Texas Twinkies are a savory and popular appetizer. A jalapeno that is hollowed out and stuffed with brisket, and cream cheese, wrapped in bacon, and then brushed with BBQ sauce and smoked to perfection. A meat lover’s treat, that is going to scream heaven in each bite.

Texas Twinkies o a baking sheet with a bbq brush sitting on the side

This is a popular appetizer in Texas, the Lone Star state! If you like traditional bacon-wrapped jalapenos, I think you will love this Texas Twinkie recipe. Or try out my Jalapeno popper chicken casserole for a savory dinner idea.

Texas Twinkies in a collage of them sitting on table

What is a Texas Twinkie

When I think of Twinkies I think of a cream filled cake, that screams 90’s nostalgia. But this Texas Twinkie is a jalapeno pepper that is full of smoked brisket, cream cheese, and wrapped in bacon and smoked on your grill.

A delicious appetizer that became super popular in the Texas barbeque world. Now this appetizer has taken over the world. Give it a try if you are a fan of jalapeno poppers.

Texas Twinkies bit in half and poked in a fork

Why You Will Love This Texas Twinkie Recipe

Flavor explosion is what you are going to get in this barbecue recipe.
Great for a backyard BBQ, pool party, finger food for a night in, etc.
Full of Texas BBQ flavor in each bite.
A great way to use leftover brisket from earlier in the week.
This recipe will wow your family and friends with one bite!

Texas Twinkies collage of twinkies on plates

Ingredients Needed

Jalapenos: You will find that the bigger the peppers the better since you are going to be stuffing them.

Cream Cheese: Opt for full-fat cream cheese, as the lower-fat cream cheese becomes too runny and can leak out of the peppers.

Cheese: Pepper jack cheese adds more spice or opt for cheddar cheese for a tangy twist.

BBQ Rub: To take this dish to a whole new level I bought a BBQ rub to add more flavor to these stuffed jalapenos.

Brisket: You can buy pre-made brisket or use leftover brisket you have on hand from your grilling or even oven-baked brisket.

Bacon: Reach for a thick bacon for this recipe. I also like to reach for smoked bacon for added flavoring.

BBQ Sauce: Opt for any type of sauce you like. Whether it is a Kansas City style, sweet, A&W bbq sauce, spicy, etc.

slice of raw bacon on cutting board with stuffed jalapenos sitting around it on table

jalapeno peppers sliced aand placed on a wooden cutting board on table

Variations to Recipe

Meat: Pulled pork, rib meat, crumbled sausage, and more can be used to go with the brisket or in replace of the brisket.

Cheese: Play around with different types of cheese to create a flavor profile you would like—white sharp cheddar, Colby Jack, gouda, etc.

Wrapping Peppers: Consider wrapping the peppers with pancetta or even prosciutto instead for a twist in flavor.

Sauce: Dip these in a ranch dressing, spicy mustard, aioli sauce, horseradish sauce, etc. Skip the BBQ sauce and do a different sauce.

Brown Sugar or Honey: Sweeten up the peppers and massage a little brown sugar on the bacon or even drizzle some honey on the bacon. It will add a sweet component to the peppers.

Filling: Chopped pineapple, add a spoonful of pepper jelly to the cream cheese, caramelized onions, chopped sauteed mushrooms, and more can be added into the pepper filling for even more flavor. The sky is the limit.

Texas Twinkie on a plat with the top of pepper cut off

Storing

Make Ahead: You can make these ahead of time and keep them in the raw form in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Then cook the same as you would just add a few more minutes to the cooking time. Or cook them store them in the fridge, and reheat them when you are ready.

Refrigerate: You can store any of the peppers in the fridge for 2-4 days. Eat them cold or warm them up as you desire.

Freezing: The peppers will become pretty soft as they are thawed after being frozen. If you do freeze them just know that the texture will be different. Freeze for 1-2 months. Then thaw in the fridge overnight.

Texas Twinkies on a cookie sheet spread out on pan

Tips For Making

Prep Peppers

Wash the jalapenos, cut in half, and scrape out the membrane and seeds. Then rinse again in cold water. This will help reduce the spice factor. If you like spice then leave some seeds in the peppers.

Filling

Mix up the filling and then that way when you go to fill the peppers each bite will have a bit of all the flavors.

Wrapping In Bacon

Wrap the bacon around the pepper, working your way from one end of the pepper to the other. If you need cut the bacon if you have smaller peppers. Then use toothpicks to secure the bacon onto the peppers.

Rotate As You Grill

Make sure that you rotate the peppers so all sides of the peppers and bacon are fully cooked on the grill. Just know it will smoke as the bacon grease drips into the fire.

Long Tongs

I find that using long tongs is best at helping to rotate the peppers as they grill up. That way if the grease pops it doesn’t get on your skin.

Texas Twinkies on a cookie sheet spread out on table

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you serve Texas Twinkies?

So these are best hot off the smoker or grill. Typically they are served as an appetizer but you can serve them as a side dish or even main. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and dive in.

How to make jalapenos less spicy?

Removing the white membrane and seeds will cool down the heat factor of these peppers. You can also soak the peppers in cold ice water once you clean them up, to help tame down the spice even more. Just soak them for 15 minutes in ice water.

More Summer Recipes

Texas Twinkies

Course Appetizer

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 30

Servings 14 servings

Texas Twinkies are a delicious jalapeno pepper that is hollowed out and stuffed with cream cheese and brisket, and then wrapped in bacon and slathered in BBQ sauce. These smoked peppers are a great tailgating or appetizer to serve up.

Ingredients