Jalapeño Poppers | Provecho

Jalapeño Poppers

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1 hr 30 min

Posted on Feb 1, 2026

R

rafifronzaglia

6 servings

Jalapeño Poppers

6 servings

Ingredients

m

20 medium jalapeños

s

8 oz store brand cream cheese (not Philadelphia)

T

8 oz Tillamook extra sharp cheddar, block

r

16 oz regular sliced bacon (Hormel Black Label recommended)

Directions

1

For the Prep:

1

Remove the bacon and cream cheese from the fridge to soften slightly.

r

16 oz regular sliced bacon (Hormel Black Label recommended)

s

8 oz store brand cream cheese (not Philadelphia)

2

Keep the cheddar in the fridge until ready to slice.

T

8 oz Tillamook extra sharp cheddar, block

3

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

4

Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper.

5

For the Jalapeño Poppers:

1

Prepare the Jalapeños:

1

Slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise, tip to stem.

m

20 medium jalapeños

2

Remove seeds and ribs with a small spoon.

3

Optional but recommended: wear a glove to avoid spicy hands.

4

Arrange the jalapeño halves cut-side up on the sheet pan, all facing the same direction.

5

Fill with Cream Cheese:

1

Evenly distribute the cream cheese across all 40 jalapeño halves.

s

8 oz store brand cream cheese (not Philadelphia)

2

The jalapeños should not be fully filled, and that is intentional.

3

Add the Cheddar:

1

Slice the cheddar into 20 thin planks, just under ¼-inch thick.

T

8 oz Tillamook extra sharp cheddar, block

2

Cut each plank in half to create 40 sticks.

3

Place one stick on top of the cream cheese in each jalapeño.

T

Tillamook extra sharp cheddar, block

4

Wrap with Bacon:

1

Slice the bacon in half lengthwise.

r

16 oz regular sliced bacon (Hormel Black Label recommended)

2

Wrap each jalapeño with a half slice of bacon.

r

regular sliced bacon (Hormel Black Label recommended)

3

Tear smaller pieces as needed so every jalapeño is wrapped.

4

Distribute evenly across the baking sheet.

5

Bake:

1

Bake at 400°F for 1 hour.

2

Rotate the pan halfway through for even cooking.

Notes

These tips are ESSENTIAL in my opinion. I’ve made them so many times over the years, and landed on these tips that actually turn them into the best version of poppers. - Bake them for the FULL hour. The long bake slowly roasts the jalapeños in bacon fat. This softens their heat and makes them sweeter, which balances the salty bacon and cheese. Undercooked jalapenos just don’t hit the same, they should be extremely tender and sweet with a bit of spice. - Keep the pan full. Don’t space these out. A full sheet pan lets the bacon fat pool at the bottom instead of evaporating. As the cheddar melts off the sides, it fries in that fat and tastes like a cheez-it. It’s incredible - Use parchment paper. The melted cheddar that hits the pan will crisp up and taste almost like a Cheez-It. Parchment keeps it from sticking so those pieces lift right off. - The order of the layers matters. Cream cheese goes on the bottom so it stays soft. Cheddar goes on top so it melts and browns in all the bacon fat. - Use store-brand cream cheese, not Philadelphia. Philadelphia tends to get slightly gritty when baked. I’ve found that store-brand cream cheese stays smooth and turns out the best. - Let the bacon warm up a bit before wrapping. Slightly softened bacon stretches more easily and wraps cleaner than cold bacon, so let it sit out from the beginning. I normally start by taking the bacon and cream cheese out of the fridge so it’s easy to work with. - Adjust rack position if needed. If the bacon on top is browning but the bottom is still raw, move the pan lower. If the bottom is cooking faster, move it higher. You want evenly cooked bacon all the way around.

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