Pulled Pork Jalapeno Poppers

If you've got leftover smoked pulled pork, this is the recipe to make with it. Chopped pork gets mixed with a little of the reserved pan juices, bbq sauce, and seasoning, then folded into cream cheese and cheddar and stuffed into jalapeño halves. Wrap each one in bacon, smoke low and slow at 275°F, and finish with a bbq-hot pepper jelly glaze. They're rich, smoky, a little spicy, and endlessly poppable - and since you can stuff and wrap them a full day ahead, they're one of the easiest party apps to have ready to go.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 30

Total Time2

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: jalapeno poppers with pulled pork, pulled pork jalapeno poppers, smoked jalapeno poppers

Servings: 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.

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