Burn Pit Jalapeno Poppers!

Burn Pit Jalapeno Poppers

These are a staple in our house.  Once you get the hang of them, they are quick to put together and taste amazing!  Try these out the next time you need a smoky appetizer for guests or make them just for yourself. 

The Ingredients (increase amount as you need)

• 1 lbs Jalapeno Peppers
• 12 ounces Cream Cheese
• 3 ounces Shredded Cheese of Choice 
• ½ cup frozen tater tots
• ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tablespoons Soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons Fire For Effect Sweet Heat rub
• 1 lbs Bacon - We recommend thin or regular cut bacon
• 2 handfuls of wood chips for smoking - we prefer pecan or Jack Daniels 

The Process

At least an hour before smoking soak your wood chips in water and get the tater tots up to room temperature.

Cut the tops off the peppers, and cut each in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape (or jalapeno corer) out as much or as little of the seeds and ribs as you’d like, set aside. Be careful not to touch your eyes after handling the peppers!

In a large bowl, microwave the cream cheese for 30-60 seconds at a time until it’s soft enough to stir well. Beat until creamy and with no lumps. 

Add room temperature tater tots, Worcestershire, soy sauce, Fire For Effect, and shredded cheese, stir until well distributed.

Spoon all of the mixture into the jalapenos

This is a good time to preheat your smoker (or charcoal grill) to about 225F

Wrap the poppers in bacon. Depending on the size of your poppers and the cut of your bacon, you’ll want between ½ – 1 strip of bacon per popper. Bonus flavor - sprinkle a little Fire For Effect on top of the bacon!

Once the smoker gets up to temperature, throw the wood chips on the coals and transfer the prepared poppers to your smoker racks.

Smoke for 1-2 hours, depending on your smoke flavor preference. Check on them right around the 1 hour mark. Add more chips after about 30-40 minutes.

Once they are at a spot where you like, put them directly over the heat source to crisp them up a bit. This should only take a minute or two. 

Take them out and let them cool for a bit. Serve with a nice cool ranch dressing or try some Burn Pit Pogey Bait to dip them in!

Note - if you are in a time crunch or don’t want to fire up the smoker, these still taste great when done in the oven.  I prefer to crank up the heat to around 425 for 7-10 minutes and then broil at 500 for 2 minutes to get a good crisp! Try using a wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet pan to let the airflow underneath the bacon. 

If you enjoyed this recipe, please tell your friends!