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This smoked jalapeno popper dip is one of the top five best smoker dips that we’ve ever made! With smoked cream cheese, tender diced jalapenos, and loads of shredded cheddar, this popper dip will be the hit of your next party!
If jalapeno poppers and a warm smoked cream cheese dip had a baby, you’d get this cheesy, smoky, perfectly spicy jalapeno popper dip. From the first bite, the wife and I were hooked on this party dip.
And we were also cussing it, because it’s that good and we had just started a strict diet a few days before filming this YouTube video.
I’m not exaggerating when I say this is easily one of the top five best smoked dips we’ve ever made on the pellet grill. The kind of recipe that has you fist-bumping your wife from the first taste, because you know that you nailed it. Trust me, you’re going to love this smoked popper dip.
*And be sure to try out some of our other favorite smoker dips next, like this loaded cowboy queso dip and this smoked buffalo chicken dip.
Why This Recipe Works
- Smoking the fresh jalapenos and cream cheese block first – This does two things: it softens up the peppers so you don’t get that unpleasant crunchy texture, and it adds an extra layer of smoky flavor that you just can’t get any other way.
- Two kinds of jalapeños – Our recipe includes pickled jalapeños along with the fresh smoked peppers. You get that authentic jalapeño flavor without it being overwhelmingly spicy, plus the pickled peppers add a different texture and tang that really rounds out the dip.
How to Make Jalapeno Popper Dip on the Pellet Grill
1. Smoke the cream cheese and jalapeños: Preheat your pellet grill or smoker to 250°F. Place the block of cream cheese on a small sheet tray, and season the top with about 1-2 teaspoons of Spice That Jalapeño All-Purpose Seasoning. Add your whole fresh jalapeños to the smoker as well. Smoke for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Cook the bacon: While everything is smoking, cook your bacon in a skillet until crispy, rendering out all the fat. Drain, chop, and set aside. Reserve a few tablespoons of crumbled bacon for garnish.
3. Prep the smoked jalapeños: Remove jalapeños from the smoker. Slice a few of the ends to use for garnish, and seed and dice the remaining peppers.
4. Mix the dip: In a large bowl, combine the smoked cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, shredded pepper jack cheese, about 3/4 of the shredded cheddar, pickled jalapeños, diced smoked jalapeños, and crumbled bacon. Mix until well combined.
5. First smoke: Transfer the mixture to a 9-10 inch cast iron skillet or oven-safe pan. Return to the smoker and cook until melty, about 30 minutes. Then give it a good stir.
6. Add the topping: Increase smoker temperature to 325°F. Mix together the reserved shredded sharp cheddar cheese, panko breadcrumbs, and reserved crumbled bacon. Spread over the top of the dip.
7. Final smoke: Return to the smoker for 20-25 minutes until the topping is golden and crispy.
8. Garnish and serve: Top with sliced smoked jalapeños and serve hot with tortilla chips, corn chips, crackers, or your favorite dippers.
Recipe Tips
Smoke those jalapeños first. This is my biggest tip. Smoking the jalapeños whole knocks off that crunchiness and rawness. You’re not just adding flavor – you’re changing the texture. Using raw diced jalapeños will give you an unpleasant crunch because they don’t have time to fully cook in the dip.
Don’t skip smoking the cream cheese. This softens it up for easier mixing and adds that extra smoky depth of flavor that makes this dip special.
Use a mix of cheeses. The combination of pepper jack and sharp cheddar gives you both heat and bold cheese flavor.
Serving Suggestions
This dip is incredibly versatile. Sure, you can serve it with chips or crackers, but don’t stop there. Load a baked potato with it, stuff chicken breasts with it, or use it as a spread for sandwiches.
You could even mound a few tablespoons on top of burgers for jalapeno popper smash burgers!
The whole dip took us about 2 hours from start to finish, but most of that is hands-off smoking time. And let me tell you, it’s worth every minute. This is the kind of dip that’ll have people asking for the recipe before they’ve even finished their first chip.
Smoked Jalapeno Popper Dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 3 whole fresh jalapeños
- 2 teaspoons Spice That Jalapeno All-Purpose Seasoning, or your favorite all-purpose seasoning
- 8 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup jarred pickled jalapeños, diced
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 4 slices bacon
For the Topping:
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 slices bacon
Instructions
- Heat pellet grill to 250℉ with your choice of wood or pellets.
- Place the block of cream cheese on a small sheet tray. Sprinkle the top with about 2 teaspoons of Spice That.
- Place the sheet tray of cream cheese and the 3 whole jalapeños on the grill. Close the grill lid and smoke at 250°F for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
- While the cream cheese and jalapeños are smoking, cook 6 slices of bacon in a skillet until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Then dice and set aside. Reserve about 2 slices worth of chopped bacon for garnish.
- Remove the jalapeños and cream cheese from the smoker. Slice 1/2 of one smoked jalapeno for garnish, and seed and dice the remaining peppers.
- In a large bowl, combine the smoked cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, pepper jack cheese, 4 ounces of cheddar cheese, pickled jalapeños, diced smoked jalapeños, and crumbled bacon. Mix until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a 9-10 inch cast iron or oven-safe pan. Place the pan of dip on the smoker and smoke until melty, about 30 minutes. Remove from the smoker and stir well.
- Increase smoker temperature to 325°F. In a medium bowl, mix together 4 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, panko breadcrumbs, and reserved crumbled bacon. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the dip.
- Return the dip to the smoker for 20-25 minutes until the topping is golden and the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the smoker and top with sliced smoked jalapeños for garnish. Serve hot with tortilla chips, corn chips, or crackers.
