If you like jalapeno poppers, this smoked stuffed poblano pepper recipe is a must try. These smoked poblanos are similar to jalapeno poppers: they are smoky, cheesy and wrapped in crispy bacon. But they are also meaty, and bigger. And less spicy. Though, you can always add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the sausage mix stuffing.
I am a big fan of jalapeno poppers. My ultimate bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers are a hit every time I make them. People fight for them. The only complaint I have about them is the prep work: jalapenos are so spicy that you need to prepare them in a well ventilated area, away from pets and people, with rubber gloves on and preferably under water in a large bowl. Ideally you'd want to wear a gas mask, if you have one. I don't. Yet.
Poblanos, on the other hand, are much easier to work with. They are 4 times less spicy than jalapenos. You don't need to were gloves or take other precautions. This may be a drawback for those who want some kick - after they are cooked poblanos taste very mildly spicy. They are also 4 times or so bigger than jalapeno peppers, which means it's easier and takes less time to prepare them. I like that.
The prep work is super simple. Cut poblano peppers in half, remove membrane and seeds, stuff with sausage mix, sprinkle with cheddar, and wrap in bacon. That's it. We are done and ready to send them to the smoker. For best results, use homemade bacon, it's much tastier, yet very easy to make.
Smoking poblano peppers
I smoke stuffed poblano peppers in the 225F to 250F range, depending on how my charcoal smoker behaves. It takes anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The peppers are done when the sausage stuffing reaches 165F. It helps to have an instant read thermometer for a quick test.
I think the choice of wood for smoking is very important. Everyone has own preferred wood, mine is cherry wood. That's what I use in this recipe. Cheery wood gives the final product a moderately smoky, slightly sweet flavor and a beautiful burgundy color.
Ingredients
- 4 poblano peppers cut in half lengthwise membrane and seeds removed
- 2 lbs fresh sausage removed from casings
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 8 strips reduced salt bacon
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 225F-250F.
- Divide the sausage into eight equal parts. Press the sausage onto each of the poblano halves in an even layer.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar on top of the sausage layer. Wrap each pepper half with a bacon strip.
- Smoke at 225F for about 2 hours or 250F for about 1 1/2 hours. Serve immediately.
Notes
- 2 lbs pork butt
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 tsp (heaping) marjoram
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1/2 cup ice water
Nutrition
Linda Z
Top ten delicious! I made my own chorizo and used sharp cheddar and the response to those dining on this treat was overwhelming!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear it. Enjoy!
Lyssa
Can you bake these in the oven instead of a smoker?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Yes, you can cook them in the oven but the results will be different. Smoke aside, the heat in the oven is different, it's more humid and there is much less airflow. The bacon won't be nearly as crispy at end of baking at the same temp. If I were to cook these in the oven, I'd cook at about 400F, maybe even given them a quick pan-sear before putting in the oven to make sure the bacon crisps up. That's the challenge here.
Deanna Johnson
I made these today. They were excellent. My husband thought they were great so they will be a new recipe that I will use often.
Mike
Made it this evening. Did some with chorizo a d some with ground beef. Also made some cilantro lime crema as a topping. Delicious!
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Glad to hear it, Mike. Happy smoking!
Rob
Do you have to take the membrane off and how do you go about doing so?
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Rob, I do, I use a small spoon to kind of scrape it off. Though, it's OK to leave it. I am more concerned about removing as much of the membrane as possible from jalapeno pepper as my family doesn't like them hot. Poblanos are very mild to begin with.
T.J.
I just tried this, simple prep! One thing I did differently, I had pulled pork on hand, so I used that. Came out great!! I will be doing these again in the future. Used my own fresh Pablano’s off my plants! Always makes things a little better.
Victor @ Taste of Artisan
Good to hear that, T.J. Must be nice to have own veggies, I am thinking of getting into gardening myself too. I went to a farmers market yesterday and came back with a big basket of poblano and jalapeno peppers. Guess what I am making in the next few days...
Gus
These looked incredible and I made them. Thy were fantastic. Simple yet delicious. Will be making again for sure.
Margaret
Thanks so much for the quick response! Can’t wait to try them tonight! PS Also have a sack of zucchini from garden and so might be trying out the other recipe as well!
victor
Best of luck! The zucchini recipe is very good. One of my favorites.
Margaret
Anyway these can be made in the oven? They look incredible but I don’t have access to a smoker. I know they’d be missing that incredible element but seems like they’d still be pretty great!
victor
Yes, they sure can. Electric ovens (I assume you have an electric one) cook differently and the heat/humidity inside them is very different. Bacon won't crisp up as well at 225F in the oven as it will in a smoker. So, you will need to adjust the cooking temperature up and bake on a rack to have air circulation under the peppers to have the bacon crisp up nicely. See this recipe for the temps and time - it should be very close but keep on eye on the peppers the first time around.
http://ifoodblogger.com/stuffed-zucchini-boats-bacon/
Rhonda
Looks amazing. Always looking for a new appetizer while running the smoker!!! But I have never made a poblano without charring to remove the skin first. How does the skin/outside come out with this recipe?
victor
Thanks for stopping by. The outside came out no different than on a jalapeno pepper, nice and soft. The reason I used them in place of jalapeno peppers is to have less heat. It worked like a charm.
Ninja Katana
My 7 old year boy love it!!!