Bacon Jalapeno Poppers
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.
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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
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.
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https://www.onelovelylife.com/bacon-jalapeno-poppers/