Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon Inside for Game Day
These jalapeno poppers put thick cut bacon right inside the filling: jalapeño halves filled with cream cheese, cheddar, and crumbled bacon, coated in egg and panko, baked at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, then broiled 1 to 2 minutes until crisp. One sheet pan makes 20 poppers for game day.
Thick cut Applewood Smoked Uncured Bacon belongs inside a popper. Cooked crisp and crumbled through the cheese, it brings smoke to every bite and keeps the pepper tender.
Why the bacon goes inside
Most popper recipes wrap the pepper in raw, regular cut bacon. A thick cut slice is built for the filling instead: cooked first, it crumbles into big smoky pieces that melt into the cream cheese, while the panko crust turns golden.
Jalapeno poppers with bacon: the recipe
Inspired by the Bacon and Cheese Jalapeno Poppers recipe from University of Illinois Extension. Makes 20 poppers. Wear gloves to seed the peppers.
- 10 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup Applewood Smoked Uncured Bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
- Cook the bacon. Cook it in a skillet over medium heat, or as in bacon in the oven, until browned and crisp. Drain, chop small, and measure 1/4 cup.
- Mix the filling. Mix the cream cheese, cheddar, and bacon. Spread about 1 tablespoon into each pepper half.
- Coat. Dip each half in egg, then roll both sides in the panko. Set them on the sheet, filling side up.
- Bake. Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes, then broil 1 to 2 minutes until crisp on top.
Serving
For a 1:00 pm kickoff, the tray goes in at 12:15. Reheat leftovers in a 350°F oven. For a second tray, make bacon wrapped dates.
Questions people ask about jalapeno poppers with bacon
How long does it take to cook jalapeno poppers in the oven?
30 to 35 minutes at 350°F, then 1 to 2 minutes under the broiler.
Should you pre cook bacon for jalapeño poppers?
Yes. Cook it crisp, crumble it, and mix it into the filling. Thick cut bacon is perfect here.
How do you keep the filling from spilling out while baking?
Fill each half with about a tablespoon and set them filling side up. The egg and panko coat holds the top together.
How do I make extra crispy jalapeño poppers?
The panko coat and the quick broil at the end crisp them. Watch the broiler the whole time.
Twenty poppers, one sheet pan, kickoff. Heritage Duroc pork, raised crate free with no antibiotics ever on family farms, fed a vegetarian diet, and Prop 12 certified.
Order the Heritage Duroc Cured & Uncured Bacon Box: three 24 oz packs of America's Best Applewood Smoked Dry Cured Bacon and three of Applewood Smoked Uncured Bacon.