Description
Texas Twinkies are a spicy, savory appetizer featuring jalapeños stuffed with a creamy blend of cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and chopped beef brisket, wrapped in crispy bacon and finished with a smoky BBQ glaze. Perfect for parties or game day, these flavorful bites combine creamy, spicy, smoky, and tangy elements in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 12 large jalapeños
Cheese and Meats
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese block, shredded
- 2 cups finely chopped leftover beef brisket
- 12 slices bacon
Seasoning and Sauce
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Rack: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and spray it with nonstick spray to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Prepare Jalapeños: Slice the tops off the jalapeños and carefully remove the seeds and membranes using gloves to avoid irritation from the pepper oils.
- Make Filling: In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, finely chopped brisket, and chili powder. Mix thoroughly until evenly blended.
- Fill Jalapeños: Transfer the cheese and brisket mixture into a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Cut off one corner of the bag to create a piping bag, and fill each jalapeño with the mixture evenly.
- Wrap with Bacon: Wrap each stuffed jalapeño with a slice of bacon, ensuring it is securely wrapped around the pepper.
- Bake Jalapeños: Arrange the wrapped jalapeños on the prepared wire rack-lined baking sheet. Bake on the center rack for 10 minutes, then turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes to cook the bacon evenly.
- Brush with BBQ Sauce and Broil: Remove the jalapeños from the oven and brush them generously with the BBQ sauce. Turn the broiler on to low and place the jalapeños about 6 inches from the heat source. Broil for 2 minutes, watching closely so they do not burn.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from the oven and allow the Texas Twinkies to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- Use gloves when handling jalapeños to protect your skin from irritation.
- Pick jalapeños of similar size to ensure even cooking and filling size.
- If you don’t have leftover brisket, ground chorizo or pork butt can be great substitutes for the filling.
- You can prepare the filling a few hours ahead and refrigerate before stuffing the jalapeños.
- Watch closely during broiling to avoid burning the bacon or BBQ sauce.
- For extra smoky flavor, you can use smoked cheddar cheese in the filling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 twinkie
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 460 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
