Texas Twinkies
Texas Twinkies are little bites of flavorful dynamite!
Fresh jalapeno peppers are deseeded and stuffed with cream cheese and brisket, then wrapped with bacon to be baked until crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside.
Talk about the perfect party appetizer snack.
Recipe Notes:
- Wear gloves when cutting and preparing jalapenos. Avoid touching your face and other surfaces with your hands while preparing these peppers. The oils from the Jalapenos will cause great skin irritation. Wash your hands well several times to remove any traces of the residual oils.
- Ensure that you buy fatty brisket so that the brisket does not dry out in the cooking. It should be at least 20% fatty.
- Whip your cream cheese until it is light and fluffy. This will give a much better result than if it is dense and lumpy.
- Be generous with your bacon wraps. Depending on the size of the jalapenos you might have to use more than one slice of bacon per pepper to ensure that the cheese filling does not leak out during cooking.
- By adding in other ingredients to the filling mixture you can tweak this recipe to suit your taste buds! Added cheese like Monterey Jack as well as caramelized onions are great enhancers.
- Use BBQ sauces to glaze the twinkies. Glazing adds to flavor and overall appearance. Use a sweet BBQ sauce such as Dr Pepper BBQ sauce or Cherry Bourbon BBQ sauce. Once the bacon is crispy, remove the twinkies from the oven and baste them with the sauce and place them under the broil for about 5 – 10 minutes, being careful not to let them burn.
The bigger the better for this recipe. They ideally should be the length of your palm and a little longer if possible. Jumbo size Jalapenos are typically available in July and August and are usually stocked in most stores or fresh food markets.
Yes you can make these Twinkies ahead of time. Prepare the jalapenos and the filling as directed, assemble and place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you need to cook them that evening.
These twinkies can also be cooked, cooled and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and will reheat beautifully for serving. To reheat you can use the following methods: oven bake at 350 degrees F for 10 – 12 minutes, microwave on high for 2 minutes or heat them in an airfryer at 350 degrees F for 5 – 7 minutes.
Prepare and assemble the twinkies and then place them well spaced on a baking tray in the freezer to flash freeze. To do this, leave them uncovered to become hard and frozen. Once frozen sufficiently, transfer them to freezer bags or airtight containers where they can be stored for up to 6 months.
Texas Twinkies ( oven or smoker)
- Start by preparing your jalapeños. When selecting your jalapeños at the store, just like they say in Texas “bigger is better”!
- I trim the top of the jalapeno off. Next, using a sharp paring knife, slice a straight line down the backside of the jalapeno (it’s often the flat part). Using your fingers, spread the jalapeno open.
- Grab your paring knife and carefully de-seed the jalapeno. This is where all the heat is. If you want to leave the jalapeno a little spicy, leave the white rib portion and remove the seeds.
- Rinse your jalapenos under water to clean them and rinse any seeds away.
- Using a knife, stuff half of the inside of the jalapeno with cream cheese. Ensure there is enough as this will help the brisket stick to and keep intact.
- Once the jalapeños have been stuffed with cream cheese it’s time to add the brisket. Take your shredded or chopped brisket and stuff each jalapeno.
- On a flat surface, lay out a slice of thick cut bacon. Beginning at one side, secure the bacon to the jalapeno with a toothpick. Wrap the jalapeno with the bacon and secure with another toothpick.
- When all of the jalapenos have been wrapped in bacon it’s now time to cook them. You can choose to cook them in the oven or the smoker.
OVEN COOKING: Preheat your oven to 400°. Place the Texas Twinkies on a baking sheet (preferably on a wire rack with a baking sheet under to catch the drippings), this will allow the bacon to crisp up nicely. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the bacon has cooked through and done to your liking.
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SMOKER COOKING: Preheat your smoker to 275°. Place the Texas Twinkies directly on the wire rack. Allow to cook for 60-90 minutes, until the bacon has cooked through.
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Texas Twinkies
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Ingredients
- 8 jalapenos sliced and de-seeded
- 8 slices thick cut bacon
- 6 oz cream cheese room temp
- 2 cups smoked brisket chopped or shredded
Instructions
- Start by preparing your jalapenos. When selecting your jalapenos at the store, just like they say in Texas “bigger is better”!
- I trim the top of the jalapeno off. Next, using a sharp paring knife, slice a straight line down the backside of the jalapeno (it’s often the flat part). Using your fingers, spread the jalapeno open.
- Grab your paring knife and carefully de-seed the jalapeno. This is where all the heat is. If you want to leave the jalapeno a little spicy, leave the white rib portion and remove the seeds.
- Rinse your jalapenos under water to clean them and rinse any seeds away.
- Using a knife, stuff half of the inside of the jalapeno with cream cheese. Ensure there is enough as this will help the brisket stick to and keep intact.
- Once the jalapenos have been stuffed with cream cheese it’s time to add the brisket. Take your shredded or chopped brisket and stuff each jalapeno.
- On a flat surface, lay out a slice of thick cut bacon.
- Beginning at one side, secure the bacon to the jalapeno with a toothpick. Wrap the jalapeno with the bacon and secure the other end with another toothpick.
- When all of the jalapenos have been wrapped in bacon it’s now time to cook them. You can choose to cook them in the oven or the smoker.
OVEN COOKING:
- Preheat your oven to 400°. Place the Texas Twinkies on a baking sheet (preferably on a wire rack with a baking sheet under to catch the drippings), this will allow the bacon to crisp up nicely. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the bacon has cooked through and done to your liking.
SMOKER COOKING:
- Preheat your smoker to 275°. Place the Texas Twinkies directly on the wire rack. Allow to cook for 60-90 minutes, until the bacon has cooked through.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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