I have never been much for spicy foods (with the brief exception of pregnancy cravings with child #2). I have avoided jalapeño peppers most of my live, even picking out the large pieces that would find their way into the salsa in my Chipotle Burrito Bowls. I know, ridiculous.
But I like to make my family happy and cook the foods they like, even if I likely won’t eat it. So when both my husband and children requested bacon-wrapped jalapeños poppers, I happily obliged.
Well, as it turns out, I actually like jalapeño peppers. These poppers have now been made countless times in our home, many of them getting consumed by me. They are spicy, naturally, but the flavor is just so perfect with the heat from the peppers. And you can’t go wrong with bacon, that makes everything better.
The Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeños Poppers in these photos used only half a slice of bacon, and as they cooked, the bacon shrank and didn’t cover everything, which is sad. More bacon is better for sure. Since the half-slice mishap, I learned that a full piece of bacon is required for maximum coverage and taste, so be sure to use the entire slice and not be tempted to cut them in half.
Primal Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos Poppers {low-carb; keto}
Ingredients
- 12 Jalapeño Peppers
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened, room-temp
- 1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 24 slices Bacon, not thick-cut
- 24 Toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. To make cleanup easier, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Set aside.
- Cut each jalapeño pepper in half. Using a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works really well here), scrape out the seeds and white parts and discard. Set the halved, seeded peppers aside.
- *NOTE* If you have latex (or similar) gloves, wear them! You don't want to accidentally rub your eyes after handling jalapeños, trust me.
- Combine the cream cheese, shredded cheddar, minced garlic, and smoked paprika in a mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, combine everything together until the mixture is smooth and even.
- Fill each jalapeño half with the cream cheese mixture, slightly overfilling and smoothing the mixture on top. Once all peppers are stuffed, wrap 1 slice of bacon around each one, leaving the ends of the bacon on the bottom of the pepper. Secure the bacon with a toothpick to keep it from unwrapping as it bakes.
- Arrange the prepared peppers on the lined baking sheet so they are close but not touching. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the cream cheese filling has browned on top and is bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Garnish with additional smoked paprika, if desired.
Nutrition Information
Yield 24 Serving Size 1 popperAmount Per Serving Calories 135Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 5gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 27mgSodium 190mgCarbohydrates 1gProtein 4g
Nutrition is calculated by a third party and may not be 100% accurate