Whether you grill or smoke these bacon wrapped stuffed sweet pepper poppers, these appetizers are the the perfect bite of cheesy goodness.
Easy to assemble and prepare ahead of time are bonus reasons to make these poppers for your next summer party.
Bacon adds crispness and flavor as well as keeping the mini peppers contained in a portable edible container.
Trick to Crispy Bacon Wrapped Anything
Flabby bacon can ruin a dish, but there is a simple trick to prevent this failure. Par cook the bacon in a 375° F oven until it shrinks up and turns red, but before it turns crispy. Thin or regular cut bacon produces a superior wrap.
Arrange the bacon strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet so they don’t overlap. Cook for 8-12 until the fat has rendered but the bacon is still flexible enough to wrap around the mini peppers. Remember the bacon will continue to firm up as it cools. Pat the par-cook bacon strips to remove the excess fat. You can now hold the bacon in the refrigerator for 2-4 days.
When it comes time to wrap the mini peppers, begin winding the bacon around the stem end of the pepper, overlapping the lops by about a half-inch. Be careful you don’t overstretch the bacon as you wind it since that bacon may still shrink as it finishes cooking. Use a toothpick to secure the end of the bacon around the pepper. You can prep these bacon-wrapped stuffed sweet pepper poppers a day ahead of when you want to serve them.
Mini sweet peppers are a colorful variation of red, yellow and orange bell peppers. They range in size from 3-5” and are sweeter than the traditional bell peppers. Often sold in a 1 pound bag, these mini peppers are perfect for this appetizer.
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Bacon Wrapper Pepper Poppers
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 15–18 servings 1x
- Category: starters
- Method: BBQ, grilled, smoked
- Cuisine: American, Tex Mex
Description
Bacon wrapped stuffed peppers poppers are packed with cheesy goodness. Crispy bacon makes these appetizers the perfect bite.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of mini pepper poppers (about 15–18 peppers)
- 12 ounces thin cut bacon
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1/4 red onion, minced (about 1/3 cup)
- 1/3 cup minced mini pepper from top pieces cut off pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Soften the cream cheese to room temperature.
- Slice the top third off each pepper. Scoop out the seeds and membrane of each and discard.
- Par-cook the bacon slices and pat dry.
- In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese with the garlic powder, minced red onion, minced mini peppers, Old Bay seasoning, black pepper and cheddar cheese and mix well.
- Use a small spoon to spoon the cream cheese mixture into each pepper. Pack it in to fill any voids.
- To wrap each pepper, beginning at the stem end, wind the bacon around the pepper pulling slightly and overlapping the bacon by 1/2 inch. Secure the bacon with a toothpick.
- Refrigerate the poppers for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- When ready to cook the poppers, preheat the grill to medium high. (Or the smoker to 375° F). Cook the peppers on a perforated grill tray for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the bacon is crispy.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 popper
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