Double Smoked Jalapeño Poppers

A staple at cookouts, tailgates, and backyard barbecues, bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers deliver the perfect balance of heat, creaminess, and crunch.

This recipe keeps the classic flavors but takes things up a notch with an extra smoky twist. Whether you’re using a Traeger, pellet grill, or traditional smoker, slow-smoking the poppers infuses them with deep, rich flavor that makes them even more addictive.

Why you’ve got to try these smoked jalapeño poppers

• Perfect BBQ Appetizer – A crowd-pleasing snack for any cookout or game day.
• Smoky & Spicy – The perfect balance of smoky flavor and jalapeño heat.
• Crispy Bacon Wrap – Adds a delicious crunch and savory bite.
• Creamy, Cheesy Filling – A rich, melty blend that complements the spice, for extra smoke flavor, I like smoking the cream cheese first
• Easy to Make – Simple prep, and the smoker does the hard work.

Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe

(Note: The full ingredient list with exact measurements is in the recipe card below—scroll down when you’re ready to prep!)

• Jalapeños – You’ll need eight jalapeño peppers. I recommend finding the biggest jalapeños you can, but any size works. If you want to cut back on the spice, you can also use sweet peppers instead.
• Cream cheese – You can use regular softened cream cheese for this recipe, but I highly recommend whipping some smoked cream cheese. It adds an extra punch of smoke flavor from the inside out and takes these poppers to the next level.
• BBQ rub/seasoning – Grab a bottle of your favorite barbecue rub to add flavor to the filling.
• Shredded cheese – A touch of shredded cheese in the filling helps to bring a bold, cheesy flavor. I like to use a cheddar/jack cheese blend, but any shredded cheese you have in the fridge will work great!
• Bacon – Thin cut is best as it renders faster so you end up with a crispy bite.

Equipment you’ll need

• Smoker or pellet grill – This recipe will work on any pellet grill or smoker as long as it can maintain a steady temperature of 275°F. I used my Trager Woodridge Pro for these poppers and some hickory blend pellets.
• Knife – You’ll need a knife to chop the tops off the jalapeños and slice them in half.
• Small spoon – I find that a small spoon is the best tool for removing the seeds and stems from the jalapeños.
• Medium-sized mixing bowl
• Wire rack – I like to smoke poppers on a wire rack, which makes it easier to get them on and off the grill. You can also place the rack on an aluminum-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up.

How to make smoked jalapeño poppers step-by-step

1. Smoke the cream cheese

You can use regular softened cream cheese if you’re in a time crunch, but pre-smoking the cream cheese for the filling for a couple of hours adds a fantastic layer of smoky flavor that is well worth the extra effort.

When I make jalapeño poppers they’re usually taking a ride with something else I’m smoking that day, so it doesn’t take much extra effort to throw some cream cheese on a little earlier.

The process is simple—all you have to do is season a couple of blocks of cream cheese and pop them in a 200°F smoker for 1-½ – 2 hours. The cream cheese will soften while smoking and soak up all that extra smoky flavor.

While your cream cheese is on the smoker, it’s a perfect time to prep your jalapenos.

2. Prep the jalapeños

If you want to get the poppers on straight away, you can start preheating your smoker to 275°F at this point.

Take a knife and slice off the end with the stem. Then, cut each one in half lengthways. 

Using a small spoon, run it along the inside to remove the seeds. With just a bit of pressure from your spoon, they should slide right out. 

If you really want to amplify the spice, you can add the seeds to your cream cheese mixture, but I usually discard them so that my poppers don’t end up being too spicy. It just depends on your preference. 

3. Prep the filling

After your cream cheese has been on the smoker for 1-½ to 2 hours, it should be nice and soft. The cream cheese will have soaked up a lot of smoke flavor, making it the perfect base for your filling.

Place the smoked cream cheese in a medium-sized mixing bowl, and then add about ¾ of a cup of shredded cheese. I like to use a cheddar/jack cheese blend for this recipe, but you can use any shredded cheese hanging out in your fridge. Give it a good mix until it’s well combined.

Other great additions to the filling include diced jalapeños, onions, or bell peppers.

4. Assemble your poppers 

Spoon the filling into each of your halved jalapeños. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but you want the cheese mixture to fill the entire cavity of each pepper. 

Once your poppers are stuffed with the cream cheese mixture, wrap each one in a slice of bacon. I don’t recommend using thick-cut bacon for this recipe, as it doesn’t render as quickly. 

Start at the larger end of the jalapeño and wrap the bacon around to the smaller tip. If your bacon doesn’t stretch to the end, you can also use a toothpick to secure it in place if needed. 

Once your poppers are wrapped in bacon, they are ready to hit the smoker! 

5. Smoke your poppers

For this recipe, I used my Traeger Woodridge Pro and some hickory blend pellets.

You can use any smoker or pellet grill as long as it can maintain a steady temperature of 275°F for at least 1-1½ hours. You could also use a charcoal or gas grill; it just won’t put off as much smoke flavor. But since the filling has smoked cream cheese, it will still taste smoky and delicious.

I like to place my poppers on a wire rack with a baking sheet underneath to catch all the grease and any cheese mixture that oozes out. You can also place the poppers directly on your grill grates and put a foil pan underneath for easy cleanup. 

Once your grill is preheated, place the rack on the grates and let them smoke for 1-1½ hours.

You want the bacon to be cooked and crisped. Some people like really crispy bacon, and some prefer softer bacon, so pull them off when the bacon is done to your liking.

Serve them up immediately with BBQ sauce and ranch dressing on the side for dipping.

If you want a heartier version of this recipe, try our Bacon-wrapped Smoked Armadillo Eggs. For a less spicy alternative, you can make Smoked Stuffed Sweet Peppers or our Smoked Mushroom Poppers.

These smoked jalapeño poppers are sure to be a hit at your next BBQ or gathering. If you give them a try, let us know how they turned out—leave a rating and a comment below. We love hearing from you! 🔥