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Bacon Pimiento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers will take your party spread to new levels! Using only 3 ingredients, these poppers are baked to perfection, and they’ll be gone in a flash
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I love to entertain, but I don’t do it nearly as often as I’d like. The open floor plan of my home makes it ideal, and every time I do host a party I vow to do it more often. And then life gets in the way. The good thing is, I have friends who pick up the slack and host at their home, so all I have to do is bring an appetizer!
One of my most popular appetizers is Bacon and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms, and you can make the filling ahead and then stuff and bake as needed. Pigs in an Everything Blanket is my fun twist on the classic, and my Cheddar Fig Honey Bites are insanely easy.
I recently shared my Pimiento Cheese Deviled Eggs recipe. My dad rarely eats eggs, but since he was in town when I did the recipe I had him try one. Over the next 2 days he helped me eat the whole batch! I had a lot of pimiento cheese spread left over, so I created Bacon Pimiento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers
Yes, I could absolutely eat these Bacon Pimiento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers by the dozen! The sweet and tangy pimiento cheese spread works so well with the spicy jalapenos, and the salty bacon adds a fabulous bite. I use Price’s Pimiento Cheese Spread, because that’s what I have in the fridge. You can use your favorite brand, or make your own. I haven’t tackled homemade pimiento cheese yet. That’s it…3 ingredients for a perfect appetizer!
ALL ABOUT THE JALAPENOS
- Look for jalapenos that are vibrant green, with smooth outer skin and no bruises, and are all about 3-4″ long
- Slice the jalapenos lengthwise, and use a spoon to remove the seeds and ribs. Use gloves, or wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water as soon as you’re done!
- Don’t over-fill the jalapenos, or the pimiento cheese will bubble over while baking. I use about 1 teaspoon of cheese per jalapeno half
- Put the filled jalapenos in the fridge to rest at least one hour, up to one day ahead
BACON, BACON AND MORE BACON
I’m a huge fan of thick-cut bacon, but it won’t work for Bacon Pimiento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers. Thick-cut bacon isn’t as pliable, so it won’t stretch as well around the jalapenos. I use center-cut bacon, which is a little bit heartier than regular.
You have 2 choices when prepping the bacon, and it’s really about personal preference
- OPTION 1: Lay the bacon strips on a Baking Rack on a foil-lined Baking Sheet, and bake at 400° for 8 minutes. Once bacon is cool, wrap the jalapenos
- OPTION 2: Wrap raw bacon strips around the jalapenos. The only down side to this method is the bacon doesn’t get as crispy
You could use one slice of bacon per jalapeno half. However, I do 1/2 slice each, so I can justify eating more poppers. If you pre-bake the bacon, stretch the bacon BEFORE baking. Otherwise, it will break on you, and you wont get equal sized pieces.
- Lay a piece of bacon flat on a cutting board
- Use a large knife, flipped backwards, so the back of the blade lays on the bacon
- Hold the left edge of the bacon down, and drag the knife across the bacon strip until it increases in length by about 50%
Bacon shrinks as it cooks, so to keep it around the jalapeno, I secure the bacon with 2 Toothpicks per jalapeno. Make sure you push through both the bacon and jalapeno on both sides. I serve the Bacon Pimiento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers with the toothpicks, making them easier to pick up
BACON PIMIENTO CHEESE JALAPENO POPPERS NEED A LITTLE SALT!
When I first made them without salt, something was missing. I took some over to April for her to try, and she said the same thing. We added a touch of salt, and it was perfect. And I’m talking a serious touch! I add 1/4 teaspoon of Sea Salt total for 12 Bacon Pimiento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers immediately after they come out of the oven, and it is plenty.
You’re going to want to dive into these Bacon Pimiento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers as soon as they come out of the oven. Tempting, but wait 2-3 minutes for the bubbling to stop, so you don’t scald your mouth. Put these Bacon Pimiento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers on the menu for your next party, and I can guarantee they will be a hit!
SHOP THIS RECIPE

Bacon Pimiento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers
Print RateIngredients
- 12 jalapenos, each about 3-4" long
- 12 slices bacon (I use center cut)
- pimiento cheese spread
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with aluminum foil, and placing baking rack on top. Set aside
- Cut jalapenos in half, lengthwise. Using a small spoon, scoop out the seeds and ribs. This is where all the heat is, so make sure you remove as much as possible. USE GLOVES OR WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY WITH SOAP AND WATER AS SOON AS YOU ARE DONE!
- Lay jalapeno halves cut-side up on a separate baking sheet. Using a 1 teaspoon measure, fill jalapenos with pimiento cheese spread. Don't overfill, or the cheese will bubble over
- Transfer baking sheet to fridge, and allow to rest for one hour. NOTE: you can make these up to this point up to one day ahead. Remove jalapenos from fridge 10 minutes before wrapping with bacon
- Lay bacon pieces individually on cutting board. Hold the left edge of the bacon down. Using large knife flipped upside down, drag flat edge across bacon, until it extends by 50%. Cut each piece in half, so you end up with 24 pieces of bacon
- BACON OPTION 1: Lay pieces of bacon on baking rack, and bake in oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to paper towels to drain. When cool enough to handle, wrap a piece of bacon around each jalapeno half
- BACON OPTION 2: Wrap a piece of raw bacon around each jalapeno half
- Secure bacon to jalapenos with 2 toothpicks per jalapeno popper. Be sure to push toothpicks through both bacon and jalapenos. Transfer to baking rack, and bake in oven for 18-20 minutes
- As soon as jalapeno poppers come out of the oven, lightly sprinkle each jalapeno popper with salt. You will only need 1/2 teaspoon total for all 24 poppers
- Allow poppers to cool for 2-3 minutes before serving.
For more delicious recipes, click on the photos below!
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OMG. I can’t wait to make these for friends next weekend. I absolutely love stuffed peppers of any kind. I’ve never thought of using pimiento!
That’s awesome Jordan! I would love to hear how you like them
OK this tooootally takes jalapeño poppers to the next level! Love that cheesy stuffing. Perfect party food!
Haha thanks Ashley! Yes, pimiento cheese definitely takes them to a new level
Ok … pimiento cheese … that’s an amazing start, right there! But then you go ahead and tell me that you can prep the filling ahead, so these are even easier?!? Perfect! I love this twist on the always-popular poppers!
Haha! Yes, I love easy, make-ahead appetizer recipes. And yes, pimiento cheese is fabulous 🙂
So many great flavours combined into these mouthwatering spicy bites! They sound amazing.
Thanks Emily! They are SO good, and super easy to make. A definite crowd pleaser
These appetizers sound and look so delicious! In our family, they would be gone in a nano-second. We’ve got several family gatherings scheduled and I can’t wait to make them.
Oh that’s awesome Marisa! They are great for a crowd, and trust me, they don’t last very long
Oh my gosh there is no way I would not eat every single one of these! And the styling of this dish is so beautiful!
Thank you so much Kristen! Oh believe me, I had to stop myself from eating every single one all on my own
What a wonderful appetizer! This would be a HIT for any party!
Jalapeno poppers are the best! And these sound delicious.
İ think you are the queen of entertainment for your guest if you have these for the crowd… they looks amazing and fingerlicking!
These are my absolute favorite! I love them for game day weekend!!!
I’ve never heard of Jalapeno poppers before! It’s always good to have simple and quick recipes to bring to parties.
Oh Maria, jalapeno poppers are to die for! They are so good, and can be filled with so many different things. And yes, this really is a quick and super delicious appetizer
Cheese, jalapenos and bacon! Perfect combination to entertain the crowd. Crunchy, creamy and spicy , all in one!