Bacon Jalapeño Poppers

Our easy Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers recipe is the perfect gluten-free party appetizer! Our poppers combine a seasoned cream cheese filling (with a secret ingredient!), crispy bacon, and smoky BBQ sauce to pack every bite with flavor.

Gather Your Ingredients

Our bacon jalapeño poppers recipe is naturally gluten-free, since we skip the breading and frying! Let’s take a look at the ingredients list:

How To Make Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat & Prep. If baking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a sheet pan and set aside. (If you like, you can line the baking sheet with aluminum foil & grease the foil for easier clean-up.)
2. Halve & Seed Jalapeños. Wearing gloves(!!!), use a sharp knife to cut the jalapeños in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and the white ribs. And set jalapeños on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Make The Filling. In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese with a hand mixer 2-3 minutes, or till light and fluffy. Add cheddar cheese, drained crushed pineapple, and green onions and mix to combine.
4. Stuff Jalapeños. Spoon cream cheese mixture into each jalapeño half. Fill the jalapeño halves generously, but for best results try not to mound the cream cheese too high, since the filling will puff a bit when baked.

5. Wrap With Bacon. Then, wrap each jalapeño with a half slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
6. Brush With BBQ Sauce. Use a pastry brush to brush the bacon with BBQ sauce.
7. Bake at 400 degrees F 20-25 minutes, or until bacon is crisp. If desired, you can pop them under the broiler for 1-2 extra minutes at the end to crisp up even more!
8. OR Air Fry (My preference). Working in batches, air fry jalapeño poppers at 380 degrees 12-15 minutes, or till the bacon is crispy. (FYI – It’ll be less crispy on the bottom than the top. If you like, you can try to flip the poppers during baking, but I find they sometimes fall apart and I’d rather just have them less crispy on the bottom.)
9. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away hot from the oven. Store leftover jalapeno popperss in an airtight container 2-3 days in the fridge or freeze up to 2 months. (Note that frozen, thawed, and reheated poppers will be slightly more dry.)

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Bacon Jalapeño Poppers

Try Not To Over-Stuff. I know it’s tempting to mound the filling into the jalapeños, but don’t do it! Try to make it roughly level with the top of each jalapeño half, since the cream cheese filling will expand a bit in the oven, and you don’t want them to overflow because of too much filling. (You can scoop any extra filling onto a few crackers for a chef’s snack!) 

Can I Make Jalapeño Poppers In The Air Fryer? Yes, and it’s actually my preference for the best texture! Keep in mind that the cooking time will vary slightly. For air fryer bacon jalapeno poppers, air fry at 380 degrees for 12-15 or so minutes. Again, you’re looking for crisp bacon!

DON’T Use Thick-Cut Bacon. Thick cut bacon slices are GREAT for a good Turkey BLT Sandwich, breakfast, or burger, but they do NOT work well for bacon jalapeño poppers. The bacon is too thick to cook through evenly and crisply without overcooking the filling. Stick to regular bacon for best results!

Try Them With Ranch Dip! To help cool some of that heat, try serving this classic appetizer with some creamy homemade ranch dressing for dipping!

More Gluten-Free Appetizers To Try

Gluten-Free Artichoke Dip

12 Flavors of Perfect Deviled Eggs

Cheesy Bean Dip

Healthier Caramelized Onion Dip

Bacon Jalapeno Poppers

5 from 2 votes

These easy Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers are the perfect gluten-free party appetizer! They're made with seasoned pineapple cream cheese filling, crispy bacon, and smoky BBQ sauce to pack every bite with flavor.

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Print Pin Rate

Servings: 20 Poppers

Calories: 82kcal

Equipment

• 20-30 Toothpicks

Ingredients

• 10 jalapeños halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened (We recommend Philadelphia brand)
• 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 green onion sliced
• 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple well drained (don't use a 20 oz can!)*
• 10 pieces of bacon, cut in half
• 1/4 cup your favorite barbeque sauce*
• black pepper for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat & Prep. If baking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a sheet pan and set aside. (If you like, you can line the baking sheet with aluminum foil & grease the foil for easier clean-up.)
• Halve & Seed Jalapeños. Wearing gloves(!!!), use a sharp knife to cut the jalapeños in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and the white ribs. And set jalapeños on the prepared baking sheet.
• Make The Filling. In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese with a hand mixer 2-3 minutes, or till light and fluffy. Add cheddar cheese, drained crushed pineapple, and green onions and mix to combine.
• Stuff Jalapeños. Spoon cream cheese mixture into each jalapeño half. Fill the jalapeño halves generously, but for best results try not to mound the cream cheese too high, since the filling will puff a bit when baked.
• Wrap With Bacon. Then, wrap each jalapeño with a half slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
• Brush With BBQ Sauce. Use a pastry brush to brush the bacon with BBQ sauce.
• Bake at 400 degrees F 20-25 minutes, or until bacon is crisp.
• OR Air Fry. Working in batches, air fry jalapeño poppers at 380 degrees 12-15 minutes, or till the bacon is crispy. (FYI – It'll be less crispy on the bottom than the top. If you like, you can try to flip the poppers during baking, but I find they sometimes fall apart and I'd rather just have them less crispy on the bottom.)
• Serve & Store. Enjoy right away hot from the oven. Store leftover jalapeno popperss in an airtight container 2-3 days in the fridge or freeze up to 2 months. (Note that frozen, thawed, and reheated poppers will be slightly more dry.)

Make Ahead Tips

• Follow the directions above through step 5. (Stuff and wrap the jalapeños, but DON'T brush with BBQ sauce yet!) Cover the sheet pan with plastic wrap or a lid and store assembled poppers in the refrigerator up to 1 day.
• When you're ready to bake, remove the sheet pan and leave at room temperature while you preheat the oven.
• Brush with BBQ sauce and bake 20-25 min or air fry 12-15 min at 380 degrees.

Notes

• DON’T Use Thick-Cut Bacon. Thick cut bacon slices are GREAT for a good Turkey BLT Sandwich, breakfast, or burger, but they do NOT work well for bacon jalapeño poppers. The bacon is too thick to cook through evenly and crisply without overcooking the filling. Stick to regular bacon for best results!
• Pineapple. If you can’t find a small can of crushed pineapple, use a little less than 1/2 a 20-ounce can. Drain really well, so the pineapple juice don’t water down the filling. 
• Gluten-Free. To keep these jalapeño poppers gluten-free, just make sure that you’re using gluten-free BBQ sauce! 
• Try Not To Over-Stuff. I know it’s tempting to mound the filling into the jalapeños, but don’t do it! Try to make it roughly level with the top of each jalapeño half, since the cream cheese filling will expand a bit in the oven and you don’t want them to overflow. 
• Air Fryer VS Oven. I actually prefer air frying since it’s a bit easier to get a crispy finish on the bacon. If you’re baking, feel free to pop these under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, if needed to really crisp them up. 

Video

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Amercan

Keyword: christmas, cream cheese, holiday

Nutrition

Serving: 1jalapeño popper (1/20th recipe) | Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6.4g | Saturated Fat: 3.5g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 144.4mg | Potassium: 44.7mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 9.1mg | Calcium: 33.4mg

Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.

Find it Online:

https://www.onelovelylife.com/bacon-jalapeno-poppers/