Even people who don’t like spicy food have tried these at my house and have gone back for seconds. I wouldn’t classify this recipe as “healthy” .. although it is healthier than traditional jalapeno poppers that have been put in a fryer! Whenever Scott and I make these, even if it is only the two of us, there are never any leftovers. They are that good!!
Jalapeño Poppers
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 24 jalapeno poppers 1x
Description
Jalapeño Poppers, also known as “Atomic Buffalo Turds” are a classic appetizer to make in your oven or on the Grill. Make these at your next tailgate or homegate and I guarantee there will be no leftovers! By removing the seeds from the jalapeños, the peppers are not overly spicy, and the cream cheese and bacon combat the residual spiciness of the peppers making for an extremely addictive appetizer!
Ingredients
All you need for these poppers are:
- 12 jalepeños
- 1 12 0z. package cream cheese or neufchatel cheese
- 1 lb. pack of bacon
- Toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat your grill or oven to 400 degrees, cooking on direct heat (ie, over the flame).
- Now, prepare the peppers. Cut the stem off the peppers and with a knife, scrape all of the chilis and inside portion out of the inside of the peppers. (Leaving the seeds will make them even hotter, which is okay, but you need room inside to stuff your cream cheese.) For the really large peppers, chop them in half.
- Stuff the peppers with cream cheese, then take about a half or a third piece of bacon and wrap around the pepper, ensuring you wrap the top of the pepper with the bacon so the cream cheese cannot fall out and then secure with a toothpick.
- The other way to make poppers that is easier is to slice the jalapeno pepper in half so it lays flat. Add cream cheese and a piece of partially cooked bacon cut to the length of the pepper. These are easier to make and cook than the other kind, just be sure they don't fall through the grill grates!
- Grill or bake until bacon is beginning to get crispy and the cream cheese is bubbling.
Notes
Pro tip: You can make jalapeño poppers on your grill or in your oven. I recommend cooking the bacon slightly before wrapping the poppers to ensure they cook more evenly and you don't end up with bacon fat flare ups.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: American
- Method: Grill, Bake
- Cuisine: BBQ
ATOMIC BUFFALO TURDS ARE EVERYONE’S FAVORITE!!!
You can prepare these in advance and then pop them in someone’s oven if you are going to a friends house. ENJOY!!!
If you love Jalapeno poppers, aka, Atomic Buffalo Turds, check out my other stellar Jalapeno Popper Recipes below!
Helpful tip! When you are doing the popper prep, fill and flush them with water while you are removing the seeds and inner core. The water will float the seeds up and out, making the cleaning go much faster.
Hi GrillGrrrl,
I’m a writer for Every Day with Rachael Ray. We are working on our upcoming grilling issue and will be featuring grill tips from every state. I would love to interview you about Florida-specific grilling. You can reach me at the email provided. My deadline is around the corner so hope to hear from you soon!
Best,
Chantal
I had the honor of tasting these fresh out of the oven! I had to close my eyes and savor the moment!! Perfect! Thanks for sharing this great clever recipe!
Here’s my version: Blanch peppers in boiling water for 1 minute, then soak in ice water before slicing and deseeding. Mix cajun seasoning with the cream cheese.
Use thick sliced peppered bacon, fry it about 3/4 done and let cool. I cut it on the diagonal into 3 or 4 pieces. Stuff the pepper halves with cheese mixture, wrap with bacon and secure with toothpick. Place on cookie sheet and freeze them then bag’em up. I usually do about 100 halves at a time. Freeze them and enjoy all winter. Bake frozen on cookie sheet for 15 min. at 415 degrees.
thanks for sharing Denny! I’ll have to give that a try! 🙂
I just made your jalepeno popper recipe for our Independence day extravaganza, and they were a huge hit. I linked your page in my post about it. Hope you don’t mind!