Easy, Baked, Bacon Jalapeno Poppers Recipe (Video)

Jalapeno Poppers are a game day favorite! Fresh jalapenos are filled with a creamy cheese and bacon filling, topped with crispy panko, and baked to golden-brown crispy perfection.

this recipe!

The BEST Jalapeno Poppers

These Jalapeno Poppers with cream cheese and bacon are the best party appetizer ever!

• Creamy, crunchy, cheesy, spicy, smoky, and salty in every bite!
• A tender jalapeno pepper baked to perfection – never hard and crunchy
• The most incredible creamy cheese filling with cream cheese and sharp cheddar, flavored with garlic and chives
• A super crispy and crunchy, buttered panko topping
• And BACON – enough said.

They are truly better than the ones I’ve had in restaurants. Plus they’re lighter because they’re baked and not fried.

There’s no need to wait for game day to enjoy these Easy, Baked Jalapeno Poppers. My family loves them any day. And you’ll catch me eating the leftovers for breakfast! (If I’m lucky enough to find any left!)

Easy, Baked Jalapeno Poppers Recipe

I love Jalapeno Poppers but I’m not a big fan of frying. I don’t like the mess or the smell, and I definitely don’t like hovering over a pan of hot boiling oil while everyone else is watching the game.

This Easy, Baked Jalapeno Poppers Recipe gives the best of both worlds – melty gooey cheese with a golden brown, super crispy panko topping and no frying. It’s super easy! And I love them even more than the deep fried ones!

Added bonus: they’re so easy to make in advance! Just pop them in the oven when you’re ready!

How to cut a jalapeno

I always wear gloves when handling this many jalapeno peppers. You many unexpectedly come across a particularly hot jalapeno, and when jalapeno oils get in the skin they can cause burns – the dreaded jalapeno hands. And whatever you do – don’t rub your eyes!

1. Wear gloves.
2. Set the jalapeno on the counter and see which side it naturally rests on. That will be the bottom. (This helps the Jalapeno Poppers sit upright instead of tilting over and spilling out the cheesy filling.)
3. Slice the pepper in half lengthwise.
4. Scrape the seeds and interior membranes out with a spoon and discard.

Ingredients

Jalapenos: Jalapenos are sliced in half and stuffed with a cheesy filling. Jalapenos can range from mild to moderate (2500-5000 Scoville units).

To tame the heat a bit, you can blanch them in boiling water for about a minute then plunge into ice water. This will take away some of the heat, while leaving them bright green. The longer you blanch them, the softer they will get. If they’re too soft, the cheese filling may ooze out and they’ll be harder to pick up and eat.

For a completely mild popper, use baby bell peppers.

Cheese: Cream cheese and sharp cheddar make an incredibly flavored, creamy, bubbly cheese filling. 

Bacon: Bacon, cheese, and jalapenos were made for each other. Bacon adds a wonderful smoky, salty flavor to the filling.

Buttered Panko: Super crispy, golden brown panko adds the perfect crunch to these poppers. You’ll never miss the frying.

I sauté my panko in butter before topping the poppers. That way they’re guaranteed to be perfectly crispy and golden brown. I hate waiting for the panko to brown while all the cheese filling oozes out.

Aromatics: I flavor my cheese filling with garlic and chives. If you don’t have chives, use the green ends of green onions.

How to make

• Cut the peppers and scrape out the seeds and membranes.
• Mix the cheese filling and stuff the halved peppers.
• Brown the panko in butter then sprinkle on top of the stuffed pepper halves.
• Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Topping variations

For a fun flavor variation, instead of buttered panko, try topping your poppers with crushed:

• Tortilla chips
• Doritos
• Sun Chips
• Barbecue flavored potato chips

Restaurant style Recipe

At a restaurant, these bacon cream cheese Jalapeno Poppers are breaded and fried. I love these stuffed Jalapeno Poppers with the panko sprinkled on top, but if you want the maximum crunch of a fully coated popper, here’s how to do it:

1. Roll the cheese stuffed jalapeno in flour.
2. Next, dip it in milk.
3. Then, roll it in panko until it is fully coated on all sides.
4. Place on baking sheet and spray with olive oil spray or drizzle with melted butter. (The spray will result in more even browning.)
5. Bake until golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

Vegetarian Version

It’s easy to make these Jalapeno Poppers vegetarian. Simply omit the bacon or use chopped veggie bacon.

If you omit the bacon, try topping them with crushed barbecue flavored chips to replace the smoky, salty flavor of the bacon.

Healthy Jalapeno Poppers

Baking Jalapeno Poppers is so much healthier than fried. To make them even healthier:

• Use light cream cheese
• Use low fat cheddar
• Substitute veggie bacon for the bacon
• Sauté the panko in olive oil instead of butter
• Instead of sautéing the panko, spray it with cooking spray or olive oil after it is sprinkled on the stuffed jalapeno

How to make – step by step tutorial

Cut the jalapenos:

1. Wear gloves.
2. Set the jalapeno on the counter and see which side it naturally rests on. That will be the bottom. (This helps the Jalapeno Poppers sit upright instead of tilting over and spilling out the cheesy filling.)
3. Slice the pepper in half lengthwise, keeping the stem intact on one side.
4. Scrape the seeds and interior membranes out with a spoon and discard.

Make the creamy cheese filling:

1. Mix the softened cream cheese, sharp cheddar, crumbled bacon, garlic powder, chives, and salt together in a bowl.
2. Using softened cream cheese makes it much easier to combine.

Stuff the halved jalapeno peppers

Using a spoon, fill the jalapeno pepper halves with the cheese filling and set on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Make the panko topping

1. Sauté panko in butter until the panko is light golden brown (It will brown slightly more in the oven.)
2. Sprinkle the panko on the tops of the cheese stuffed jalapenos.

How to bake

Bake the jalapeno poppers in the middle of a 400° F oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

The panko will brown slightly more. If it starts to brown too quickly, tent a piece of foil on top of them.

How long to bake

Because the panko is already golden brown, you only need to bake the Jalapeno Poppers until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

This prevents the jalapeno from burning on the bottom or from becoming too soft. When they’re too soft, they’re a little harder to pick up and eat.

How to make in advance

These easy baked Jalapeno Poppers can easily be made a couple of days ahead of time or even made in advance and frozen.

• Stuff the peppers, arrange them on the baking sheet, top them with panko, and hold in the refrigerator a few hours until you’re ready to bake.
• Stuff the peppers and put them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day or two. Keep the cooled, buttered panko at room temperature. When you’re ready to bake them, put them on a baking sheet and sprinkle with buttered panko and bake.
• Freeze the Jalapeno Poppers and cook right from frozen. It may take a few minutes longer to bake.

How to store and reheat

To store: Place cooked and cooled jalapeno poppers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To Reheat: Reheat jalapeno poppers on a baking sheet in the oven at 325° F until heated through. You can also reheat them in the microwave.

How to freeze

Jalapeno Poppers can be made in advance and frozen. They can be baked straight from the freezer.

• Stuff the peppers and sprinkle on the panko.
• Freeze in a single layer until frozen.
• Transfer to an airtight container.
• Bake straight from the freezer. It may take a few minutes longer to bake.

How to make in the air fryer

• Place the stuffed and topped jalapeños in the basket of an air fryer
• Cook at 370° F until the tops are golden brown, the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the jalapeños are tender, about 10 minutes.

What’s the best dip/sauce to serve with

Dip Jalapeno Poppers in ranch or blue cheese dressing. The cool, creaminess is perfect for taming the heat.

What to serve with

Jalapeno Poppers are the perfect game day snack. Serve as part of your appetizer and game day spread.

Optional tip for a pretty presentation:

Cutting the top third off of the jalapenos instead of cutting them in halves makes a prettier presentation. It holds the filling in better and there’s less chance that the filling will ooze out.

 Just fill the larger side and save the tops for another use. You will need extra jalapenos. (Note: I have used halved jalapenos here.)

Shop the recipe:

Baking pans: a good light-colored baking pan allows the poppers to cook properly without burning on the bottom.

Parchment paper: for no pan to wash – yay! It’s nonstick so your poppers come off perfectly. It also helps the poppers not burn on the bottom.

Recipe

Enjoy, friends!

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