Traeger Jalapeno Poppers

These Traeger jalapeno poppers are stuffed with a creamy, gooey cheese filling and wrapped in bacon. A quick finish of maple syrup adds a delicious sweetness to the smoky bacon and brings them to a whole new level of flavor.

These poppers are perfect for game day snacking, tailgates, and any other celebration. They're easy to make and you can prep them ahead of time, then pop them on the grill when it is close to party time. Serve them on their own or with an array of dipping sauces, such as ranch dressing, marinara, or blue cheese dressing.

5 from 15 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1 35

Total Time: 1 55

Servings: servings

Calories: 126kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

14 medium jalapenos
8 ounces cream cheese softened
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese or a mix, see notes
4 green onions thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch optional (prevents the filling from separating)
pinch of salt and pepper
28 slices of bacon thin cut works best

Glaze

¼ cup maple syrup
4 teaspoons soy sauce

Instructions

Preheat the Traeger to 180°F and line a baking sheet with parchment to make clean up quick and easy.
Slice the jalapenos in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds and white ribs.
In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, shredded cheese, green onions, garlic, cornstarch (if using), salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.
Fill each halved jalapeno with the cheese mixture.
Wrap the stuffed jalapenos with bacon and place them on a baking sheet.
Transfer the baking sheet to the Traeger and smoke for 60 minutes. Increase the temperature on the Traeger to 400°F and cook for 35 to 50 more minutes or until the jalapenos are tender and the bacon is crisp. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the bacon.
During the last 10 minutes of the grill time, combine the maple syrup and soy sauce in a dish, then baste the tops of the poppers.

Notes

For a spicier version, leave the white ribs and seeds inside the peppers or add extra jalapenos to the cheese filling!
For the shredded cheese, you can use a combination of different types of cheese. Some delicious options are Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss, and smoked Gouda.
Try to wrap the bacon around the peppers with the ends of the bacon on the underside of the peppers. If the ends are on top, you can use a toothpick to secure the bacon.
Use thinly sliced bacon. Thick sliced bacon will not cook as evenly and won't have time to get crisp before the peppers get tender.
You can place the poppers directly on the Traeger grill grates, but using a sheet pan will make it much easier to transfer them. A sheet pan will also contain the mess easier if the cheese filling oozes out.
We recommend lining the sheet pan with parchment paper. Some of the cheese filling will ooze out and bake onto the bottom of the pan. The parchment makes it super easy to clean the mess.
We used a whole strip of bacon to cover the stuffed jalapenos. If you want to save a few bucks on the grocery bill, use half a strip of bacon and reduce the cooking time by 5 to 8 minutes since the bacon won't be layered as thickly.
After you stuff the peppers and wrap them in bacon, they can be refrigerated for 2 days before cooking them.

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