These bacon cheddar jalapeno popper burgers feature everything you love about the classic appetizer! Juicy burger patties are topped with crisp bacon, creamy cheddar cream cheese, and spicy sauteed jalapenos.
Not much beats a plate of jalapeno poppers, that’s just a straight fact.
Unless we’re talking about jalapeno poppers in burger form. These burgers JUST edge out the classic app – trust me, you’re about to see why.
Hope you’re not sick of burgers yet, because this gem of a burger is the REAL DEAL.
Putting jalapeno poppers in burger form also eliminates the time consuming process of filling + wrapping jalapenos!
And you basically get an app and your dinner in one. Can’t get much better than that.
These Jalapeno Popper Burgers feature…
- Juicy grilled burger patties
- A creamy cheddar cream cheese
- Crispy bacon strips
- Spicy sauteed fresh jalapenos
- Leafy greens and soft buns
Making the Jalapeno Popper Burgers
(scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe!)
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground beef
- Jalapenos
- Bacon
- Cream cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Cayenne pepper
- Garlic powder
- Baby arugula
- Buns
Choosing Your Beef
We recommend ground chuck or round beef for these burgers.
You can certainly use any type of ground beef, but with burgers especially a higher quality ground beef with 15-20% fat content makes a world of difference in the flavors and textures of your burger.
Adjusting Heat Level
It’s very easy to dial the heat up or down in these burgers based on your preference!
For a milder burger, we recommend discarding the seeds from the jalapenos. If you’re especially sensitive to spice, you can also decrease the jalapeno count down to one rather than two.
If you want a burger that really packs a punch of heat, leave the seeds in one or both jalapenos.
Tips for Perfect Burgers
- Choose a high quality beef – read above for recommendations on the type of beef.
- Use a kitchen thermometer to cook burgers to desired doneness – for rare, cook to 120-130F. For medium-rare, cook to 130-135F. For medium, cook to 135-145F. For medium-well, cook to 145-155F. For well-done, cook to 155F and up.
- Saute jalapenos in bacon drippings – this is a great use for the bacon drippings and adds an extra little bacon-y flavor to the jalapenos.
- Top burgers with cream cheese during last minute of cooking – spoon the cheddar cream cheese mix on top of burgers just before taking them off to soften the cream cheese a bit.
- Serve burgers with greens – we like baby arugula in these burgers for the peppery flavor, but any leafy lettuce will work.
Make Ahead Instructions
- Form beef patties ahead of time and store in refrigerator as long as package best-by date instructs.
- Make cream cheese ahead of time and store in refrigerator up to 6 days. (bring to room temperature before cooking)
What to Serve with Jalapeno Popper Burgers
We love these burgers alongside fries (made in the air fryer!) or alongside a big veggie loaded salad. They’ll also go wonderfully with pretty much any cookout side like potato salad, baked beans, etc.
I will say though, these are some LOADED burgers on their own. One will definitely fill you up!
There’s just no passing up one of these loaded bad boys, y’all.
The juicy burgers combined with the rich cream cheese, spicy jalapeno slices, and crisp bacon makes for one dream burger combo!
It’s a little difficult fitting your face around one of these burgers, but trust me, that’s a good problem to have.
A few more burger favorites I know you’ll love!
Bacon Cheddar Jalapeno Popper Burgers
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Ingredients
- 8 strips bacon
- 2 medium jalapenos, sliced into rings (remove seeds if you want a less spicy burger)
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lb chuck ground beef
- Baby arugula and toasted hamburger buns for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat, turning once until bacon is crispy. Drain on paper towels.
- Add jalapenos to hot bacon drippings over medium-high heat and saute 3-4 minutes until jalapenos are softened. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar, cayenne, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Shape ground beef into 4 patties. Season outside of patties with salt and pepper. Grill burgers over medium-high heat 4-5 minutes per side, flipping once until burgers reach desired degree of doneness.* During last minute of cooking, top burgers with an even layer of cream cheese mixture. Remove burgers from heat, cover with tin foil and let stand 3 minutes to slightly melt cheese.
- Assemble burgers on hamburger buns with arugula, burger patties, bacon strips, and sauteed jalapenos. Serve burgers immediately and enjoy!
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