Bacon and jalapeños are already a great combo on their own. Add a creamy, seasoned cheese filling and bake everything until crispy? That’s when it gets really good.
These keto bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers are one of those recipes that everyone loves, whether they eat low carb or not. They always disappear fast.
The recipe is super simple. You stuff the pepper halves with a cheddar and cream cheese mixture, wrap them in bacon, and bake until everything is golden and bubbly.
Since there’s no breading or flour involved, they’re naturally low carb and keto friendly. You get all the flavor without the extra carbs.
They work perfectly as a snack, appetizer, or side dish. I make them all the time and the recipe is easy enough that anyone can pull it off on the first try.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Crispy Bacon Meets Creamy Filling – The combo of crunchy rendered bacon and rich melty cream cheese filling is absolutely irresistible.
Perfect Keto Party Snack – These poppers disappear fast at any gathering and nobody will even realize they are eating keto food.
High Fat and Satisfying – Between the cream cheese and cheddar and bacon these poppers are packed with healthy fats that keep you full.
Recipe Ingredients
- 12 Medium Jalapeño Peppers
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 12 slices Bacon, cut in half
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
How To Make
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.
Step 2
Cut each jalapeño in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to scoop out all the seeds and membranes. This is important for managing the heat level.
Step 3
In a bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.
Step 4
Fill each jalapeño half generously with the cream cheese mixture, mounding it slightly. Press the filling in firmly so it stays put.
Step 5
Wrap each stuffed jalapeño half with a half-slice of bacon, starting at one end and spiraling to the other. Place them seam-side down on the wire rack.
Step 6
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and rendered and the filling is bubbling around the edges. For extra crispy bacon, you can broil for the last 2 minutes, watching carefully.
Step 7
Let them cool for 5 minutes before serving. The filling will be extremely hot right out of the oven.
Tips
Use a Melon Baller to Hollow Out the Jalapeños
A small spoon works okay, but a melon baller is the perfect size and shape to scrape out the seeds and white membranes in one clean swipe. It gives you a nice deep pocket for more filling.
The white membranes inside are where most of the heat lives. If you want milder poppers, scrape every bit of that white stuff out. If you like some kick, leave a thin layer behind.
Par-Cook the Bacon Before Wrapping
Raw bacon takes longer to crisp up than the jalapeños and filling take to cook. If you wrap them with fully raw bacon, you’ll either end up with chewy bacon or overcooked peppers.
Cook the bacon slices in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes or in a pan for just a couple of minutes per side. You want them pliable and slightly cooked but nowhere near crispy. They should still bend easily so you can wrap them.
This head start means the bacon will finish crisping in the oven right when the peppers and filling are perfectly done.
The Wire Rack Makes a Big Difference
Don’t skip the wire rack and just lay the poppers flat on the baking sheet. Without the rack, the bacon on the bottom sits in its own grease and never crisps up. You end up with crispy bacon on top and soggy bacon underneath.
The wire rack lets hot air circulate all around each popper so the bacon gets evenly crispy on every side. If you don’t have a wire rack, flip them halfway through baking.
More Recipes
- Keto Baklava Bites
- Keto Peanut Butter Buckeyes
- Low Carb Chocolate Bark with Sea Salt
- Low Carb Fudgy Brownie Bites
- Low Carb No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these ahead of time and bake them later?
Yes, you can assemble the poppers up to a day in advance. Just stuff the jalapeños, wrap them in bacon, and store them on a tray covered with plastic wrap in the fridge.
When you’re ready, pop them straight into the oven at 400°F. You may need to add a couple extra minutes to the bake time since they’ll be cold going in.
Keto Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.
- Cut each jalapeño in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to scoop out all the seeds and membranes. This is important for managing the heat level.
- In a bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.
- Fill each jalapeño half generously with the cream cheese mixture, mounding it slightly. Press the filling in firmly so it stays put.
- Wrap each stuffed jalapeño half with a half-slice of bacon, starting at one end and spiraling to the other. Place them seam-side down on the wire rack.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and rendered and the filling is bubbling around the edges. For extra crispy bacon, you can broil for the last 2 minutes, watching carefully.
- Let them cool for 5 minutes before serving. The filling will be extremely hot right out of the oven.