Baked Bacon Jalapeño Poppers
Jalapeno halves stuffed with cream cheese and cheddar, wrapped in bacon and baked on a rack until crisp. A party appetizer with no frying.
- Prep20 min
- Cook25 min
- Total45 min
- Servings6
- Net carbs*3.7 g
- LevelMedium
These poppers are a game-day staple: halved jalapeños filled with a creamy cheddar and cream cheese mixture, wrapped in a strip of bacon and baked until the bacon crisps and the filling bubbles. The peppers soften and turn mild in the oven, so the heat is gentle. Make a big tray and watch it disappear.
Bake the poppers on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. The bacon fat drips away instead of pooling under the peppers, which lets the bacon crisp on all sides. Without the rack the bottoms stay soft and greasy. Thin-cut bacon works best because it cooks through in the same time the peppers need.
Ingredients
Makes 24 poppers (4 per serving). Tap an item to check it off.
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Oven-safe wire rack
- Small spoon
- Kitchen gloves
- Mixing bowl
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Wearing gloves, halve the jalapeños lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and white ribs with a small spoon.
- Mix the cream cheese, cheddar, green onion, garlic powder and paprika in a bowl until smooth.
- Fill each jalapeño half with about 1 tablespoon of the filling, mounding it slightly.
- Wrap each half with a half slice of bacon, tucking the ends underneath. Arrange cut side up on the rack.
- Bake 22 to 25 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the filling is golden at the edges.
- Cool 5 minutes before serving. The filling is very hot straight from the oven.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 224
- Total carbs
- 4.9 g
- Fiber
- 1.1 g
- Net carbs
- 3.7 g
- Protein
- 9.7 g
- Fat
- 18.6 g
*These are estimates, calculated from the ingredient weights above and USDA FoodData Central data, divided by 6 servings. Net carbs = total carbs minus fiber. Values vary with brands, quantities, ingredient swaps and how you portion the dish. How we estimate nutrition.
Kitchen tips
- Leave a few ribs in the peppers if you want more heat. The seeds and ribs carry most of the spice.
- If the bacon is not crisp at 25 minutes, broil 1 to 2 minutes and watch closely.
Substitutions
- Cheddar → Monterey Jack Same amount. Milder and creamier, and slightly lower in carbs.
- Bacon → no bacon Top each popper with grated Parmesan instead for a vegetarian version.
- Cream cheese → soft goat cheese Same amount. Tangier, with fewer carbs.
Swaps change the nutrition estimate shown above.
Storage and reheating
- Fridge
- Airtight container, up to 3 days.
- Freezer
- Freeze unbaked poppers on a tray, then bag them for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 8 to 10 minutes.
- Reheat
- Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes or air fry at 350°F for 4 to 5 minutes. The microwave makes the bacon chewy.
Questions cooks ask
Can I make jalapeño poppers in the air fryer?
Yes. Air fry at 370°F for 10 to 12 minutes in a single layer, until the bacon is crisp.
