Bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers—jalapeños stuffed with a delicious cheddar and cream cheese mixture, wrapped in bacon and smoked to perfection.

If you’re looking for a delicious and easy snack or appetizer that will be sure to impress, smoked bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers are a perfect choice. This recipe requires only five ingredients and minimal prep, making it ideal for entertaining friends and family.

If you’re not a fan of spicy food, don’t worry! This recipe for jalapeño poppers is surprisingly mild and flavorful. But there are ways to spice it up if you prefer a little kick.

Coring Peppers (left) Peppers in Rack (middle left), Cooked Peppers in Rack (middle right), Jalapeno Poppers on Plate (right)

Ingredients

Here are the five ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.

Jalapenos, Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, Cheddar Cheese, Bacon

Jalapeño peppers – select medium or large jalapeño peppers. This will make coring and stuffing easier. Also, if you use the same pepper rack, this size will fit nicely and not fall through.

Sour cream – regular sour cream.

Cream cheese – original cream cheese, softened.

Cheddar cheese – shredded cheddar cheese. We love sharp cheddar, but you can use mild or medium too.

Bacon – regular cut bacon, halved. Avoid thin or thick-cut bacon.

Supplies

Small mixing bowl and spoon
Cutting board and knife
Jalapeño popper roasting rack – read more below!
Pepper coring tool
Smoker or grill – we love our Traeger!
Serving platters or plates

Jalapeño Pepper Roasting Rack

Before we get to the recipe, we have to share this grilling tool set—the Cave Tools Pepper Rack with a coring tool. We love our grilling tools & this is one we definitely enjoy using. The set comes with both the rack and a coring tool. Plus, a digital recipe book download.

Jalapeno Popper Grilling Rack with Coring Tool

The rack is stainless steel with legs that lock into place (so no wobbly legs falling over on the grill). It comes with 24 holes to make a good amount of peppers. It is built really well.
The peppers don’t stick and are easy to remove, which isn’t always the case when making them directly on the grill. And it’s dishwasher safe for easy cleanup, which is no doubt the best part of grilling. Great food, little cleanup.
Let’s talk about the coring tool for a minute. After you rinse the peppers, use the coring tool to slice off the tops and take out the seeds and insides of the peppers. The tool works really well. But we do want to mention—you’ll want to buy medium to large peppers, or the tool may break through the small ones (you can see in my pictures where one is torn). This will also ensure the peppers don’t fall through the holes in the rack.
This grilling set is an excellent idea for a Father’s Day gift or birthday present.

How to Make Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

Follow these simple steps to make jalapeño poppers on a Traeger or grill.

Step 1 | Wash the peppers

Rinse and wash the peppers well.

Step 2 | Cut off the topS

Use a coring tool or a knife to cut the tops off the jalapeño peppers.

Step 3 | Remove seeds and insides

Remove each pepper’s seeds and fleshy insides using a knife or coring tool (like the Cave Tool’s pepper coring tool).

Step 4 | Make the cheese filling

Mix the sour cream, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese together in a small bowl.

Step 5 | Stuff peppers with cheese mixture

Carefully fill each pepper with the cream cheese mixture.

Step 6 | Wrap peppers with bacon

Take one-half piece of bacon and wrap each pepper.

Step 7 | Place peppers in the grilling rack

Add all stuffed peppers wrapped in bacon to the pepper roasting rack.

Step 8 | Smoke for 1 hour

Set your Traeger to the smoke setting and cook for 1 hour (approximately ~180°F).

Step 9 | Cook for 30 minutes at 350°F

Turn the heat up to 350°F and grill for 30 minutes.

Step 10 | Remove from the grill, serve, and enjoy!

Carefully remove the jalapeño poppers from the grill. Serve and enjoy!

Smoked Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers in Roasting Rack

More About This Recipe

Bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers are an incredibly flavorful and unique party appetizer—you can serve them for any occasion! The combination of salty bacon, jalapeño peppers, and melty cheese is so tasty.
These smoked jalapeño poppers give us a delicious reason to use our Traeger. The smoky flavor takes this dish to the next level. However, you can use a gas grill too.
They’re easy to make with only a few ingredients and minimal time—great for last-minute get-togethers, barbecues, and game nights.

How to Make Jalapeño Poppers Spicy

For those who like the extra heat, there are plenty of ways to make bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers spicy. Here are a few ideas:

Try using a hotter variety of jalapeño peppers such as Serrano or Habanero.
Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or other spices to the cheese mixture for an added kick.
For a truly fiery experience, consider adding a generous portion of diced fresh jalapeños to the creamy filling or topping your poppers off with hot sauce at the end!