a good reason for me to make more so that I have enough leftovers to enjoy the next day.
Smoked jalapeno poppers are undoubtedly the most flavorful. Grilled, air fried poppers, or oven baked jalapeno poppers are great but there is no substitute for the smoke flavor and the color smoke imparts on food. I find that cherry, hickory and pecan work best for smoking jalapeno poppers. All three have rich flavor and give the food a dark color. My favorite of the three is cherry wood with its sweet and fruity flavor.
A basic smoked jalapeno popper is typically stuffed with some cream cheese, cheddar cheese or a combination of the two. My secret ingredient that makes jalapeno poppers even better is turkey stuffing. Oh my goodness! The turkey stuffing makes a world of a difference. It adds more substance, more body, and more balance to the jalapeno popper. It also prevents the melted cheese from running off and soaks the juices in. These poppers are always such a success with family and friends that it's the only way I make smoke jalapeno poppers now.
So, stuff your jalapeno peppers with cream cheese, cheddar and turkey stuffing, wrap in bacon, then smoke to perfection and enjoy.
Tips
- If you want all of your jalapeno poppers to be mild, cut the peppers in half, remove seeds and membranes and soak in cold water for about 30 minutes to an hour.
- Try cutting and seeding jalapenos under water in a large bowl. This will minimize the spicy fumes in the kitchen and prevent hot pepper juices from spattering around.
- Wearing food preparation gloves really helps too. Actually, it's a must if you want to avoid your hands, and any other part of your body you touch, burning for hours afterwards. Speaking from my own sad experience.
- If you are concerned about spiciness, after cooking jalapeno peppers will be less spicy, much less than one would think. The bigger ones will be a bit more spicy, the smaller ones will be fairly mild as they will cook through more.
- You can use a full strip of bacon to wrap one jalapeno pepper, or cut in half. Both methods work well and you can't really tell much of a difference. I often use half strips - the poppers come out less fatty and are more cost effective without sacrificing the taste.
- For best results, use homemade bacon, it's much tastier, yet very easy to make.
Ingredients
- 10 jalapeno peppers large
- 8 Tbsp cream cheese
- 20 slices bacon
- 1/2 lb cheddar cheese cut in pepper long sticks
- 2 cups turkey stuffing
Instructions
- Cut jalapeno peppers in half, spooning out the white flesh and seeds. Do not remove stems. Soak in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour for a mildly hot taste.
- Meanwhile prepare some turkey stuffing. Add some caramelized onions and mushrooms to it for more flavor. Mix all together.
- Stuff jalapeno halves with a smidgen of cream cheese, about 1 tsp per one pepper half, followed by turkey stuffing and cheddar sticks. Wrap one bacon slice around each. You may want to secure the bacon with a tooth pick.
- Place on a smoker preheated to 225F-250F and smoke for about 1.5 - 2 hours. Jalapeno poppers are done when they acquire rich maroon/brown/burgundy color (depends on the wood you are using for smoking).
Nutrition
mei says
can these be prepped ahead and frozen, then bake ? i dont have a smoker
or will peppers get soggy?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
I've never frozen jalapeno poppers so I am not 100% on how they will turn out but I do know that peppers freeze really well, as well as the rest of the ingredients in this recipe. I think it should work fine. My only concern is baking these - I've done bacon-wrapped things in the oven and the bacon never really cooks through to my satisfaction. I much prefer them smoked or air fried. I think it's the lack of air movement and high humidity. Perhaps try baking them with fan on. I also have a good recipe for oven jalapeno poppers, this one works very well for baking.
Mei says
Ok I will try these thanks for responding
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
You are welcome.
Kate says
I am new to smoking but this recipe turned out fantastic for me. Delicious!
Karen says
I’m wanting to smoke these on the weekend. May I ask how you make the turkey stuffing?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
We caramelize 2 large onions, then 1/2 lb chopped mushrooms, then mix the two in a large skillet, add 1/2lb dry turkey stuffing, 3 Tbsp butter, and enough chicken or veg broth to make the stuffing moist but not watery. Once it gets there, cook on medium for 2 minutes, stir well, cover and remove from the heat. Good luck with your smoking!
Don says
I don't see where the cheddar is added. What am I missing?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan says
In step 3.
Jerry says
Hey there! I’ve been reading your site for some time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Dallas, Texas! Your ultimate jalapeno poppers with bacon have become my family favorite. What a genius idea was it to use turkey stuffing in them. Keep up the good work.
Gary B. says
The best jalapeno popper I've ever had! Thumbs up!!!
victor says
Thanks for the tip, BugsBBQ. Will definitely try it.
BugsBBQ says
For a special treat wrap the peppers in bacon then roll the bacon wrapped peppers in brown sugar and then smoke. This candied bacon top goes great if you leave some of heat in the peppers
Chris says
Smoked these on the weekend. Terrific! Now I have to make them next weekend again as everyone is asking for more.
Cole says
Thank you for posting a smoker recipe for these. Like you have tried grill and oven. (Both excellent) But the smoker was awesome!
victor says
Thank you for your feedback, Cole. Definitely, smoked ones are the best but you can't go wrong either way.