Texas Twinkies | The Recipe Critic

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Texas Twinkies are a major upgrade to your classic jalapeño poppers! They’re jalapeños filled with cream cheese, brisket, and shredded cheese, then wrapped in bacon and cooked to perfection. These are the hit of any party!

A satisfying, mouthwatering appetizer is sure to get your party started off right! If you need some other ideas for your spread, try this awesome 7-layer dip, these crispy egg rolls, or these amazing stuffed pizza bites.

Reasons You’ll Love Texas Twinkies

Loaded with flavor: These Texas Twinkies will be a true delight to your taste buds. I love the way the creamy cheese complements the smoky, savory brisket and bacon. It’s the BEST flavor combination!!
Easy to Make: This recipe is not complicated! I’ll walk you through step-by-step instructions for slicing, stuffing, and cooking these bad boys!
Perfect for a party or game day: Serve these with a few dips and other handheld bites or make them into more of a meal and pair them with a fresh salad, or some veggies and some fruit.

What are Texas Twinkies?

Texas Twinkies are bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers stuffed with cream cheese, smoked brisket, shredded cheese, and seasonings and finished with BBQ sauce. They are unbelievably delicious and a major crowd pleaser!

While I’ve been stuffing peppers and wrapping them in bacon for years, this version made famous by Hutchins BBQ in McKinney, Texas takes your classic poppers to the next level! They use extra large jalapeños and fill them with smoked brisket and cream cheese, then wrap them in a thick slice of bacon and smoke them until the bacon is crispy and the pepper is tender. So good, you won’t be able to stop with just one!

Ingredients You’ll Need

This Texas Twinkies recipe is made with easy-to-find ingredients. However, it does require pre-cooked brisket. You can buy smoked brisket from your favorite barbecue joint or make my tried and true slow cooker beef brisket.

Jalapeño peppers: Choose fresh, bright green jalapeños that are big enough to hold all of the stuffing.
Cream Cheese: Adds creaminess and balances the heat from the peppers. Be sure to soften your cream cheese, so it’s easy to mix with the other filling ingredients.
Smoked Brisket: Gives the best savory, smoky, and meaty flavor.
Cheese: For extra cheesiness! We really like shredded pepper jack cheese, but other cheeses will work.
Seasonings: Mix in garlic powder and onion powder to bring just a hint of garlic and onion flavor.
Bacon: Bacon makes everything better! Regular bacon will crisp up best.
BBQ Sauce: Use my homemade BBQ sauce recipe or your favorite store-bought variety.

How to Make Texas Twinkies

Follow these few simple steps, then you’ll have a tasty appetizer your family and friends will love!

Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Slice the Jalapeños: Prepare the jalapeños by cutting a slit down the length of one side and then another cut across the top, stopping before cutting all the way through. The two cuts should form a T on the jalapeño. Keep the stem, but remove the seeds and veins. Repeat with the remaining jalapenos.
Make the Filling: Combine the cream cheese, brisket, pepper jack, and seasonings in a large bowl. Spoon the brisket mixture into the jalapeños until they are filled but are still able to close all the way.
Wrap With Bacon: Wrap each jalapeño tightly with a slice of bacon. You can use toothpicks to hold the bacon on the peppers, but they are not necessary.
Bake: Line the jalapeños up on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the bacon is getting crispy and the jalapeños are tender. Brush each one generously with BBQ sauce and bake for an additional 5 minutes,
Cool and enjoy: Let them cool slightly before serving.

Hot Tip: Wear Gloves!

***I recommend using disposable gloves when cutting and deseeding jalapenos to avoid transferring the spicy oils from jalapeños to your skin, eyes, or face. These oils can linger on your hands even after washing, so gloves provide an effective barrier and prevent irritation.

Overhead shot of how to cut jalapeños. — Slice and deseed jalapenos.

Texas Twinkie Tips and Variations

Texas Twinkies are easy to make and customizable! Below are a few tips and simple variation ideas to spice things up.

Use Different Cheese: I used pepper jack cheese in my Texas Twinkies, but other delicious choices would be sharp cheddar cheese, smoked gouda, or Monterey jack. You can do a combination of any hard cheese that you love.
Using Thick-Cut Bacon: It may take a little bit longer to render the fat as much as you prefer, so add a few minutes at a time to the baking time and keep an eye on the doneness.
Don’t Overstuff With Filling: Be careful not to overstuff these bad boys! If you add too much filling, it can leak out onto the baking sheet. Fill them just enough that the cavity inside the jalapeno is full, and the sides can touch when you close them. But fear not—even if they leak, they are still delicious!
Using a Toothpick: You can use a toothpick at the top and bottom of each jalapeño to anchor the bacon to it. You don’t have to do this, but the bacon will sometimes curl and unwrap itself from the ends as it bakes.
Size of Jalapeños: Jalapeños vary in size, and larger ones may need 1 ½ to 2 slices of bacon to be fully wrapped. If you need to use more than one slice, secure the bacon with a wooden toothpick. The bacon will fuse as it bakes, allowing you to remove the toothpick before serving.
Smoking: Can you smoke Texas Twinkies? Yes!! Smoke these in your smoker at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40-45 minutes.

Storing Leftovers Jalapeno Poppers

While bacon-wrapped jalapeños are best enjoyed straight out of the oven, here’s how to store any leftovers you might have:

In the Refrigerator: Place any leftover peppers in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 2 days. The bacon may lose some of its crispiness, but the overall flavor will still be enjoyable.
To Reheat: To reheat, place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes or until the bacon is nice and crispy again. You can also reheat these in an air fryer.

Side shot of pan of Texas Twinkies with one on top cut in half to reveal the filling.

More Appetizers With Bacon

Bacon is a crowd favorite and has a way of making anything taste better! I especially love to serve appetizers wrapped in bacon because it’s always the first to go. Try these delicious bacon appetizers for your next party or gathering!

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Prepare the jalapeños by cutting a slit down the length of one side and then another cut across the top, stopping before cutting all the way through. The two cuts should form a T on the jalapeño. Remove the seeds and veins. Repeat with the remaining jalapeños.
Combine the cream cheese, brisket, pepper jack, and seasonings in a large bowl. Spoon the filling into the jalapeños until they are filled but are still able to close all the way.
Wrap each jalapeño tightly with a slice of bacon. You can use toothpicks to hold the bacon on the peppers, but they are not necessary.
Line the jalapeños up on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the bacon is getting crispy and the jalapeños are tender. Brush each one generously with BBQ sauce and bake for an additional 5 minutes,
Let them cool slightly before serving.

Calories: 285kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 11gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 378mgPotassium: 190mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 491IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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