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Learn how to make the ultimate BBQ smoked appetizers – Texas Twinkies! Easy step by step guide with photos for brisket stuffed, bacon wrapped jalapeños.
Texas Twinkies are a popular smoked appetizer to make on the pellet grill or smoker. And it’s easy to see why… Anytime you stuff jalapeños with cream cheese and brisket and then wrap them in bacon, you know they’re going to be good.
But since I do mine a little bit different than most, maybe I should call these “Tennessee Twinkies”. Most recipes call for stuffing the peppers using a “T” cut method – and while I’m all for a good power T (Go Vols!) – I cut my peppers just a bit different for maximum filling.
Here’s how to make these delicious brisket-stuffed, smoked Texas Twinkies… and be sure to check out these other classic smoked barbecue appetizers – brisket burnt ends and smoked pig shots!
What are Texas Twinkies?
If you’ve never heard of Texas Twinkies before, let me introduce you to one of the greatest gifts the Lone Star State has ever given us. Originally invented by Hutchins BBQ and made popular by Texas barbecue joints, these smoked appetizers consist of smoky, cheesy, brisket-stuffed jalapeño poppers, wrapped in bacon and then glazed with your favorite barbecue sauce.
The clever name comes from the resemblance to the famous snack cake. Both types of “Twinkies” are about the same length, and they both contain a delicious creamy filling.
*You can also try these brisket stuffed poblano peppers to turn this idea into a main course!
Ingredients Notes
- Jalapeños: Pick the largest, fattest ones you can find. The bigger the pepper, the more glorious the stuffing.
- Brisket: Use leftover brisket if you’ve got it, or grab some pre-cooked brisket from the grocery store or your favorite BBQ joint. You can also substitute pulled pork or other leftover smoked meats.
- Cream Cheese: I prefer using full-fat cream cheese for this recipe.
- Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar is best. No need to grate it yourself, the packaged pre-shredded cheese works fine for this recipe.
- Barbecue Seasoning: We used our own ‘Que That Barbecue Rub and Seasoning, but any bbq rub will work… if your rub is on the saltier side, be sure to use it sparingly.
- Bacon: Regular cut bacon works best. Depending on the size of your jalapeños, you may need two slices per stuffed pepper.
- Barbecue Sauce: I like a sweeter barbecue sauce for this recipe, because it tacks up nicely to create a delicious glaze on the poppers.
- Toothpicks: You’ll need these to keep the ends of the bacon in place.
Smoking the Cream Cheese and Jalapeños
This first step is optional, but anytime that I can add extra smoky flavor, I take the opportunity to do so. These are the benefits of smoking the jalapeños for about 30-45 minutes before stuffing:
- Makes them more pliable so they’re easier to stuff, and it’s easier to remove the membranes and seeds.
- Tenderizes the peppers so they are fully cooked —no crunchy, raw peppers here!
- Adds extra smoky flavor.
Since I smoke the jalapeños beforehand, I also make a quick smoked cream cheese to add to the brisket mixture. Just place a block of cream cheese on a baking sheet, season with a bit of barbecue seasoning, and place on the smoker while the peppers are cooking.
This infuses the cream cheese with smoky flavor and softens it beautifully so that it is easy to mix with the shredded cheddar and chopped brisket. You could even use shredded cold smoked cheese if you have some on hand.
How to Prep the Jalapeno Peppers
After the jalapenos are par-cooked – or par-smoked in this case – follow these steps to seed and cut them:
- Once cooled enough to handle, cut an “I” shape into one side of each pepper. Use a knife to make a large slit down the length of the pepper, leaving about 1/2″ on the stem end and bottom intact. Then make one small cross slit about 1/2″ under the stem and another small cross slit about 1/2″ from the end. You should have an “I” shape.
- Gently pry the pepper open, keeping the stem and most of the pepper intact and being careful to not tear off the bottom tip.
- Use a small spoon to scrape out the seeds and veins (or pith).
*NOTE – Most smoked Texas Twinkies recipes call for cutting the pepper into a “T” shape… however, I find the “I method” works better to open up the pepper, and it allows you to stuff it fuller with the brisket cream cheese mixture.
How to Make Texas Twinkies on the Smoker
Step 1: Dice leftover brisket. Chop up about 1/2 to 1 pound of smoked brisket into small cubes. You’ll need about 2 cups worth. Be mindful of your pepper size – if your jalapenos are small, you’ll need to chop your brisket more finely.
Step 2: Make the cream cheese mixture. Add the chopped brisket to a medium bowl with the smoked cream cheese and shredded cheese. Then mix well to combine. (No need for extra seasoning if you smoked the cream cheese with rub!)
Step 3: Stuff the peppers. Fill each jalapeño generously with the brisket-cheese mixture – don’t overstuff to the point of overflowing, but make sure to fill every nook. See the photo above.
Step 4: Wrap the jalapenos in bacon. Wrap each filled pepper tightly with one to two strips of bacon, depending on pepper size, slightly overlapping as you go. Secure the end of the bacon with a toothpick if necessary. Sprinkle a bit of your barbecue seasoning on the outside of each wrapped pepper.
Step 5: Smoke the Texas Twinkies. Arrange the wrapped jalapeños on a cooling rack. Smoke at 250°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the peppers are fully tender.
Step 6: Glaze the smoked Texas Twinkies with bbq sauce. Brush each bacon-wrapped pepper with a thin layer of barbecue sauce. Then smoke for an additional 10 minutes to let the glaze tack up.
Remove from the smoker and let cool slightly before serving. And don’t forget to remove those toothpicks!
Making Texas Twinkies in the Oven
If you don’t have a pellet grill or smoker, you can definitely make this Texas Twinkies recipe in the oven. The secret to oven-baked stuffed poppers is to pre-bake the peppers for about 30 minutes at 250°F before assembling them. This ensures that the peppers won’t be crunchy and raw when the outside bacon is fully cooked.
*TIP – To replicate the smoke flavor, you can also add 1-2 drops of liquid smoke to the filling.
Then, assemble the peppers the same way as you would for the smoker, and place them on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 250°F until the bacon is crisp and peppers are tender. Then glaze with the bbq sauce, bump up the oven temp to 350°F, and cook an additional 5 minutes for the sauce to tack up.
*NOTE – Most recipes for Texas Twinkies in the oven call for baking them at 350°F or 375°F… however, I’ve found that baking them at that higher temp causes the cheese filling to ooze out too much. That’s why I prefer a lower cooking temperature.
Recipe Tips
- Keep the filling from leaking out – Be sure to wrap the bacon snugly, and use toothpicks to secure the ends. Cooking the peppers low and slow also helps to prevent the cheese from oozing out.
- Jalapeño size matters – Fatter, rounder peppers = more stuffing and less heat.
- Use the right bacon – Use standard-cut, good quality bacon for even coverage and crispiness. If your bacon is not well cut, it won’t be as easy to cover the peppers fully.
- Remove the pith thoroughly – Most of the heat in a jalapeno is in the vein-like membrane, not the seeds. Use a spoon to gently scrape this pith out of the pepper completely, especially if some of your party guests have a spice aversion!
- Experiment with different cheeses and meats – Though traditionally made with cheddar cheese and smoked brisket, these bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapenos are equally delicious with pulled pork, smoked sausage, or smoked pulled chicken. Try adding your favorite cheeses as well – pepper jack or gouda would be a nice choice!
Leftovers and Reheating
Leftover smoked Texas Twinkies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat on a foil-lined baking sheet in a 350°F oven until heated through and bacon is sizzling. Avoid microwaving, as the bacon will lose crispness.
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Smoked Texas Twinkies
Ingredients
- 10-12 large jalapeños, *see note 1
- 8 oz package cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons barbecue seasoning, like 'Que That Barbecue Rub and Seasoning
- 2 cups chopped brisket, *see note 2
- 1-1½ lbs bacon, *see note 3
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Heat pellet grill, smoker, or charcoal grill to 250℉ with your choice of wood or pellets.
- Smoke the cream cheese and jalapeños – Place the whole jalapeños on the grill grate. Place a block of cream cheese on a foil-lined baking sheet, and season the top with about 1 tablespoon barbecue seasoning. Place the cream cheese on the smoker. Smoke the jalapeños and cream cheese block at 250℉ for 30-40 minutes.
- Cut the smoked jalapeños – Once cooled enough to handle, cut an “I” shape into one side of each jalapeno. Use a knife to make a large slit down the length of the pepper, leaving about 1/2″ on the stem end and bottom intact. Then make one small cross slit about 1/2″ under the stem and another small cross slit about 1/2″ from the end. Gently pry the peppers open, and use a small spoon to scrape out the seeds and pith.
- Make the cream cheese mixture – Add the chopped brisket to a medium bowl with the smoked cream cheese and shredded cheese. Mix well to combine.
- Stuff the jalapeños – Fill each jalapeño generously with the brisket-cheese mixture. Press the top slit side together some when you're done. *NOTE – It's not necessary to have the peppers completely closed on the slit side. The bacon will hold the cheese in.
- Wrap the poppers in bacon – Wrap each filled pepper tightly with one to two strips of bacon, depending on pepper size, slightly overlapping as you go. Secure the end of the bacon with a toothpick if necessary. Sprinkle a small bit of your barbecue seasoning on the outside of each wrapped jalapeno pepper.
- Smoke the Texas Twinkies – Arrange the wrapped jalapeños on a cooling rack. Smoke at 250°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the peppers are fully tender.
- Glaze with barbecue sauce – Brush each jalapeno popper with a thin layer of barbecue sauce. Then smoke for an additional 10 minutes to let the glaze tack up.
- Cool and serve – Remove the Texas Twinkies from the smoker and let cool slightly before serving. And don’t forget to remove those toothpicks!
Video
Notes
- Choosing your jalapeños – This recipe works best with large, fatter jalapeños so that you can stuff them full of the brisket mixture and they resemble the size of Twinkies. Smaller peppers with a pointy tip are much harder to work with and not recommended.
- Chopping the brisket – Dice smoked brisket into small cubes. Be mindful of your pepper size – if your jalapeños are small, you’ll need to chop your brisket more finely to be able to fit more filling.
- For the bacon – Use regular cut bacon for this recipe. Thick-cut bacon will take longer to cook and render. Larger jalapeños may require two strips of bacon to wrap fully.
