The appetizer that disappears first at any tailgate.
Bacon and cream cheese filling, a panko crust, and just enough smoke to make it worth the extra step. Make a big batch — these don't last long once they hit the table.
What You'll Need
- 10 large jalapeño peppers, whole
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 8 oz whipped cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 2 tbsp Smokin' Guns BBQ Rub (or Smokin' Guns Hot if you want more kick)
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup melted butter
The Method
- Pre-bake (or pre-smoke) the whole jalapeños at 350°F for 5-10 minutes. This softens them up front so they're not still raw-crunchy by the time the filling's done.
- Move straight to an ice bath. This stops the cooking dead so the peppers don't keep softening past where you want them.
- Once cooled, halve the peppers and remove the seeds, stems, and ribs.
- Cook the bacon, then chop it up.
- Mix the whipped cream cheese, cheddar, chopped bacon, and Smokin' Guns Rub together. This is your filling — the bacon goes in here, not wrapped around the outside.
- Melt the butter and mix it with the panko until every crumb is coated.
- Stuff the pepper halves with the filling, top with the buttered panko.
- Smoke at 300°F for 30-45 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the panko's browned.
Pitmaster Notes
The pre-bake-and-ice-bath step on the whole pepper is the one people skip when they rush a popper recipe, and it's the difference between a pepper that's actually cooked through and one that's just hot on the outside.