Our Smoked Hog-Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers are a popular appetizer made by stuffing fresh jalapeño peppers with cream cheese, wrapping them in bacon, and smoking them until the bacon is crispy and the peppers are tender. We changed it up a bit this time by stuffing them with some spicy Tajín-seasoning ground wild hog! You can use ground pork if you don’t have any wild hog on hand, and they will be incredible.
Smoked Jalapeño Poppers with Wild Hog
We love a good popper. In fact, we have a super popular recipe for classic Traeger Jalapeño Poppers on the site already that’s always a huge hit.
Jeremiah recently took a trip out to Oklahoma to do some hunting and we were blessed with two wild hogs for our freezer. We’ve made a ton of great meals with them already, but for a party we just hosted these hog-stuffed jalapeño poppers were a huge hit!
If you don’t have any wild hog taking up your freezer space (which I’d venture to guess most of you don’t) – please feel free to sub in regular ground pork. It’ll be incredible, and you will love it. You could also use ground chicken or ground beef in a pinch. Still delicious.
Get all of my Traeger Recipes here!
Smoked Hog-Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers shopping list
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- jalapeños peppers
- cream cheese
- ground hog (or pork)
- salt
- black pepper
- TajÍn
- thick-cut bacon
Try our Smoked Pig Shots too!
How to make Smoked Hog-Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers
This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
1
Preheat
We’re shooting for 325°F here on your smoker or pellet grill. Get as close as you can, but don’t sweat 10° +/-.
2
Cook your hog
Or pork. Whichever is available. Brown it in a pan on your stove with the salt, pepper, and half the Tajín. Break it up well while it is browning. Here’s my favorite favorite favorite tool for cooking any ground meat. Buy it. You won’t be sorry.
3
Prep
Take your seeded, de-mebraned, halved jalapeño peppers and stuff them with some of the cream cheese.
You want them to be almost full, but make an indentation in the surface of your cream cheese with your thumb to make a little river for your ground pork to live.
Heap some cooked, seasoned ground hog in there and wrap tightly with a slice of bacon.
Sprinkle with the rest of the Tajín seasoning.
4
Smoke
Place either on a parchment-lined baking sheet OR directly on the grill grates. Choose your own adventure, but make sure you have a clean grill if you choose the latter. We are not responsible for any grill fires.
Cook your poppers until the bacon is as crisp as you’d like them to be. Should range from 45 minutes to an hour, but could be a little more or a little less depending on your grill and your bacon and your preferences.
5
Enjoy
Remove from the grill and let cool for a bit before you serve these to any loved ones. They will be SUPER hot and that molten cream cheese does not feel great on skin, just speaking from experience.
Get 75+ of my favorite Traeger Recipes here!
Smoked Hog-Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers FAQ
Are there any substitutions for the Tajín?
Yes! You can use any bbq sub or seasoning blend you prefer. We love the salty, spicy kick that Tajín adds, but there are many many seasonings that would work just as well as that in this dish. Experiment, and let us know which one winds up being your favorite!
What’s the best way to reheat leftovers?
The air fryer is the perfect way to reheat leftover poppers. Just stick them in and air fry for 3-4 minutes, or until they are heated through.
Can you make these in the oven?
Yes! If you don’t have a smoker or pellet grill you can definitely make these in the oven. Just use the same general temp and time recommendations. The Traeger is basically a big wood-fired outdoor oven, so the recipes typically translate to indoor cooking pretty easily. You’ll miss a bit of that wood-fire flavor that only happens with live wood fire, but they’ll still be incredible!
Try our Smoked Shotgun Shells too!
More great Smoked Appetizer recipes to love!
- Easy Smoked Queso
- Smoked Olives
- Traeger Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
- Traeger Spicy Corn Salsa Recipe
- Smoked Jalapeño Popper Cream Cheese
- Smoked BBQ Pickled Eggs
- Smoked Onion Jam Recipe
- Smoked Goat Cheese Stuffed Mini Bell Pepper Poppers
- Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Pineapple Bites
- Smoked Buffalo Cream Cheese
- Traeger Smoked Beer Cheese Dip
- Traeger Smoked Hot Crab Dip
- Traeger Smoked Garlic Goat Cheese
Smoked Hog-Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers
Spicy, creamy, incredible Smoked Hog-Stuffed Jalapeño Popper are perfect for any cookout, potluck, or party you are throwing!
Ingredients
- 12 whole jalapeños, halved, seeded, and membrane removed
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 3/4 pound ground hog (or pork)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon teaspoon Tajín, divided
- 24 slices thick-cut bacon
Instructions
- Preheat the pellet grill to 325°F.
- Season the ground hog with the salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the Tajin seasoning. Brown and break up in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat until fully cooked.
- Take your halved, cored, seeded jalapeños and spread the cream cheese inside. Make a groove with your thumb to leave a space for the ground hog.
- Place the cooked ground hog into the groove and heaped a bit over the top of the jalapeños. Wrap with one slice of bacon. If necessary, secure with a toothpick.
- Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, sprinkle with the rest of the Tajín, and place onto the grill. You can also do these directly on the grill grates, depending on your personal preferences and how clean your grill is. Bacon grease dripping onto a dirty grill will definitely start a fire don't come at us.
- Cook on the Traeger for around 45 minutes to an hour, or until the bacon is cooked to your desired crispiness.
- Remove and let cook for 10-15 minutes before serving unless you are serving someone you don't like and then give the molten lava to them immediately.
- Enjoy!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 92Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 285mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 5g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate.
Nicole Johnson
Nicole Johnson, a self-taught expert in grilling and outdoor cooking, launched Or Whatever You Do in 2010. Her blog, renowned for its comprehensive and creative outdoor cooking recipes, has garnered a vast audience of millions. Nicole's hands-on experience and passion for grilling shine through her work. Her husband, Jeremiah Johnson, also plays a pivotal role in recipe development, adding his culinary flair to the mix. Together, they form a dynamic duo, offering a rich and varied outdoor cooking experience to their followers.