Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Using a sharp knife, slice each jalapeño lengthwise through the center, creating two halves.
- Carefully remove the seeds and white membrane from each jalapeño half with a small spoon or knife tip. You can leave some seeds for extra heat or remove them all for less spiciness.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- In a saucepan, combine the pulled pork and 1 cup of BBQ sauce.
- Heat the pork mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through and the flavors are combined, about 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly before filling.
- Place the prepared jalapeño halves on the prepared baking sheet, cavity-side up.
- Using a small spoon, fill each jalapeño half with approximately 2-4 tablespoons of the pulled pork mixture.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the filled peppers, covering the pork filling.
- Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and beginning to turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving.
- Top with crumbled bacon, additional BBQ sauce, and chopped green onion.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
Notes
- Glove up — Jalapeño oils stick to your fingers and don't wash off easily with soap and water. Use disposable gloves when slicing and deseeding, and keep your hands well away from your face.
- Control the heat — Remove all seeds and membrane for mild poppers. Leave half the seeds in for medium heat. Leave them all in and you're making something else entirely.
- Warm the pork low and slow — Don't rush the saucepan step. Low heat for 5 to 10 minutes lets the BBQ sauce reduce slightly and work into every strand of pork. High heat scorches the sauce and makes the filling dry.
- Pack the filling tight — A loosely filled popper spreads in the oven. Mound the pork slightly over the rim. The cheese holds it together as it melts.
- Bacon goes on after the oven — Always add crumbled bacon at the end, not before baking. Baking it in makes it soft. Adding it at the end keeps the texture snappy.
- Make ahead — Fill and top with cheese up to 4 hours early, cover, and refrigerate. Bake straight from the fridge; add 3 to 5 extra minutes to the cook time.
- Serve with ranch dip, sour cream, or extra BBQ sauce on the side. The richness of the pork and cheddar doesn't need much to lean on. Pick one and keep it simple.
- For drinks, cold beer is the obvious call. A crisp lager or pilsner cuts through the fat better than an IPA. Hard cider works if you want something lighter. If you're doing margaritas, go low-sugar. The sweetness stacks on top of the BBQ sauce and becomes a lot.
- Arrange them on a platter filling-side up so the cheese color shows. A scatter of sliced green onion across the top is enough garnish.
- Cooled poppers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, lay them on a baking sheet and put them in a 325°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. The cheese re-melts, the jalapeño stays firm.
- Skip the microwave. It steams the pepper walls soft and turns the cheese rubbery.
- Don't freeze these. Jalapeños go mushy when they thaw, and the texture of the filling follows. Make what you'll eat within a few days.