Inside out jalapeno poppers are like traditional jalapeno poppers but the bacon is on the inside surrounded by a crispy cheese shell.
5 from 2 votes
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By Christie Vanover | Published August 26, 2022 | Last Updated September 8, 2022

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platter of inside out jalapeno poppers.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
  1. Why inside out?
  2. Ingredients
  3. Equipment
  4. How to make inside out jalapeño poppers
  5. How to serve these poppers
  6. Storage
  7. Frequently Asked Questions
  8. Other fun appetizers

Why inside out?

I don’t know about you, but I have the hardest time making regular jalapeño poppers. Either my peppers are undercooked or my cheese melts out.

So I created this new way to make poppers that guarantees every bite is perfect, and they don’t take as long to cook. In fact, they can be made to order in 1-2 minutes.

inside out jalapeno popper

Instead of stuffing a jalapeño half with cream cheese, garlic and cheddar cheese and wrapping it in bacon, you place the cheddar cheese on a griddle and top it with cream cheese, bacon, jalapeño and garlic.

Once the cheddar cheese starts to crisp up, you roll it into a log and your inside out jalapeno poppers are ready.

Ingredients

This recipe includes the same ingredients that you would use for traditional jalapeño poppers, but the dish is assembled a little differently.

inside out jalapeno popper ingredients: cheddar cheese, bacon, cream cheese, jalapenos, granulated garlic, salt.
  • Cheddar Cheese: Pre-shredded cheddar cheese is easiest, but you can buy a block and shred it yourself, if you prefer.
  • Cream Cheese: 1 block is all you need.
  • Bacon: Instead of wrapping the bacon on the outside, dice it and cook it to add to the inside.
  • Jalapeños: The recipe says to remove the seeds, but if you like extra spice, leave ’em in.
  • Granulated Garlic: This adds garlic flavor to the cheese. You can use a sprinkle of garlic powder, if you prefer.
  • Kosher Salt: This is just a finishing salt for that extra pop of flavor.

Options: These are awesome on their own, but you can also serve them with ranch dipping sauce for more flair.

bottles of BBQ rubs on black background

Equipment

I teamed up with BBQGuys.com to create this recipe using their Victory 4-burner Gas Griddle.

the Victory 4-burner Gas Griddle from BBQ Guys.

To cook the cheese crisp properly, set the griddle to medium-low. That will give you a griddle surface temp of anywhere from 350-380F degrees, which is perfect for this recipe.

I always use an infrared gun when griddle cooking, so I can get a true reading of the heat.

How to make inside out jalapeño poppers

  1. STEP ONE: Remove the seeds and stem from the jalapeños and slice them in half. Then, slice each half into 8 strips. You should end up with a total of 64 strips to make 32 poppers.
sliced jalapeno strips.
  1. STEP TWO: Slice the cream cheese into 16 slices. Then, slice each of those in half, so you end up with 32 pieces. Keep the cream cheese cold.
sliced cream cheese.
  1. STEP THREE: Cook the diced bacon and sliced jalapeños on the griddle, until the bacon is brown and the jalapeño strips are tender. Remove from the griddle and place on a paper towel lined sheet pan to drain.
diced bacon and jalapeno strips cooking on griddle.
  1. STEP FOUR: Place 2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese on the griddle in an oblong shape. Top with a strip of cream cheese, a pinch of granulated garlic, 2 jalapeño strips and some cooked bacon.
cheddar cheese on griddle.
Add cheddar cheese to griddle.
cheese on griddle topped with cream cheese.
Top with cream cheese.
cheese on griddle topped with cream cheese and jalapeno strips.
Add garlic and 2 strips of cooked jalapenos.
cheese on griddle topped with cream cheese and jalapeno strips and bacon.
Add bacon
  1. STEP FIVE: Once the edges of the cheddar cheese start to brown, fold the left edge over the toppings. Then, fold the right edge over the toppings to make a log. Remove and sprinkle with kosher salt.
edges of cheese starting to brown.
folding left side of cheese over toppings.
Once brown, lift up the left side.
lifting left side of cheese with spatula.
Fold it over the toppings.
lifting left side of cheese with spatula.
Lift the right edge.
folding right edge of cheese over toppings.
Fold it over the toppings.

How to serve these poppers

Once you remove the inside out jalapeno poppers from the griddle, the cheddar cheese will release a little grease, so you may want to let them rest on a pan or plate first and then move them to your presentation platter.

platter of inside out jalapeno popper.

They’ll remain crispy for several minutes. That’s when they taste the best. If they sit around for 30-60 minutes, they will start to soften, but they’ll still taste great.

You can serve them with a little ranch dressing on the side, but they’re perfectly creamy all on their own.

Have some extra ingredients on stand by, because people won’t eat just one.

Storage

Although they’re best eaten right away, you can store leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Reheat them in an oven, toaster oven or air fryer or back on the griddle. Don’t reheat them in the microwave, or everything will melt.

GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips

  • Prep all of your ingredients in advance
  • Make sure your griddle surface is between 350-380F degrees
  • Wait for the edges of the cheddar cheese to start to brown before folding

Frequently Asked Questions

Can these be made in advance?

If you want to plan ahead, you can pre-make the bacon and peppers and pre-shred and slice the cheese. Keep the cream cheese pieces separated on a wax-paper lined pan. Then, you can pull out all the ingredients when it’s time to cook them.

Why does my cheddar cheese keep falling apart?

Two things can cause this to happen. Either the griddle isn’t hot enough, or you’re not letting the cheese cook long enough before you start to fold it. Make sure the edges are starting to brown. You should be able to slide your spatula under the cheese in one motion.

What spatulas are you using in the pictures and video to flip up the cheese?

Because these inside out jalapeno poppers are small, I prefer to use two mini spatulas from Pampered Chef. You can use full size spatulas, too, but these little ones get under the cheese perfectly.

Other fun appetizers

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platter of inside out jalapeno poppers.

Inside Out Jalapeño Peppers

Inside out jalapeno poppers are like traditional jalapeno poppers but the bacon is on the inside surrounded by a crispy cheese shell.
Recipe by Christie Vanover
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings 32
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Ingredients
 

  • 4 jalapenos
  • 8 slices bacon diced
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 4 cups cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • Prep: Cut each jalapeño in half. Remove seeds and stems. Slice halves into 8 strips. You should have 16 strips per jalapeño and 64 strips total. Slice the cream cheese into 16 pieces, and slice each of those in half to make 32 pieces. Keep them cold and separated.
  • Cook: Heat your griddle to medium low (350-380F degrees). Place the bacon on the griddle and cook, until it's browned. Add the peppers to the griddle at the same time and cook with the bacon drippings, until tender. Clean the griddle.
  • Top Poppers: Place 2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese on the griddle in an oblong shape. Top with 1 piece of cream cheese, a pinch of garlic powder, 2 jalapeño strips and a few crumbles of bacon.
  • Fold Poppers: Once the edges of the cheddar cheese start to brown, slide your spatula under the cheese. Fold the left side over the toppings. Then fold the right side over the toppings to make a log. Remove from the grill and sprinkle with salt.

Notes

You can pre-cook the bacon and jalapeños and cook the poppers to order, making all 32 for a big party or just a couple for an afternoon snack. 
Once you get the hang of this, you can make 2-3 poppers at a time.
The key is to wait for the cheddar cheese edges to start to brown. Then, it will easily release from the griddle. 

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 187mgPotassium: 36mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 258IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 0.1mg

This estimate was created using an online nutrition calculator

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