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Turn leftover smoked pulled pork into the ultimate party appetizer with these bacon-wrapped pulled pork jalapeño poppers. Stuffed with cream cheese, cheddar, and smoky pork, then glazed with bbq sauce and hot pepper jelly on the pellet grill. Make-ahead friendly!
If you’ve got leftover smoked pulled pork sitting in the fridge, stop what you’re doing and go make these pulled pork jalapeño poppers. We’ve made them twice now for parties, and both times they were the first thing to disappear off the table. *Think Texas Twinkies with pork instead of brisket.
Jalapeño poppers are already a crowd favorite, but stuffing them with smoky pulled pork instead of plain cream cheese takes them to a whole different level. The pork adds flavor, texture, and just enough heartiness to make these feel like more than a snack. Add a bacon wrap and a bbq-hot pepper jelly glaze, and you’ve got one of the most requested appetizers we make.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s the perfect way to use up leftover pulled pork. If you smoked a pork butt over the weekend, this is a fantastic next-day (or next-week) recipe for the leftovers.
- You can prep it ahead of time. We stuffed our jalapeños and wrapped them in bacon a full day before our party, then just tossed them straight on the grill the day-of. Easy party app, no stress.
- The flavor is layered, not one-note. Between the smoked pork, the pan juices mixed back in, the cheese, and that bbq-hot pepper jelly glaze at the end, every bite has something going on.
- They reheat and hold well, which makes them ideal for tailgates, potlucks, and game day spreads.
Ingredients Needed
- leftover pulled pork – We used roughly 2 cups of pork for our poppers, or about 1 pound.
- BBQ sauce – Use your favorite.
- reserved pan drippings from the pork butt – See the notes below. This is optional, but if you have the “pork au jus”, you can add it in to the mixture. If not, no worries – just leave it out.
- barbecue seasoning – We used our own ‘Que That Barbecue Seasoning, but you can substitute your favorite BBQ rub.
- cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese – These get mixed with the pork for a delicious filling. Full-fat varieties are best here.
- barbecue sauce and hot pepper jelly – This is our new favorite two-ingredient glaze for smoked appetizers like these smoked poppers. Use your favorite barbecue sauce.
- whole jalapeños – Look for peppers that have a smooth, firm green skin. Medium to large sized jalapenos work best for this recipe.
- bacon – You’ll need one slice per jalapeno half. Regular cut bacon works best – stay away from the thick cut because it takes longer to render on the smoker.
- toothpicks – These aren’t necessary, but they are helpful for securing the bacon.
Notes for the Leftover Pulled Pork
- On the pulled pork we used: We use a modified foil boat method for our smoked pork butt, which leaves you with a flavorful pan sauce (“pork au jus”) in addition to the pulled pork itself. You can find our full smoked pork butt recipe here. Run the drippings through a fat separator, then use about 1 tablespoon of the au jus and 1 tablespoon of the reserved pork fat to mix back into your pulled pork for this recipe – it adds moisture and richness that plain leftover pork won’t have on its own.
- On chopping the pork: Take your time and chop the pulled pork smaller than you normally would for a sandwich. Big chunks won’t stuff into the jalapeño halves very well.
- On the mixture mounding up: It’s okay – and expected – for the pulled pork and cream cheese mixture to mound up a bit above the edge of the jalapeño half. The proteins and fat in the pork help hold everything together with the cheese so it won’t ooze out on the grill.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Mix the pulled pork filling. In a bowl, combine the chopped pulled pork, bbq sauce, reserved au jus, and barbecue seasoning. Mix well so the pork picks up that extra moisture and flavor.
2. Add the cheese. Add the softened cream cheese and shredded cheddar to the pork mixture and mix until fully combined. This is your popper filling.
3. Prep the jalapeños. Split each jalapeño in half lengthwise. Using a paring knife, work around the white pith and remove it along with the seeds, clearing out as much space as possible for stuffing.
4. Stuff the jalapeños. Fill each jalapeño half with about 2 to 2.5 tablespoons of the pulled pork mixture, pressing it down firmly. It’s fine if it mounds up above the pepper.
5. Wrap in bacon. Wrap each stuffed jalapeño half in a slice of bacon, and secure the end with a toothpick.
(Make-ahead tip: this is a great point to stop if you’re prepping in advance. Stuffed and wrapped poppers can be covered and refrigerated up to a day ahead – see the FAQ below.)
6. Season and prep the grill. Give the poppers one more light dusting of barbecue seasoning. Preheat your pellet grill to 275°F. *You can use a wire cooling rack turned upside-down to quickly transfer the poppers on and off the grill.
7. Grill the poppers. Place the poppers on the grill at 275°F and cook for about 90 minutes, until the bacon has rendered and crisped up and the peppers have softened.
8. Make the glaze. While the poppers are finishing up, whisk together roughly equal parts bbq sauce and hot pepper jelly in a small bowl. I like to whisk the glaze in a small saucepan, and then put the pan directly on the grill grates for a few minutes for the glaze to heat up a bit – it makes it easier to brush on.
9. Glaze and finish. During the last few minutes of cook time, brush the glaze over the poppers and let it set on the grill. Give them one more light glaze as they come off and start to cool.
10. Cool and serve. Let the poppers cool for a few minutes before serving – that pork and cheese filling holds heat. Don’t forget to pull the toothpicks before your guests dig in!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes – this is one of the best make-ahead party appetizers we make. Stuff the jalapeños and wrap them in bacon up to a day in advance, then store covered in the fridge. On the day of your party, just place them straight on the preheated grill. It’s one less thing to worry about the day of.
Absolutely. Chopped smoked brisket works great in place of the pulled pork if that’s what you have on hand. Just be sure to chop it fine. Bacon-wrapped brisket poppers are actually referred to as Texas Twinkies, and we have a full recipe on those as well.
It’s not essential – you can leave it out and the poppers will still taste great. It just adds a little extra moisture and richness to the filling.
That’s up to you and how much pith and seeds you leave behind. Remove all of it for a milder popper, or leave some in if you want more heat.
Pulled Pork Jalapeno Poppers
Ingredients
Pulled Pork Mixture:
- 1 lb pulled pork, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
- ¼ cup bbq sauce
- 2 tablespoons reserved pork drippings, see notes
- 1 tablespoon 'Que That Barbecue Seasoning, or favorite bbq rub
Poppers:
- 10 whole jalapeños
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 20 slices bacon
- toothpicks
Glaze:
- ¼ cup bbq sauce
- ¼ cup hot pepper jelly
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped pulled pork, bbq sauce, pork drippings (if using – see notes), and barbecue seasoning. Mix well.
- Add the softened cream cheese and shredded cheddar to the pork mixture and stir until fully combined.
- Halve each jalapeño lengthwise. Remove the seeds and white pith with a paring knife.
- Fill each jalapeño half with 2 to 2.5 tablespoons of the pulled pork mixture, depending on the size of your jalapeños, pressing down firmly. It's fine if it mounds above the pepper.
- Wrap each stuffed jalapeño half with a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
- Preheat a pellet grill or smoker to 275°F.
- Dust the tops of the poppers lightly with additional barbecue seasoning.
- Place the poppers on the grill and cook for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1½ hours, until the bacon is rendered and the peppers are softened.
- When the poppers are almost done, stir together the bbq sauce and hot pepper jelly in a small saucepan to make the glaze. Heat the sauce on the grill for a few minutes to make it easy to baste.
- In the last few minutes of cook time, brush the glaze over the poppers and let it set on the grill.
- Remove from the grill, brush with a final light layer of glaze, and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove the toothpicks and serve warm.
Notes
- Poppers can be stuffed and wrapped in bacon up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate covered until ready to grill.
- Chopped smoked brisket can be substituted for the pulled pork.
- We use a modified foil boat method for our smoked pork butt, which leaves you with a flavorful pan sauce (“pork au jus”) in addition to the pulled pork itself. You can find our full smoked pork butt recipe here. Run the drippings through a fat separator, then use about 1 tablespoon of the au jus and 1 tablespoon of the reserved pork fat to mix back into your pulled pork for this recipe – it adds moisture and richness. If you’re working with leftover pork, no worries – you can leave the drippings out of the mixture, and the poppers will still be incredible.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
