This is one of my favorite recipes using jalapeños. It’s always a hit at parties, gatherings, and a fun treat to keep in the freezer. You’ll want to taste test your jalapeños before using them in this recipe. I tend to use more mild peppers for this, making it edible for most people. If you like more heat use hotter peppers. Peppers get hotter the longer they are on the plant, so pick your peppers when they hit a good size. Use the largest peppers you have. Make sure you wear gloves when working with hot peppers and NEVER TOUCH YOUR FACE.
- 14-16 medium-large jalapeños
- 1 8oz package of cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (shred your cheese, pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking ingredients, making the melting take forever)
- 12-16 oz thinly sliced bacon
- Cut the jalapeños in half from top to bottom so that the stem is on one side of the pepper intact. Scrape out the ribs and seeds gently, making sure not to damage the walls of the jalapeños.
- Mix together the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and spices in a bowl. Once combined stir in the cheddar cheese.
- Fill each jalapeño with the cream cheese mixture just until it’s flat with the top. Do not overfill.
- Assemble one popper before cutting all the bacon. Most bacon can be split into thirds but shorter pieces might need to be cut in half. You want to wrap around the pepper so that it passes underneath once but overtop twice. Use two toothpicks, one to secure each of the ends of the bacon. Only pierce one side of the jalapeño. Trying to pierce both sides will squish the popper too much. I prefer to cut the bacon for each popper vs cutting it all and then assembling. It helps to make sure bacon is the right length.
- Place each finished popper on a parchment lined sheet pan. If you do end up running out of bacon before you finish poppers they cook the same without the bacon and taste just as good.
- Flash freeze poppers then transfer them and then transfer them to a freezer bag for storage.
- To Cook in Oven: Place in 400° oven for about 30 minutes or until bacon is crispy.
To Air fry: Place in air fryer at 400° for 8 minutes or until bacon is crispy.
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