We've seen those jalapeño popper dips floating across the internet calling for ingredients like Panko bread crumbs, canned jalapenos, Parmesan cheese, and green onions. And to these particular recipes, we declare a resounding no. This Jalapeño Popper Dip perfectly mimics the flavor of your favorite game day snack -- jalapeno cream cheese poppers wrapped in crispy bacon. Yes, please.
With a hearty helping of fresh jalapenos, crispy bacon, and an irresistible cream cheese base, there's nothing but pure, unadulterated Jalapeno Popper flavor going on in this dip. It's incredibly easy to make and crazy addictive, which makes it the perfect party appetizer. Are you hosting soon? We have the perfect appetizers like this one and Mini Pigs and a Blanket for your next gathering!
Serve this next to a big bowl of tortilla chips and just listen to the "oohs and aahs" roll in! If this sounds like your kind of recipe, we've got loads more you'll love! Try our Jalapeño Popper Chicken, Baked Jalapeño Poppers, or Jalapeño Cornbread for your next game day or potluck!
HOW TO MAKE JALAPENO POPPER DIP
The first thing we're going to do to kick off our Jalapeño Popper Dip is to address the bacon! For this recipe, you want to use thick-cut bacon. No bacon bits allowed!
Since we are going to dice the bacon before it goes into the skillet, it is fairly crucial that your bacon is not only thick-cut but also cold. It will be much easier to dice cold, thick-cut bacon than thin-cut bacon.
Cut your bacon into a ½" dice and add it to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the bacon for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until it is crispy to your liking.
Then, you'll use a slotted spoon or skimmer to remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the grease behind.
Once your bacon is out of the skillet, you'll add in half of a yellow onion diced and 4 diced jalapeños. Fresh jalapeños are a huge difference maker when it comes to the flavor of this Jalapeño Popper Dip. Do not sub in canned jalapeños. I find it easiest to cut the stems off of my jalapeños, then use a jalapeño corer to remove both the membrane and the seeds from the interior of the jalapeño.
No need to be nitpicky about the seeds, as long as the majority of the seeds and membrane are removed, you don't have to worry about your dip being overly spicy! Cook the diced jalapeños and the onion in the bacon grease until soft, and then you'll add in two cloves of minced garlic. Stir that around for about one minute, until softened and fragrant. If you don't have any fresh garlic on hand, feel free to sub in 1 teaspoon of garlic powder as you are adding in the other spices.
At this point, you'll add in the half and half and the cream cheese. Cream cheese will incorporate faster into your sauce if it is at room temperature going in. To quickly bring cream cheese to room temperature, remove it from the packaging, place it on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave at 20-second intervals until softened.
Once your sauce is looking smooth and the cream cheese is completely melted, you'll add in kosher salt, paprika, and hot sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in sour cream and half of the grated cheese.
For this Jalapeño Popper Dip recipe, we will use a combination of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese. This is a flavorful, melted cheese combo that makes this dip irresistible! We recommend using a mild or medium cheddar over sharp cheddar cheese, so it will be extra smooth, stretchy, and melty! Per usual, we highly recommend you grate your cheese right off the block rather than buying pre-packaged, shredded cheese. Freshly grated cheese will have better flavor and texture.
You'll also add about ⅔s of the bacon into the mix and transfer the whole shebang to a greased 8" baking dish or a small au gratin dish. Top off your dip with the remaining shredded cheese and bacon. For an extra pop of color, feel free to slice a jalapeño extra thin into little wheels, and wedge it into the cheese on top.
If you'd like to make your Jalapeño Popper Dip ahead of time, you can assemble it up to this point, allow it to come to room temperature, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. You will just want to take care to remove the dip from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking to remove the chill.
Bake your Jalapeño Popper Dip for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are hot and bubbly and the cheese is perfectly melted.
Serve your dip alongside a bowl of tortilla chips, or if you really want to wow the crowd make your own Homemade Tortilla Chips! For more crowd-favorite dips, serve up some of our Dip Recipes!
6 GAME DAY DIPS YOU'LL LOVE
- Chile con Queso
- Pizza dip
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Chili Cheese Dip
- Corn Dip With Cream Cheese
- Refried Bean Dip
Refried Bean Dip Recipe
Authentic Chile con Queso
Pizza Dip
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Chili Cheese Dip
Corn Dip Recipe with Cream Cheese
Jalapeno Popper Dip
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- ½ yellow onion finely diced
- 4 jalapenos, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ¼ cups half and half
- 12 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated Monterey Jack, separated
- 1 cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese, separated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° and have ready a greased 8” square baking dish or small au gratin dish.
- Add the diced bacon to a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until crispy to your liking, 6-8 minutes. Stir often.
- Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and add the diced onion and jalapeno to the pan. Sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the half and half, along with the cream cheese. Turn the heat on low and stir until the cream cheese is smooth and melted. Add the Kosher salt, paprika, hot sauce, and stir to combine.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Then, add half of the Monterey Jack and half of the Cheddar cheese.
- Transfer to the baking dish and top with remaining cheese and bacon. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbly.
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Karen says
This is pretty darn good, but it needs bronco berry sauce LOL. Seriously, what would you use to copy the sweet/spicy taste of that sauce? It could be drizzled over the top.