Bacon Cheeseburger Jalapeno Poppers

Bacon Cheeseburger Jalapeño Poppers are a major upgrade to the most classic app of all time. 

This is such an easy recipe and the great news is that you can prep them ahead of time. 

The first time I served these up for game day, the were gone within minutes. The grilled burger taste really comes through on this cook. It’s complimented perfectly by the cream cheese and heat from the jalapenos. Be sure to give this one a try!

Ingredients you will need

Meat: 80/20 ground burger and thick-cut bacon

Cheese: Cream cheese and freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Sauce: Mayo, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and relish. 

Peppers: Jalapeño Peppers 

How to make Bacon Cheeseburger Jalapeno Poppers

Preparing the Bacon Cheeseburger Jalapeno Poppers

Preheat grill and prepare it for direct heat cooking. I cooked these on my Nomad Grill to get some great charcoal flavor for when I cooked the burger. If you’re looking to save time, skip grilling the burger and cook a pound of ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Prepare the roasted garlic by cutting the head off of one head of garlic, add olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Wrap in aluminum foil and place in the oven at 400°F for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet, cook up 6-8 strips of bacon (½ pound) over medium heat. Make sure each bacon slice is crispy and there are no undercooked fat pieces on the ends of the bacon. 

Season up two 1/2 pound of burger patties with SPG (salt, black pepper, garlic powder) or your favorite burger seasoning.

Grill burgers over medium high heat on your grill flipping every 2-3 minutes until you have a juicy burger. Remove them from the grill once they reach an internal temperature of 155° F.

Reduce the heat on your grill down to a smoking temperature of 225° F then toss in some hickory wood for bold smoke flavor.

Chop the burger patty up into bite sized pieces then combine it in a large bowl with 1/2 pound chopped up crispy bacon, 1 block of softened cream cheese, 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, 1 diced shallot and 1 head of roasted garlic.

Next, cut each jalapeno in half the long way then scrape out all of the seeds and the core.

Mix all of the ingredients together thoroughly then take a spatula and stuff each jalapeño with the cream cheese mixture. Place jalapenos on a wire rack coated with olive oil.

Smoking the Bacon Cheeseburger Jalapeno Poppers

Place the wire rack on the smoker (indirect heat) at 225° F for 30 minutes.

If you do not have a smoker, place these in your oven with a baking sheet below it at 225°F for 30 minutes. 

While they’re smoking, put together the dipping sauce. Combine and mix in a small bowl: 1/2 cup mayo, 3 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp mustard and 1 tbsp of relish.

Once the jalapenos begin to soften and the cheese has melted, remove them from the smoker. Brush on some BBQ sauce on the tops of the jalapenos the last 4-5 minutes for an added level of flavor. 

Serve warm with the dipping sauce and enjoy!

Looking for other great game day foods?

Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends – Juicy bite size pork belly smoked to perfection. These delicious morsels are lathered in sweet stick BBQ sauce for the perfect bite!

Grilled Chimichurri Chicken Wings – Crispy, juicy chicken coated in some bright, fresh chimichurri. These could possibly be some of the best wings of all time!

Smoked Brisket Street Corn Tacos – Looking to feed a crowd? Be sure to give this recipe a go! Smoked brisket with grilled street corn and Chipotle Lime Ranch will be a crowd favorite!

Print