These jalapeno poppers with bacon put the bacon inside, crumbled through the filling, instead of wrapped around the pepper: jalapeño halves filled with cream cheese, cheddar, and bacon bits, coated in egg and panko, and baked at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, then broiled 1 to 2 minutes, exactly as the University of Illinois Extension recipe gives it. It makes 20 poppers for a Super Bowl table.
If you came here for bacon wrapped poppers, the first section explains why we do not wrap our thick cut America’s Best Uncured Bacon around a popper, what the one extension recipe for wrapped poppers says about thick cut, and what to do instead. Then comes the Illinois Extension recipe, ingredient for ingredient, with the one adaptation we make marked as an adaptation.
- Bacon wrapped poppers: why not thick cut, and what to do instead
- The recipe
- The bacon: the one adaptation
- Serving and leftovers
- Questions people ask
Bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers: why we do not wrap thick cut, and what to do instead
Most popper recipes online wrap the pepper in a half slice of raw bacon. The one extension recipe we found for that style, Bacon Wrapped Venison Jalapeno Poppers in the University of Wisconsin Extension Juneau County 2025 Foods Revue cookbook (PDF), bakes wrapped poppers at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes and says of the bacon: “do not use thick cut.”
Our bacon is thick cut, and we have not tested a wrapped version with it, so we do not give one. What to do instead: if you want wrapped poppers, follow that cookbook recipe with regular cut bacon; if you want our bacon in the popper, use the Illinois Extension recipe below, where the bacon is cooked first and crumbled into the filling, so slice thickness does not matter.
| Bacon inside (this recipe) | Bacon wrapped (not given here) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bacon | Cooked first, crumbled into the filling | Raw, wrapped around the pepper |
| Thick cut? | Yes; it is cooked before it goes in | The extension cookbook says do not use thick cut |
| Oven | 350°F, 30 to 35 minutes, then broil | 400°F, 20 to 25 minutes (cookbook) |
| Source | University of Illinois Extension | UW Extension Juneau County cookbook (linked above), with regular cut bacon |
We explained what thick cut means in thick cut bacon.
Jalapeno poppers with bacon: the Illinois Extension recipe
This is the Bacon and Cheese Jalapeno Poppers recipe from University of Illinois Extension, Live Well Eat Well. Wear gloves to seed the peppers.
- 10 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
- 1/2 cup fat free cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup real bacon bits (our adaptation: our bacon, cooked, crumbled, and measured to 1/4 cup; see below)
- 1/3 cup egg substitute
- 1/2 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
- Mix the filling. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese with the cheddar and the bacon. Spoon and spread it into the pepper halves, about 1 tablespoon per half.
- Coat. Put the egg in a wide bowl. Coat each pepper half with egg, then roll both sides in the breadcrumbs. Set them on the sheet, filling side up.
- Bake. Bake until the peppers are golden, about 30 to 35 minutes, then broil 1 to 2 minutes until crisped on top.
The extension recipe uses fat free cream cheese, reduced fat cheddar, and egg substitute, and we list them as it does. The bacon bits line is the one adaptation, and it is cooked bacon either way.
The bacon: the one adaptation
The recipe calls for 1/4 cup of real bacon bits, which are cooked bacon. Our adaptation: cook our bacon, crumble it, and measure 1/4 cup with a measuring cup, so the amount matches the recipe whatever the slice count turns out to be. We have not test cooked the poppers with this swap, so we mark it as an adaptation rather than the recipe as written.
Cook it in a skillet over medium heat, or on a foil lined pan in the oven as in bacon in the oven, until browned and crisp. USDA says to cook bacon completely, and crisp bacon has reached a safe temperature. Drain it on paper towels and chop it small.
Serving and leftovers
The recipe says to bake until golden and broil until crisped on top, and it does not give a make ahead method, so we do not either. For a 5:30 pm kickoff, the tray goes in at 4:45 for a 35 minute bake plus the broil.
Leftover poppers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge, USDA’s figure for home cooked dishes, and reheat in a 350°F oven. The rest of our bacon is in the bacon category, and for a board to set beside the poppers, see our older post on crafting charcuterie boards.
Questions people ask about jalapeno poppers with bacon
How long does it take to cook jalapeno poppers in the oven?
In the Illinois Extension recipe, 30 to 35 minutes at 350°F, then 1 to 2 minutes under the broiler. Wrapped poppers in the Wisconsin cookbook go 20 to 25 minutes at 400°F.
Should you pre cook bacon for jalapeño poppers?
For bacon in the filling, yes; it goes in cooked and crumbled. For wrapped poppers the extension cookbook uses raw regular cut bacon and says not to use thick cut.
How do you keep the filling from spilling out while baking?
Fill each half with about a tablespoon, as the recipe says, and set them filling side up on the sheet. The egg and panko coat holds the top together.
How do I make extra crispy jalapeño poppers?
The panko coat and the 1 to 2 minute broil at the end are what crisp the Illinois Extension version. Watch the broiler the whole time.
Twenty poppers, one sheet pan, kickoff. Jalapeno poppers with bacon inside put a thick cut slice where it belongs, cooked and crumbled through the filling, and a quarter cup of applewood smoked Heritage Duroc bacon covers the whole tray.
Order America’s Best Uncured Bacon, or browse the bacon category. It ships frozen from the farm shop.