Name: Jalapeño Poppers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 6 jalapeño peppers ((Note 1)); 6 slices bacon, cut widthwise in half; 4 ounces cream cheese; 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese ((Note 2)); 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Summary:

These jalapeño poppers are halved peppers stuffed with cream cheese and cheddar, wrapped in bacon, and baked in the oven until crisp and charred — each bite is an explosion of flavor and contrasting textures. Easier and lower carb than the traditional method of breading and frying, this 5-ingredient recipe is a tasty appetizer for keto diets.

Jalapeño Poppers

4.9 from 15 votes

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Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 25 mins

Yield: 4 servings

Calories: 210

Net Carbs: 2g

INGREDIENTS

6 jalapeño peppers (Note 1)
6 slices bacon, cut widthwise in half
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (Note 2)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare Jalapeños (Note 3): Slice each pepper lengthwise in half. Use spoon to scrape out and discard seeds and membranes from each pepper.
Make Cheesy Filling: Microwave cream cheese in heatproof mixing bowl until very soft to touch and easily stirred, 15 to 30 seconds. Stir in cheddar cheese and garlic powder until well-mixed.
Stuff Jalapeños (Note 4): Stuff each pepper half with cheesy filling, then wrap halved bacon slice around each. Secure with toothpick, as needed. Place stuffed and wrapped pepper halves in single layer on baking tray, optionally lined with foil for easier cleanup.
Bake & Serve: Bake at 400 F until cheese is starting to brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Optionally, broil for a few minutes to crisp up bacon. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve (Notes 5-6).

NUTRITION

Makes 4 Servings

Amount Per Serving (3 stuffed jalapeño halves):

Calories 210 (73% from fat)
Total Fat 17g	26%
Saturated Fat 10g	48%
Cholesterol 53mg	18%
Sodium 370mg	15%
Net Carb 2g
Total Carb 2.5g	1%
Dietary Fiber 0.5g	3%
Sugars 1g
Protein 9g

Vitamin A 14% · Vitamin C 41% · Calcium 12% · Iron 2%

PHOTOS

slicing each jalapeno in half lengthwise

stuffing jalapenos with cream cheese and cheddar

Bacon wrapped jalapeño peppers on white baking dish

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Jalapeño Peppers. About 8 ounces weight total. If you or your guests can’t tolerate chili peppers but you still want to try these out, I recommend using mini sweet bell peppers instead of jalapeños. You might have seen them in the produce section of your grocery store — each is about the same size as a jalapeño and they’re packaged in multiple colors.

(2) Cheddar Cheese. About 2 ounces weight. You can substitute with your favorite shredded cheese; Mexican blend cheese or pepper jack cheese would work well.

(3) Preparing Jalapeños. I always remove the seeds and membranes, which contain the majority of the capsaicin (that makes chili peppers hot). For a hotter version, keep some or all of the seeds and membranes. If you’re sensitive to capsaicin, wear gloves while handling jalapeños.

(4) Stuffing Jalapeños. Don’t over-stuff, or the cheese stuffing will slide out when baking. I usually stuff just enough to fill the pepper. If you’re using toothpicks to secure the bacon, there’s no need to wrap the bacon very tightly around each pepper. If the bacon is too tight, your baked jalapeños will look like they’ve had the cheese choked out of them.

(5) Serving. Don’t wait too long before serving because these jalapeño poppers are fantastic when hot and they can cool rapidly. You can serve them alongside other low carb appetizers like crab stuffed mushrooms or spinach artichoke dip.

(6) Make Ahead / Leftovers. You can stuff the jalapeño poppers the night before and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Before serving, pop them into the oven and bake as directed in the recipe. If the jalapeño poppers are already cooked, store them in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven until hot.

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Jeannie

Made these a year ago for a football watching party. They were a hit! A year later, someone who attended the party requested that I make them for their party. You know they are good when a year later you are still getting requests for them! Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Karen

Is this a recipe that you recommend can be frozen before baking?

Julia

I think these would freeze well. After assembling, put the entire baking tray in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then transfer them to a resealable freezer bag if you’re not planning on using them soon.

Melanie

Has anyone tried make these in an air fryer?

Lisa T

Yes…I made them in the air fryer yesterday! I did them at 375 for about 12-14 minutes. Each batch seemed to need a slightly different cooking time, and I wanted the bacon crispy and the jalapeños a tiny bit charred.

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Suzy

I made these on Memorial day Monday and since I had some left over brisket and pulled pork from BBQ’ing Saturday, I chopped it up and mixed it in with my cream cheese for 2 different batches of peno poppers. I used whole penos and wrapped the entire thing head to toe in bacon and then in a sheet of sharp cheddar. OMG delish! My new go to popper!

Ashley

These are amazing!!! I’ve taken them to multiple parties and never given a recipe out so many times. Delicious!!!! I prep them the night before and keep them in the fridge…that way all I have to do is pop them in the oven the day of. This will be a forever recipe for me 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Tracey Beaver

Easy and yummy!

Kellie

Made these today and they were amazing! Only change is that I used 1/2 herb & garlic cream cheese mixed with regular cream cheese. So good!

Gary

Fantastic! The cheese absorbs some of the heat and the bacon adds that delicious combination of sweet, salty and hot!

Kelly A

Made these tonight for a small gathering & they were great! I doubled the recipe bc I had 12 peppers, so I froze 1/2 of thrm, hoping they will be just as good out of the freezer at the next function.

Melody Gardner

I made a ton of these poppers using both jalapenos and those small sweet peppers for those who did not like heat. I also added a little of my homemade taco spice to the filling. They were an absolute hit at our father’s day, birthday party, and got rave reviews from the hot and non-hot crowd. This recipe is a winner!!

MELINDA C ESCARCEGA

Love this easy recipe. I make it all the time. Great snack!

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Brenda D.

I don’t like spicy foods at all so my husband planted me some “Fooled You” jalapeño peppers. They taste just like the hot ones but are as mild as a green pepper. These were fabulous made with your recipe. Thanks for sharing!

Laurie

Can these be made ahead of time and then reheated? Trying to meal prep for long weekend.

Arleen

I make the poppers ahead of time & reheat them just before serving the appetizers. They are always a hit. We love them!

C Richard

Best poppers I have ever had! This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Kim

So delicious – huge party hit – can’t wait to make them for this Thanksgiving. Thank you for sharing!!

Dawn Sampson

I made these today and my husband and I LOVED them. Thank you

Colleen Conklin

I made these last summer and they’re perfect. So I made them again and had no room in fridge to hold them till the party and put outside, two trays, dog LOVED them too 🙀🤦‍♀️

Kathy C.

Made as appetizer for taco night. They were a hit !

Kris

I used pepper jack and cheddar cheese mixed in with the cream cheese! Make sure you cook them on 425 until they look done! They are Yummmm

Debbie

Just made these today! I wanted to play in the kitchen a little after pulling off the Thanksgiving feast and this was perfect! They are SOOO good!!! Thanks!

Betty Starkey

Can these be frozen prior to cooking?

Dianne Phillips

I really want to make these but I think I will add crabmeat into it.

Megan Davis

OMG! These look absolutely divine! I really love the combination of bacon and cheese. Love it!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers