These easy-to-make Jalapeno Poppers are stuffed with a savory bacon and cream cheese mixture, sprinkled with crunchy panko breadcrumbs, and baked to perfection in just a few minutes! Perfect for serving at parties and for game day, these bold appetizers are always a huge hit.
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What’s in this Jalapeno Poppers Recipe?
The stuffing in the middles of these halved Jalapeno Poppers is what really sends them straight over the top. Cream cheese is all dressed up with bacon, green onions, parmesan cheese, garlic, and just a pinch of salt and pepper. Once baked, the mixture becomes perfectly warm and creamy, the perfect contrast to the crisp pepper and crunchy breadcrumbs. Are you drooling yet?!
- Jalapeño Peppers: Fresh, bright, and spicy peppers are the perfect vessel for the cream cheese stuffing.
- Cream Cheese: Forms the creamy base of the stuffing.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adds a salty and tangy flavor.
- Green Onion: Adds freshness and a slight bite.
- Garlic: Adds an earthy flavor.
- Bacon: Adds a salty and umami element. You’ll need cooked crumbled bacon for this recipe.
- Salt + pepper: Enhances the flavors of the filling.
- Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are the perfect crispy, crunchy topping for these baked poppers.
- Olive Oil: Helps the poppers crisp up in the oven.
Pro Tip: Make sure to wear gloves while cutting jalapeño peppers. The peppers can burn your hands, eyes, nose, and mouth!
Variations on Baked Jalapeno Poppers
There are tons of riffs on classic jalapeno poppers. Try the following substitutions:
- Cheese: Try mozzarella, goat cheese, Colby Jack, or Monterey Jack instead of Parmesan.
- Meat: Add shredded chicken, ground beef, crab meat, or crumbled sausage instead of bacon.
- Veggies: Add chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, or broccoli.
- Breadcrumbs: Try regular or Italian breadcrumbs instead of Panko, or swap half of the Panko for Parmesan cheese.
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Jalapeno poppers are a classic appetizer! They consist of halved jalapeño peppers filled with a rich, creamy, cheesy filling; topped with breadcrumbs; and baked to golden perfection!
Yes and no! It really depends on the peppers you get. For the most part, they are pretty mild. But occasionally you get a really hot one!
Nope! This recipe is as easy as halving the peppers, filling them, and baking them! No need to boil the peppers.
These jalapeno poppers only take 15-20 minutes to bake to golden perfection!
You sure can! In fact, I have a recipe for air fryer jalapeno poppers that you can follow!
These jalapeno poppers are great served with blue cheese sauce, sweet chili sauce, ranch dressing, garlic aioli, honey mustard, or sweet and sour sauce.
How to Make Ahead and Store
You can stuff the jalapenos with the cream cheese mix up to a day ahead of time, store them in the refrigerator, and then just pop them into the oven when you’re ready to cook them.
Store leftover jalapeno poppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through.
How to Freeze and Reheat
Freeze unbaked jalapeno poppers in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid, about 1-2 hours. Transfer to an airtight container or Ziplock bag (try not to stack them) for up to 1 month. Bake directly from frozen for 25-30 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
These spicy, creamy, two-bite appetizers are perfect served with a cooling sauce, like ranch or garlic aioli. A confetti corn salad, fresh guacamole, spinach artichoke dip, nachos supreme, refried beans, coleslaw, pico de gallo, or Mexican rice all make great accompaniments.
Jalapeno Poppers Recipe
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Ingredients
- 10 fresh jalapeño peppers
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature (1 brick)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 slices crumbled cooked bacon (click for recipe)
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Olive oil for drizzling
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the jalapeño peppers in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the seeds and ribs with a knife or spoon. Place each pepper cut-side-up on the baking sheet. They can be touching.10 fresh jalapeño peppers
- In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, green onion, garlic, bacon, salt, and pepper.8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup chopped green onion, 2 cloves garlic, 6 slices crumbled cooked bacon, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Spoon an equal amount of filling into each jalapeño half.
- Sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs over the jalapeños.½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Drizzle the tops with olive oil.Olive oil
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and jalapeños are tender.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Make sure to wear gloves while cutting jalapeño peppers. The peppers can burn your hands, eyes, nose, and mouth!
- Grate the Parmesan cheese finely so that it incorporates uniformly into the cream cheese.
- Don’t skip the olive oil drizzle; otherwise, your poppers may not brown.
- For extra crispy jalapeno poppers, set them under the broiler for a few minutes at the end of the bake time.
- Serve jalapeno poppers with a creamy, cooling dipping sauce to help with the heat!
Nutrition Information
