Spicy, cheesy, and creamy bacon wrapped cheesy stuffed jalapeƱos are always the first appetizer to disappear whenever I bring them to a party. They’re perfect for celebrations, Super Bowl, game day, and more.
These jalapeƱos you see today? They’re another football appetizer to add to your rotation. You’ll love the combination of crunchy bacon, extra cheesy filling, and spicy jalapeƱos. Everyone flocks to these and begs me for the recipeāask and you shall receive!
These Bacon Wrapped Cheesy Stuffed JalapeƱos Are:
- Extra cheesy and spicy
- Wrapped with bacon
- Loaded with garlic & spiced with paprika
- Super simple to make
- Always a crowd pleaser
- Great for game day (served alongside honey bbq popcorn chicken) or on your menu of Memorial Day recipes
- The first appetizer to disappear at a party
Stuffed JalapeƱos Video Tutorial
Best Ingredients to Use for Bacon Wrapped Cheesy Stuffed JalapeƱos
Todayās recipe is an adaption of a crowd-pleasing appetizer Iāve made many times. I typically follow a recipe from Kraft, but decided to spice it up. Now thereās even more bold and spicy flavors in each bite.
- JalapeƱos: Halved jalapeƱo peppers are the base of this recipe. The bigger the pepper, the more cheesy filling you can fit inside. I like to remove all of the seeds when Iām making stuffed jalapeƱos since they carry a lot of heat. Donāt fretāthese are still plenty spicy without the seeds.
- Cheese:Ā We use a mix of cream cheese and shredded cheese for the filling. I use shredded cheddar cheese, but Mexican-style or pepper jack are also tasty. (By the way, if you love cream cheese based appetizers, try myĀ crab dipĀ or cranberry pecan cheese ball next.)
- Garlic: 1 minced clove of garlic adds a hint of flavor.
- Paprika: Smoked paprika adds spice and bold flavor.
- Bacon: Each stuffed pepper is wrapped in bacon before baking.
Overview: How to Make Them
Bacon wrapped cheesy stuffed jalapeƱos are incredibly easy to makeājust as all football party food should be (looking at you beer cheese dip and sweet & spicy honey Chex mix). These jalapeƱos are a great make-ahead option, too. If you’re tailgating in the morning or hosting guests and don’t have time to prep that dayāyou can assemble the stuffed jalapeƱos the day before and bake right before serving.
- Prepare the peppers. Cut the jalapeƱo peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and center membrane.
- Make the filling. Combine both cheeses, garlic, and paprika together.
- Fill the peppers. Spoon the cheesy filling equally among all jalapeƱo halves.
- Wrap with bacon. Wrap a piece of bacon around each cheese-filled jalapeƱo. Stick a toothpick through the center to ensure the bacon stays in place.
- Bake. Bake the peppers until the bacon is crisp. You can even use the broiler for the last minute or two to really crisp them up.
Want to keep things spicier? While this recipe instructs you to remove the seeds, leave them in for extra spice.
#1 Success Tip for Stuffing JalapeƱos
Don’t touch your eyes. As you slice the jalapeƱos in half and remove the seeds and some of the membrane, be careful. I warn you and speak from experience. Don’t touch your face or eyes during this processāit can really burn!
PS: If you love jalapeƱo (which I’m assuming you do), try my jalapeƱo pepper jack turkey burgers sometime. And don’t miss my jalapeƱo cheddar soft pretzels!
PrintBacon Wrapped Cheesy Stuffed JalapeƱos
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 stuffed jalapeƱo halves
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Halved jalapeƱos stuffed with cream cheese, shredded cheese, paprika, and garlic and wrapped up with crispy bacon. If you like spicy, you will love these!
Ingredients
- 12 fresh jalapeƱo peppers*
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese*
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 12Ā slices bacon, cut in half
- 24 toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400Ā°F (204Ā°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (best for clean-up) or a silicone baking mat. Place a baking rack on top of the baking sheet. Set aside.
- Cut the jalapeƱo peppers in half lengthwise; remove seeds and center membrane. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic, and paprika together until combined. You could also do this by hand using a rubber spatula. Salt to tasteāI add just a pinch. Spoon filling equally among all 24 jalapeƱo halves.
- Wrap each stuffed jalapeƱo with a half slice of bacon and stick a toothpick through the center toĀ assure the bacon stays in place. Place each on the baking rack and bake for 25-28 minutes or until the bacon is crisp to your liking. I like to turn the oven to broil for the last minute or two to get things extra crispy. Serve immediately. Cover leftovers and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: JalapeƱo peppers canĀ be stuffed and wrapped 1 day in advance. Refrigerate until ready to bake. You canĀ also assemble and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) or Rubber Spatula
- Peppers: Instead of jalapeƱo peppers, try using those mini sweet peppers often sold in the produce section. Those a great option if you don’t like super spicy.
- Cheese: Mexican style or pepper jack shredded cheese are also tasty.
- Adapted from Kraft.
They definitely can be done on the grill! Use a foil pan and they take about 20 -25mins at 350 to cook-
Easy do- ahead recipe and delicious!
These are by far the best stuffed jalapenos I’ve ever had!! This will be my new go to for apps. Thanks for always having great recipes! So much flavor, yum!
I confess I have made Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos before. Yet this is the first time I have tried Sally’s recipe. Sally’s is far better.
What makes it better, you ask? The addition of the spices to the cheese and cream cheese. Take Sally’s suggestion and use Mexican cheese. These are delicious.
Amazing!
I’ve made these dozens of times and figured that it was time for me to finally write a review. These are DELICIOUS!!! Seriously, MAKE THEM!!!!
Made these this afternoon for a snack and they were delicious! The only thing I did different was I wrapped them in prosciutto instead of bacon because I had some on hand. Was Yummy! Will be making again and again. Thank you!
I made these for the Superbowl using the small, sweet peppers since some of my family doesn’t like spicy. They were so good! Everyone commented on them and how wonderful they were. We even shared some with coworkers the next day and they asked for the recipe. I also made them the day before and refrigerated until they were ready to bake. Great recipe!!
Absolutely Delicious! This recipe was a big hit for my family!
These are a family favorite for us!
I made these and loved them. Only one problem that I had was the bottom of the bacon was not done enough. Tops were great and crispy. How do I fix that?
I baked them on a rack in the baking sheet.
I have had the same problem with bottoms not cooking. Even on a rack on baking sheet. Now I precook the bacon for about 10 mins and let cool before wrapping the peppers. Works well for me and cuts out a little of the grease.
Made these for NYE came out great. Super easy recipe. I made as is with the addition of salt and pepper and fresh cilantro since I had it and saw the Philly cheese recipe had it
It was our last weekend up north for the season and my husband & I made your Bacon-Wrapped Cheesy Stuffed JalapeƱos. THEY WERE FANTASTIC! MARVELOUS! DELICIOUS! I just cannot find enough adjective to explains how awesome they were! Definitely broil them at the end – made all the difference. Thanks you so much, Sally! Love your site and all you do š
Just made these! Delicious! Instead of wrapping them in bacon I just added the crumbled bacon to the cheese mixture. Amazing that way too!
I made these and they were awesome. I like mine a bit hotter though. I also took some brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, cyanne pepper and pepper flakes mixed it all up and dipped the bacon in it before wrapping. Turned out great.
I made these and we just ate them. YUMMMMM!!!!! We will definitely be making them again and again. I used JalapeƱos that we grew in our garden, and they were pretty mild, not light you on fire . I also used an Anaheim that we had. It was a completely different flavor, and not Nearly as good. I had a bite of one and my hubby at the rest of it. I wonāt be doinā that again!! Lesson learned.
I just made them and it was so delicious, I added barbeque sauce to them and I was pleased. Thanks
Doubled the recipe! (Holy labor intensive.) I brought these to a party with about 25 adults (20 kids) and they were GONE in 30 minutes. Everyone raved about these and this will be my go-to recipe. I could have eaten the cream cheese filling on its own, it was delicious. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Can these be served at room temp. or served immediatly
Either way works!
I made this but the cheese spilled out while in the oven and couldn’t get bacon to crisp up even under broiler šĀ
THANK YOU for using smoked paprika!!! I see so many popper recipes without it and it really is so key here. These are amazing, thank you from the bottom of my gut.
Is there any way i could cut and prep the peppers the night before or would that ruin the crispiness of the peppers the next day?
Wouldn’t ruin anything. Great way to save time on the day of.
These were soooo good!!! I halved the recipe because I didn’t have many jalapeƱos. It took longer to prepare than I anticipated but they were definitely worth it. They were not too spicy for us. I want to make them again ASAP and for everyone I know! Thank you for the recipe!Ā
I add finely chopped red bell peppers to the cream cheese mixture. These are a hit in our house!
These were a hit at Thanksgiving!!!! Went traditional and followed the recipe to the tee, but I think next time I’ll add some sorizio to the filling!!! YUM!
Thanks for this recipe. Ā Delicious. I brushed the bacon with a little maple syrup for that sweet savory twist that is so good. Ā Enjoying them during the football game of course. Go Pats! Wicked yummy!!Ā
I made these as written for my son’s 20th birthday, although I forgot to add salt… it was not missed. They were so, so delicious! Not a single one left over.
They did take WAY longer to prep than I was expecting. That being said- I will make a double batch next time and freeze some. I also didn’t find them very hot so I will leave in more seeds and membrane too.
Thank you for an awesome recipe!
Thank you for such a simple yet super tasty recipie! Made a double batch for a family Easter lunch today and they were a HUGE hit. I’m sure I will use this recipe again and again. Next time I will make some with sweet peppers as well. That way everyone will get a chance to enjoy.
Awesome. I made them tonight. I’m hoping my husband thinks they are too hot…lol. They really aren’t hot, they just have a slight kick to them.
We made these as our Christmas appetizers and they were a hit! So good and not too spicy! Looking forward to having more dinner parties to make them again!
These were delish!!! thanks for sharing. yummo!!