The heat of the pepper, stuffed with a creamy cheesy filling makes any jalapeño popper hard not to love. But stuff them with delicious seafood and these Jalapeño Shrimp Poppers will become your new favorite party appetizer.
Easy Cheesy Jalapeño Poppers
What makes a successful party? Plenty of snacks. And these Jalapeño Shrimp Poppers are going to blow your guests out of the water.
They’ve got some heat thanks to the jalapeno base, but not too much since the seeds are removed and they’re baked to remove some of that spice. Then they’re loaded up with a cream cheesy, bacon and shrimp filling that is so addicting and the perfect combination of flavors.
And who doesn’t love finger foods? These are easy to grab, no-mess made, and also just a few bites – just perfect for grazing during your party. I love this easy appetizer for tailgates, holiday parties, or the super bowl.
And if you’re into more classic jalapeño poppers, also check out my Easy Cheesy Jalapeño Poppers (with hummus as the secret ingredient!), too.
Recipe Ingredients
- Shrimp – Seasoned with onion powder, chili powder and paprika. It is an amazing addition to the jalapeño popper. See FAQs below on what kind to buy.
- Cultured Oil – Cultured Oil is cooking oil made through a fermentation process (just like sourdough or your favorite wine!). The fermentation of oil creates elevated amounts of healthy fats, a reduced environmental footprint and a high smoke point (great for roasting!). Use code APAIGEOFPOSITIVITY for a discount code on Zero Acres! You can also use olive oil instead.
- Bacon – This brings some great saltiness to the appetizer.
- Shredded Cheese – Some will go in the filling and the rest on top. Sharp cheddar cheese is my favorite, but pepper jack cheese, mozzarella, or colby jack I think would be tasty, too.
- Cream Cheese – Makes up the base of our filling. Try substituting goat cheese if you want to try something a little different next time.
- Jalapeño Peppers – The perfect vessel for a delicious appetizer. By removing the seeds and baking the peppers we remove some of the heat for an enjoyable snacking experience.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
Sensitive to spice? Although these are fairly mild since we’re removing the seeds and baking the jalepeno chili to remove some of the heat, you can make these in mini bell peppers instead! You could also just make the cheese filling and serve it as a dip served with crackers or tortilla chips and veggies.
Shrimp not your thing? Skip it, add more bacon, replace with shredded chicken breasts, crab pieces, or even oyster mushrooms.
Don’t do well with dairy? You can use dairy free versions of both cheeses. Or try using hummus instead of cream cheese and skip the shredded cheese on top.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Start by cooking the shrimp. Heat a skillet to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of Cultured Oil and the raw shrimp. Sprinkle seasoning mixture (onion powder, paprika, chili powder) over the shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcook. Allow shrimp to cool, remove the tails (if applicable), and dice each piece of shrimp small pieces.
2. In the same skillet, prepare the bacon. Use kitchen scissors to cut each strip of bacon in very small pieces (~¼ inch) and add to the pan set to medium heat. Cover the skillet with a lid and allow the bacon to cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally *be careful of grease splattering – medium heat (as opposed to high heat) will help avoid this*. Once each piece of bacon is crispy, remove from heat and use a paper towel to remove any excess bacon fat grease.
3. Next, prepare the jalapeños. Slice in half vertically, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and place in a baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. In a medium bowl, combine together cooked bacon, room temperature cream cheese, ½ cup cheddar cheese, and diced shrimp. Use a rubber spatula to fold together.
5. Use a spoon to scoop the shrimp cream cheese mixture into the jalapeños. Pressing down to fill the peppers completely.
6. Top the poppers with the remaining ½ cup cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and jalapeños have slightly softened. Broil at 500°F for 2-3 minutes for bubbly, caramelized cheese. Enjoy!
PRO TIPS
Starting with softened cream cheese will make mixing the filling much easier. If needed, use an electric hand mixer to break down the cream cheese block prior to mixing in the rest of the ingredients.
I suggest a baking dish over a baking sheet so the jalapeno peppers don’t tip over in the oven. This will result in cheese burnt on the pan rather than baked onto your shrimp jalapeno poppers.
Recipe FAQs
Store extras in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a toaster over, air fryer, or under the broiler to keep the cheesy bubbly and avoid the pepper from getting soggy.
Jalapeño Poppers can be made up to a day in advance. Prep them through until they’re ready for the oven and store in the fridge overnight. When ready to enjoy, transfer to your baking pan and bake as directed.
Jalapeño Shrimp Poppers are great with salsa verde. Regular salsa would be a good option too, or some sour cream, ranch, bleu cheese dressing or guacamole. As for toppings, add some chopped cilantro, toasted bread crumbs, sliced chives, or even some red pepper flakes for extra heat!
There’s multiple options when it comes to buying shrimp. For this recipe, I used raw, peeled, deveined, tail on large shrimp, but any will work.
Peeled: The shell covers the entire shrimp. You’ll need to peel the shrimp before cooking them. Buying peeled shrimp significantly cuts down on prep time.
Tails Removed: Peeled shrimp doesn’t necessarily mean the tail is removed. With tails removed too, you can eat the entire thing. For this recipe I cut the tails off after cooking.
Deveined: If your shrimp have a little brown string down the middle of their bodies, it needs to be deveined. Watch this short video on deveining shrimp if you need help.
Frozen vs. Fresh: Either will work. To quickly thaw frozen shrimp, submerged in a bowl of warm water. It should only take about 20 minutes or so, change the water out once to speed up the process.
Raw vs. Cooked: Again, either work. Shrimp take minimal time to cook (3-5 min) so it’s really personal preference here. If you’ve got access to fresh, raw shrimp, go for it!
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Jalapeño Shrimp Poppers
Equipment
- skillet
- Kitchen shears
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Spoon
- Mixing Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- oven safe baking dish
Ingredients
- ½ pound raw shrimp, 6-8 jumbo pieces
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp cultured oil, Zero Acre
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 medium jalapeños
Instructions
- Start by cooking the shrimp. Heat a skillet to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of Cultured Oil and the raw shrimp. Sprinkle seasoning mixture (onion powder, paprika, chili powder) over the shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcook. Allow shrimp to cool, remove the tails, and dice into small pieces.
- In the same skillet, prepare the bacon. Use kitchen scissors to cut the bacon in very small pieces (~¼ inch) and add to the pan set to medium heat. Cover the skillet with a lid and allow the bacon to cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally *be careful of grease splattering – medium heat (as opposed to high heat) will help avoid this*. Once the bacon is crispy, remove from heat and use a paper towel to remove any excess grease.
- Next, prepare the jalapeños. Slice in half vertically, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and place in a baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine together cooked bacon, cream cheese, ½ cup cheddar cheese, and diced shrimp. Use a rubber spatula to fold together. Note: starting with room temperature cream cheese will make this easier. If needed, use an electric hand mixer to break down the cream cheese block prior to mixing in the rest of the ingredients.
- Use a spoon to scoop the shrimp mixture into the jalapeños. Pressing down to fill the peppers completely.
- Top the poppers with the remaining ½ cup cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and jalapeños have slightly softened.
- Broil at 500°F for 2-3 minutes for bubbly, caramelized cheese. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find JALAPEÑO SHRIMP POPPERS calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
my husband loves these! Especially while watching football. Such a great snack!
WOW so.much.flavor!!!!!!