This easy jalapeño popper dip with bacon is a take on the favorite stuffed jalapeño bites! A delicious addition to any appetizer buffet table.
Jalapeño poppers are an all time favorite appetizer. Jalapeños stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon, and baked until crispy - what's not to love? They can be a lot of work. Enter this easy, fast jalapeño popper dip recipe! The same great flavors in an easy to make and oh-so- delicious dip!
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Basic Order of Operations
- Jalapeño peppers. Seed and remove stems from the fresh jalapeño peppers. Roast on a baking sheet until skin is starting to blacken. Remove and let sit until cool enough to handle. Dice them into small pieces.
- Cheese. Combine cream cheese with goat cheese and mix until well combined. This can be done by hand or with a hand mixer.
- Bacon. Mix bacon into the cream cheese mixture.
- Bake. Place in a baking dish and bake until golden on top.
- Serve warm. This is great served with baguette slices, tortilla chips, or crackers.
Jalapeño Peppers
A Little History on Peppers and Heat
Wilbur Scoville, an American pharmacist, found a way to measure the amount of capsaicin in peppers. Capsaicin is the main chemical that makes hot peppers spicy hot! The level of spicy heat is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU) using the Scoville Scale. There is a HUGE difference in the heat level of peppers.
- Bell peppers are at the bottom with a rating of 0 SHU (means no heat).
- Jalapeño peppers, commonly used in cooking, rate 2500-8000 SHU.
- Ghost peppers, which most of us have heard of, measures 855,000 SHU. THAT'S HOT!
- Pure Capsaicin is at the top of the scale with a rating of 15,000,000 SHU - Umm, NO - JUST NO!!
Roasting and Cutting Jalapeño Peppers
We recommend using gloves when cutting and seeding jalapeños, especially if your hands are sensitive to the oils in hot peppers. Never touch your face or eyes when cutting hot peppers (we've been there and done that and it is NOT FUN)!
Since the heat in jalapeños varies with some quite hot and others not as hot, the number of jalapeños may need to be adjusted. Roasting the jalapeños reduces the heat in them, but if you are sensitive to hot foods (yet still love these flavors!) add half of the diced jalapeño peppers, taste and add more until you reach your level of desired heat. If you like hot dishes you can probably add more roasted peppers.
Equipment We Used
We used a nonstick silicone baking mat to line our sheet pans when roasting the jalapeños but you can also use parchment paper. We love using a silpat because it is reusable. Just wash, dry and use again!
Our Favorite Riffs
We LOVE this cheese combination, but you can substitute shredded cheddar or feta cheese for the goat cheese in this roasted jalapeño dip recipe. We don't recommend replacing the cream cheese in this recipe.
Make this jalapeño dip recipe vegetarian by skipping the bacon.
Make Ahead Tips
Mix this jalapeño pepper dip up to 3 days in advance but don't bake it. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Remove from the refrigerator and bake in a 425ºF oven for 10-15 minutes. NOTE: DO NOT use a glass baking dish if moving straight from the cold refrigerator to the hot oven, as the dish may break. We recommend a cast iron skillet or metal baking dish. If in a glass dish, bring to room temperature on the counter before placing in the hot oven.
Jalapeño peppers freeze great and roasting jalapeños, as well as reducing the heat of the pepper, gives a nice smokey flavor. Purchase jalapeños during the growing season, roast in large batches, and freeze in airtight containers until needed.
FUN TIP: If you purchase your jalapeños from a farm specializing in peppers, they may have large tumbling roasters to roast the peppers. If so, this is an easy, fast way to get your peppers roasted in large batches!
Serving This Dip
We like serving this straight out of the oven in a casserole dish, ramekin, or just a nice baking dish. This jalapeño dip can also be kept warm in a crockpot, or fondue pot, on the lowest setting for longer events. Place a basket of baguette slices, crackers, or chips next to the dish of dip.
Saving Leftovers
The FDA recommends discarding any perishable food that has been out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
If you are within the FDA recommendations, this jalapeño popper dip will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or serve cold.
Other Favorite Dip Appetizers
Some Common FAQ's
No. We tested this with and without removing the skins and found, since roasting the pepper softens the skin, it is absolutely fine to leave the skin on.
While we strongly recommend roasting the jalapeño peppers, you can skip that step if you want. We like the smokiness achieved from roasting the peppers. Roasting also reduces the heat level of the jalapeños. If not roasting the jalapeños, add them in stages and taste after each addition to make sure the dish is not too spicy.
Yes. Mix it up but don't bake it. Place roasted jalapeño cheese mixture in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and follow recipe for baking. You can go straight from the freezer if you like. Cover the dish of jalapeño dip and place in a cold oven. We recommend using a dish that can go from the freezer to the oven. Turn the oven on and heat the dip until it is hot throughout.
📖 Recipe
Jalapeño Popper Dip
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 ½ cups 1x
Description
This easy jalapeño popper dip recipe is a take on one of our all time favorite party foods, stuffed jalapeños! Perfect for holiday parties, super bowl parties, or whenever you want a simple, delicious appetizer.
Ingredients
- 10 fresh jalapeños
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 1 cup crispy bacon, chopped and divided (88 grams)
- Crackers, bread slices, or chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Halve the jalapeños and remove the stem and seeds. Don't touch your face or eyes. Gloves are recommended for this step.
- Place prepped jalapeños on lined baking sheet and place in a 425°F oven. Roast until the skins begin to turn black.
- Remove jalapeños from the oven and let cool 2-3 minutes until they are cool enough to handle.
- Chop them into small pieces. NOTE: you do not need to remove the skin from the jalapeños.
- Place cream cheese and goat cheese in a large bowl and mix until completely combined.
- Add ¾ cup crispy bacon pieces and diced jalapeños to the cheese mixture. Stir until mixed thoroughly.
- Place jalapeño popper mix in serving dish and top with remaining ¼ cup crispy bacon pieces.
- Place in 425°F oven and heat until warm and starting to brown on top, usually around 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and serve with crackers, bread, or chips.
Notes
Bacon. This is just as good with all of the bacon mixed in instead of saving some for the top.
Make ahead. This dip can be made up to 3 days in advance. Don't bake the dip if making ahead of time. Instead, mix the dip and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Dip can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Bake before serving.
This can also be heated and kept warm in a crock pot. Instead of baking in the oven, place mixed ingredients into a small crock pot and heat until warm. Keep on lowest setting to keep warm.
Favorite riffs. Substitute shredded cheddar cheese or feta cheese for the goat cheese. We recommend keeping the cream cheese as the base of this recipe. Replace bacon with crispy prosciutto or cooked sausage. Leave the bacon out for a vegetarian option.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 3.5 g
- Sodium: 90.8 mg
- Fat: 6.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.4 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 15.4 mg
Mike says
I have friends who always bring over chips and crackers and we always run out of dips first thing, so I made a few of the ones here and loved this one. Also loved the Cheesy Corn Dip but this one went first! Will be making again for game night.
Rhonda says
It's a great game night dip! Enjoy.