Grilled Jalapeno Poppers
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Make grilled jalapeno poppers for your next BBQ or game day party! This recipe is easy to make with just 5 ingredients, including cheddar and cream cheese.
These jalapeno poppers are vegetarian and keto friendly at ZERO net carbs per popper! Don’t have a grill? No problem! I’m also sharing how to make these poppers in the oven!
Jalapeno poppers are the perfect appetizer for entertaining. Everyone loves them and they’re so easy to make! You can also prep them ahead of time, so all you have to do is pop them on the grill or in the oven when guests arrive.
They’re slightly spicy, totally cheesy and absolutely delicious! I love to pop them on the grill in the summer and use the oven to bake them in the winter. Both ways work great and allow you to enjoy jalapeno poppers year-round!
Table of contents
Ingredients you’ll need
- Fresh jalapeno peppers – I recommend trying to find 10-12 medium-sized jalapenos, that are relatively straight. The more curved the jalapenos are, the harder they are to slice, stuff and grill. If your jalapenos are on the smaller side, you might want to add 3-4. If your jalapenos are on the larger side, you may only need 8-10 for this recipe.
- Cream cheese – make sure you leave the cream cheese out on the counter to soften for at least 30 minutes before starting the recipe. If you forget, you can also remove the cream cheese from the packaging, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it for 15-20 seconds to quickly soften the cheese.
- Cheddar cheese – I always recommend fresh grating your cheese for the best flavor!
- Green onions
- Salt
Step by step instructions
- Add softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, minced green onions and salt to a medium mixing bowl.
- Use a rubber spatula to stir all of the ingredients together until they’re well combined.
- Slice the jalapenos in half lengthwise, leaving the stems in tact. This will ensure the cheese doesn’t ooze out of the jalapenos when they’re cooking. Use a knife or jalapeno corer to remove the seeds and membranes from inside of the jalapenos.
- Quick tip! If using your hands to scrape out the seeds, I recommend wearing gloves as they can be very spicy and it may take 1 or 2 days to get the spice off of your fingers.
- Use a spoon, or your fingers while wearing gloves, to fill the jalapeno halves with the cream cheese mixture. You want the peppers full, but not overflowing with cheese, or it will melt over the edges during the cooking process.
- Spray grill grates with cooking spray. Place the stuffed jalapenos on the grill, preheated to medium-high heat, between 425-450°F. Cook the peppers for 6-8 minutes, or until the jalapenos begin to char on the outside and the cheese begins to bubble.
- Serve the poppers immediately, garnished with more minced green onions, if you’d like.
How to make them in the oven
If you don’t have a grill, that’s no problem, these poppers are just as easy to make in the oven!
Prepare the jalapeno poppers, using instructions 1-4 above, then preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the poppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and into the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese begins to bubble.
Ways to add bacon to the poppers
- Add cooked bacon into the filling. To keep things simple, you can add 1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon to the cheese filling for the jalapeno poppers.
- Bacon wrap the poppers. To make bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, you’ll want to precook the bacon. To do this, follow these 3 simple steps.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut 12 bacon slices in half and place them on a wire rack on top of a foil lined baking sheet. Place the bacon in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer the bacon slices to a paper towel lined plate and allow the bacon to cool.
- Once cooled, wrap a half slice of bacon around each jalapeno popper and secure with a toothpick.
- Grill for 6-8 minutes on a grill preheated to medium-high heat, between 425-450°F. You can also bake them in the oven on a wire rack on top of a foil lined baking sheet at 425°F for 10-12 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. I recommend freezing them after you’ve prepped them, but before you’ve cooked them. You’ll want to store the prepared jalapeno poppers in a freezer-safe bag. They’ll last in the freezer for up to 6 months. To cook them from frozen, simply add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time, either on the grill or in the oven.
Yes, the poppers can be prepped up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to cook them, simply pop them on the grill or in the oven.
Even though jalapeno poppers are made with jalapenos, because you remove the seeds and membranes (the hottest parts of the pepper!) these poppers are actually not that spicy. If you want to spice them up, try adding 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the filling, or use a spicy cheddar cheese, like Cabot habanero cheddar. I like making these with a 50/50 combo of medium cheddar and habanero cheddar. To make them less spicy, use sweet mini peppers instead of jalapenos.
Leftover jalapeno poppers will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat them, I recommend placing them under the broiler in the oven on high for 2-3 minutes. This will heat them up and get the cheese bubbling again!
What to serve with them
Jalapeno poppers make a delicious side dish to pair with main dishes on the grill, or your favorite Tex Mex recipes.
They’re also the perfect game day appetizer! Pair them with other popular appetizers for a winning game day spread.
- Main dishes to pair with the poppers
- Other game day appetizers to pair with them
Grilled Jalapeno Poppers
Ingredients
- 12 jalapeno peppers, medium-size
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup green onions, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium high heat, between 425-450°F.
- Slice the jalapenos in half lengthwise, keeping the stems in tact, but removing the seeds from the middle, using a knife or jalapeno corer.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, green onions and salt.
- Stuff the cheese mixture into the jalapeños., using a spoon, or your fingers while wearing gloves.
- Spray the heated grill with cooking spray.
- Place the stuffed jalapeños on the grill.
- Close the lid on the grill and cook the peppers for 6-8 minutes, or until the cheese begins to bubble.
Notes
- Peppers: If your jalapenos are on the smaller side, you might want to add 3-4 peppers. If your jalapenos are on the larger side, you may only need 8-10 for this recipe.
- How to make them in the oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare the jalapeno poppers, then place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and into the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese begins to bubble.
- Bacon wrapped: To make bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, you’ll want to follow these 3 simple steps.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut 12 bacon slices in half and place them on a wire rack on top of a foil lined baking sheet. Place the bacon in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer the bacon slices to a paper towel lined plate and allow the bacon to cool.
- Once cooled, wrap a half slice of bacon around each jalapeno popper and secure with a toothpick.
- Grill for 6-8 minutes on a grill preheated to medium-high heat, between 425-450°F. You can also bake them in the oven on a wire rack on top of a foil lined baking sheet at 425°F for 10-12 minutes.
- Freezing: Prepared, uncooked jalapeno poppers can be stored in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. To cook them from frozen, simply add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time, either on the grill or in the oven.
- Prep ahead: Feel free to prep the poppers up to 2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook them.
- Spice level: these jalapeno poppers are slightly spicy, to add more spice add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper to the filling or replace the cheddar cheese with a spicy cheddar. For less spice, use sweet mini peppers instead of jalapenos.
Nutrition Facts
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