Description
Texas Twinkies are a delicious appetizer featuring large jalapeños stuffed with a creamy mixture of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and savory beef brisket, all wrapped in crispy bacon and finished with a tangy BBQ sauce glaze. Perfect for game days or casual gatherings, this flavorful treat combines smoky, spicy, and cheesy elements in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Jalapeños
- 12 large jalapeños
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese block, shredded
- 2 cups finely chopped leftover beef brisket
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
Bacon & Sauce
- 12 slices bacon
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Rack: Preheat the oven to 400°F and place a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Spray the rack with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Prepare Jalapeños: Slice the tops off the jalapeños and carefully remove the seeds and membranes using gloves to avoid irritation.
- Make Filling: In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, finely chopped beef brisket, and chili powder. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
- Stuff Jalapeños: Transfer the filling mixture into a gallon-sized ziplock bag, cut off one corner to create a piping bag, and fill each jalapeño with the cheese and brisket mixture.
- Wrap with Bacon: Wrap each stuffed jalapeño with one slice of bacon, securing the filling and bacon around the jalapeño.
- Bake Jalapeños: Place the bacon-wrapped jalapeños on the prepared wire rack and bake on the center oven rack for 10 minutes. Flip them over and bake for an additional 10 minutes until bacon is crispy.
- Apply BBQ Sauce and Broil: Remove the jalapeños from the oven and brush each with BBQ sauce. Turn the broiler on low and place the jalapeños about 6 inches from the heat source. Broil for 2 minutes while watching carefully to avoid burning.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from the oven and allow the Texas Twinkies to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Pick large jalapeños to hold more filling for a better bite.
- If you don’t have leftover brisket, smoked beef brisket or ground chorizo are great alternatives.
- To reduce spice, remove all seeds and membranes from jalapeños carefully.
- Use gloves when handling jalapeños to prevent skin irritation.
- Keep a close watch while broiling as bacon and BBQ sauce can burn quickly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 twinkie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
