Smoked Jalapeño Popper Chicken Bombs Wrapped in Bacon
Smoked Jalapeño Popper Chicken Bombs bring together everything that works around the smoker: juicy chicken, smoky bacon, creamy cheese, jalapeño heat, and a sticky layer of BBQ sauce. Each chicken breast gets loaded with a rich jalapeño popper-style filling before being wrapped in bacon and slow smoked.
The filling combines softened cream cheese with sharp cheddar, fresh jalapeños, garlic, onion, and smoked paprika. Removing the jalapeño seeds keeps the heat fairly manageable, but you can leave some seeds and membrane behind if you want the chicken bombs hotter.
Smoking the chicken at 250°F gives it time to absorb plenty of wood-fired flavor while the bacon slowly renders around the outside. Because chicken breasts can dry out when overcooked, use internal temperature rather than cooking strictly by time and pull them once the thickest portion of the chicken reaches 165°F.
A coating of BBQ sauce during the final portion of the cook adds sweetness and creates a sticky glaze over the bacon. Serve these whole for a big main course or slice them into thick rounds to show off the cheesy jalapeño center.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- BBQ sauce, for brushing
- Toothpicks, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 250°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, diced jalapeños, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Mix until the filling is thoroughly combined.
- Butterfly each chicken breast horizontally, creating a deep pocket without cutting completely through the opposite side.
- Divide the jalapeño cream cheese mixture evenly between the four chicken breasts.
- Fold the chicken around the filling and gently press it closed.
- Wrap each stuffed chicken breast with 2 slices of bacon, overlapping the bacon slightly to help hold the filling inside.
- Secure the bacon and chicken with toothpicks where necessary.
- Place the chicken bombs directly on the smoker grates with the bacon seam facing downward.
- Smoke at 250°F for approximately 1½-2½ hours, checking the internal temperature as the chicken approaches doneness.
- During the final 20-30 minutes, brush the bacon-wrapped chicken generously with BBQ sauce.
- Continue cooking until the thickest part of the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the bacon is rendered to your liking.
- For crispier bacon, increase the smoker temperature to 300-325°F during the final 10-15 minutes, watching carefully so the BBQ sauce does not burn.
- Remove the chicken bombs from the smoker and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Remove all toothpicks before slicing or serving.