Bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers are a delicious savoury treat, that you shouldn’t miss. Easy and quick to prepare yet a real flavour explosion with a gooey cheese middle. You’ll love the combination of crispy, creamy, salty and spicy.
Jalapeños are maybe the world’s most known spicy peppers. You know, that smaller dark green, firm, “fat chili” peppers. Well, not fat fat, but more of a round shape. Wink. Probably you’ve seen or eaten them in different dishes prepared in different ways, for instance in guacamole, pasta, chili, in a burger, with nachos, eggs, enchiladas, tomato salsa and many more. Hey, have you ever tried it in a drink? Check out this margarita cocktail.
These bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers are an explosion of flavours and textures. Simply amazing! As first, you smell the bacon, then you bite into the salty and crispy bacon followed by lightly spicy pepper and at the end, you reach the warm creamy middle.
They make a wonderful appetizer, side dish or a snack. Pair them with some BBQ dip together with some baked pork spareribs for a full meal. Mmm, delicious. However, I love them as a snack and I am pretty sure they will make a great addition to the tapas lunch.
Also, most of the times the jalapeños are green. “What else then?” would you ask. I, just like you, am used to the dark green jalapeños. They are the most diffuse in every grocery store. Guess what? Jalapeños can also be red. Yes. Surprised? I certainly was. And, the last time I bought them, I found one red among the green ones.
Moreover, you can define the heat level by the colour (well, almost). The colour is defined by the time of the harvest. Consequently, the green jalapeños are harvested when not fully ripe and they have a mild spicy flavour. On the other hand, when left long enough on the plant, they will turn bright red. These can be pretty hot but also sweeter than the green ones.
If you like it hot, go for a red one. And to exaggerate, even more, keep the seeds and membranes, too. Wink. But keep a glass of cold milk at hand. That’s the best fire extinguisher. Ha ha.
In addition, just like with other hot peppers, also when handling jalapeños, you should always wash your hands and avoid touching your eyes, skin and nose. That burning sensation can be pretty unpleasant. Also, wash the knife and cutting board, in order not to transfer it on other food.
I just need to say a couple of words about bacon. Yummy! Because everything tastes better with bacon, I am sharing some recipes with bacon: bacon-wrapped dates, bacon-wrapped avocados, bacon-wrapped trout, bacon-wrapped zucchini corn skewers, bacon-wrapped shrimp salad, a classic bacon-onion flammkuchen, American bacon-peach pancakes.
Ingredients for 6 bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers:
- 6 jalapeños (halved, deseeded)
- 1 slice Gouda cheese (chopped or shredded)
- 2-3 Tbsp of cream cheese (or cottage cheese)
- 6 slices of bacon
- black pepper
Firstly, preheat the oven at 200º C. Wash, halve (lengthwise) and deseed the jalapeños. Remove also the membranes. Secondly, in a small bowl, combine Gouda cheese and cream cheese. Add some ground fresh black pepper and stir to combine. Fill each half with the cheese mixture and put the halves back together.
Thirdly, wrap each cheese-stuffed jalapeño with a slice of bacon. Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the bacon-wrapped jalapeños on it. Put in the oven on the middle rack and broil for about 15 minutes or until the bacon gets crispy. You can also make them in a non-sticking pan on the stove.
Finally, serve the bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers immediately, while still hot and steamy. They are wonderful finger food to enjoy on a movie night, as an appetizer or for a tapas lunch. Incredibly delicious is not enough to describe them. Wink.
Enjoy!
