If you’re searching for a great way to please everyone at your next gathering, smoked Texas Twinkies is it! These spicy poppers, wrapped in Thick Cut Wright Brand Bacon, are the perfect appetizer. Cream cheese, cheddar cheese, leftover smoked brisket, whole jalapeño peppers, BBQ seasoning, and maple syrup create the ultimate crispy, savory, and spicy bite.
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Why you’ll love Texas Twinkies
Texas Twinkies are a lot like jalapeño poppers wrapped in bacon with a few key differences. The cream cheese mixture is stuffed into whole jalapenos instead of halves (because in Texas a big bite is always better). And, unlike the prep for most smoked jalapeno poppers, for this recipe, we extract the spicy seeds with a sharp “T” cut.
The brisket jalapeno poppers recipe features a different kind of cream cheese filling, too. The leftover brisket also makes the smoked poppers heartier.
The beef brisket is non-negotiable for authentic Texas Twinkies. You are, however, welcome to adapt the recipe to your tastes to instead use shredded beef chuck roast, pulled pork, or even chicken.
Did I already mention that a slice of thick-cut bacon wraps each popper in tasty crispy pork goodness? Given that Wright Brand Bacon is truly unlike any other bacon in the world, you simply must try it. This is like the best homemade bacon ever but with an even more pronounced classic smoky bacon flavor. Moreover, it will yield the perfectly crispy texture you crave.
TEXAS TWINKIE Ingredients
Jalapeño – Whole jalapenos, large green chili peppers, are moderately spicy and have vibrant flavor.
Block of Cream Cheese – This smooth and tangy cheese isn’t just for bagels. It binds the filling together perfectly and only adds more depth to the flavor.
Shredded Smoked Brisket – You can outsource your brisket or alternatively make the chopped brisket yourself with the smoker. You’ll love the tender melt-in-your-mouth results that taste even better as leftovers.
Cheddar Cheese – Shredded cheddar is my go-to melty and tasty cheese for this recipe, however, all things considered, I’m sure the poppers will taste just as amazing with some Pepper Jack Cheese.
Thick Cut Bacon – Obviously, if you haven’t tried the Wright Brand Hickory Smoked Bacon yet, you are missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures. All in all, I do believe life’s too short not to buy bacon that tastes this good!
BBQ Seasoning – Make sure to grab some of my favorite BBQ spice rubs to keep in your pantry staples, 4-Pack Beer-Infused Sampler.
Maple Syrup – A sweet maple syrup glaze over salty bacon is the perfect flavor match.
With this list of all my favorite ingredients, honestly, I’m not sure why I don’t make this recipe more often. Just thinking about making them, my mouth starts to water and I seriously can’t wait to sink my teeth into that perfectly meaty, cheesy, and spicy bite.
How to Make Smoked Texas Twinkies
The Prep
First, fire up your smoker, add in some wood chips or wood chunks, and aim for a steady temperature of 250 degrees F, which should take about 25-30 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese mixture with the brisket and cheddar blended in. Next, place each whole jalapeno on a cutting board and slice a capital “T” shape in each one. Make a short slice under the stem and a longer straight line down the length of the pepper.
Scoop out the seeds from the inside of the pepper with a small spoon. It’s always good to be a little bit careful at this point to avoid breaking the stems.
Following the preparation of the peppers, you can start stuffing them with the cream cheese brisket mixture. Wrap a slice of bacon and sprinkle your favorite BBQ seasoning around each pepper. Place all the peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside.
pro tip from wright brand bacon
Firstly, make sure to grab some thick-cut (obviously!) bacon with a well-balanced ratio of fat to meat. And, secondly, for best results, use cold bacon, not room temperature bacon, to wrap around the jalapenos. Traditional crispy bacon is very difficult to achieve on a low and slow smoker, so, in other words, be patient.
time to smoke
Add your Texas Twinkies to the smoker on the grill gates. The cooking time is 90 minutes, or until the fat in the bacon has rendered and dark amber coloring and crispy textures appear. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, glaze each Twinking with the maple syrup. Once the appetizers are done, place them on a wire rack and let them cool off for about 5 minutes.
Lastly, slice them up with a sharp knife, serve, and enjoy!
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How to Store Leftovers & Reheat
Allow any leftover Texas Twinkies to cool before placing them in an airtight container or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store for up to 3-5 days. You can gently reheat in some aluminum foil on the grill.
What to Serve with Smoked Texas Twinkies
While Texas Twinkies stand out as perfectly delicious on their own, feel free to level up the flavor with some killer sauces. Barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, honey mustard, or a spicy aioli are some ideas that come to mind.
Texas Twinkies also make a great appetizer before you serve up my Smoked Salmon with a mixed green salad.
more popular bbq recipes
Yes, you can make Texas Twinkies in an oven or on a grill with indirect heat. Simply use wood chips or pellets for a smoky flavor.
Traditional hardwoods like hickory, mesquite, or oak work great, however never shy away from the sweeter woods, like apple wood, maple wood, and cherry wood.
Yes, you can assemble the Texas Twinkies a day in advance and refrigerate them until you’re ready to smoke them.
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Texas Twinkies
Ingredients
Smoked Texas Twinkies:
- 8-10 Whole Jalapeños
- 16 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 cup Shredded Smoked Brisket
- ½ cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 10-12 slices Wright Brand Bacon Hickory Smoked
- Favorite BBQ Seasoning as needed
- Maple Syrup for glaze
Instructions
- Begin by mixing the cream cheese, shredded brisket, and cheddar cheese in a large bowl.
- Next, take a jalapeno and slice a “T” shape, with the short horizontal slice just beneath the stem and the long vertical slice down the length of the pepper.
- Using gloves or a small spoon, scoop out all the filling and seeds from the inside of the jalapeno. Be careful not to break off the stems.
- Once cleaned, stuff each pepper with the cream cheese mixture.
- Next, take 1 slice of Wright Brand Bacon and carefully wrap it around the whole jalapeno, making sure to fully encase it.
- Season the outside of the bacon with your favorite BBQ seasoning and set to the side. Repeat this for all the other jalapenos until completed.
- Preheat your smoker/grill to indirect heat at 250 degrees F. Add some wood chips or wood chunks to the smoker for added smoke flavor.
- Add your Texas Twinkies to the smoker and let cook for about 90 minutes or until the bacon has become dark amber and crispy.
- During the last 10 minutes of cooking, glaze the outside of each Twinkie with maple syrup and let cook to get a nice sheen.
- Once done, pull them off and let them cool for 5 minutes. Slice them up, serve and enjoy!
