Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Chicken Poppers are a spicy, savory sensation. These tantalizing poppers are made by stuffing fresh jalapeno peppers with buffalo chicken, wrapping them in bacon, and baking them to perfection. Bite into one and you’ll experience a burst of flavors with the heat of jalapeno, tangy Buffalo chicken, and smoky bacon. These stuffed jalapeno peppers are perfect for parties, BBQs, and game day.
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Why Buffalo Chicken Jalapeno Poppers Are The Perfect Appetizer
Buffalo Style Chicken Poppers pop up on the menu of so many fast-casual restaurants for several good reasons. They’re convenient, delicious, and, most of all, great for sharing. That might make them the ideal app for your next party or game-day tailgate.
Bite-sized but loaded with flavor, these savory bacon-wrapped jalapeno peppers are stuffed to the brim with seasoned ground chicken and then grilled to perfection.
What Makes This Buffalo Chicken Poppers Recipe So Good?
Unlike most jalapeno poppers, this version isn’t breaded and fried. You’ll get fresh and intense flavors without all that extra coating. And these apps are absolutely killing it in the taste department.
Between the smokiness from the bacon, the tender chicken mix’s juiciness, and the jalapeno’s heat, not much else will make your mouth as happy as Buffalo Chicken Jalapeno Poppers!
Buffalo Chicken Jalapeno Poppers Ingredients
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
- Ground chicken breast
- Ranch dressing dry mix
- Hot wing sauce
- Vegetable oil
- Celery
- Ground black pepper
- Jalapeno peppers
- Bacon
Ingredient Notes
Hidden Valley Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix works great in this recipe, but you can use your favorite.
The classic Frank’s RedHot is perfect here, but you can choose another brand if you prefer.
What Are Chicken Poppers?
You’re in for a real treat if you have never had a chicken popper before. It all starts with fresh hollowed-out jalapeno peppers stuffed with seasoned ground chicken. Then to really bring the flavor, the stuffed peppers are wrapped in half a strip of bacon before being grilled.
The result is a two-bite snack that is incredibly juicy and savory with just the right amount of heat and smoke.
How to Make Them
To prepare these buffalo chicken jalapeño poppers:
- Preheat the grill to 350°F.
- Wash and dry the outside of the jalapeno peppers. Cut off the top of the peppers and cut them in half horizontally. Remove the seeds and membrane from the peppers. Set the cut and cored jalapeno pepper halves to the side for later.
- Rinse, dry, and mince the celery.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, ranch dressing mix, hot wing sauce, vegetable oil, minced celery, and ground black pepper.
- Use a pastry piping bag or a plastic food bag with a cut corner to pipe the chicken mixture into each pepper.
- Wrap half a strip of bacon around each pepper. Secure the bacon with a toothpick.
- Put the filled and wrapped jalapenos on a wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan.
- Bake the poppers for 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken is at least 165°F before removing the peppers from the oven.
- Remove the toothpicks and serve the poppers warm or at room temperature.
CopyKat Tip: Wear gloves when handling hot peppers and avoid touching your eyes or face.
Side Dishes to Go With Buffalo Chicken Poppers
These poppers make excellent snacks on their own, but they’re also great served alongside other food. Buffalo Pepper Poppers pair well with Southwest and Mexican dishes like chili or tamales. Serve them with a thick steak or grilled veggies, or turn them into a proper meal by adding a thick slab of cornbread or seasoned rice.
Don’t forget a bowl of blue cheese dressing or dip or ranch dressing and something to sip on, like a Presidente Margarita or your favorite beer.
How to Store Buffalo Style Chicken Poppers
Just to be safe, you shouldn’t save any poppers you already served, but feel free to make this recipe in advance. They even freeze wonderfully.
Store the poppers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to three days. If you want to keep the poppers longer than that, freeze them for up to a month.
To prevent the poppers from sticking to each other, it is best to flash-freeze the popper on a baking sheet for at least an hour before transferring them to a freezer bag.
What Is the Best Way to Reheat Buffalo Chicken Poppers?
To reheat thawed poppers in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the frozen poppers on a baking tray and heat for 8 minutes. Turn once midway through cooking.
You can prepare poppers from frozen by heating them on a baking tray in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 minutes. Turn the poppers after 10 minutes.
Favorite Appetizer Recipes
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
- Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls
- Buffalo Chicken Tots
- Cheddar Poppers
- Franks Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Fried Jalapeno Poppers
- Wonton Jalapeno Poppers
Popular Buffalo Wing Recipes
Check out more of my easy appetizer recipes and the best chicken recipes on CopyKat.
Buffalo Chicken Poppers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken breast
- 1 packet ranch dressing mix
- 1/2 cup hot wing sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup minced celery
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12 large jalapeño peppers cored and seeded
- 6 strips bacon
- ranch or blue cheese dressing for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients and mix well.
- Slice the tops off the jalapeños. Cut the peppers in half horizontally and (if you prefer your peppers less spicy) remove the seeds. Place the peppers on a wire rack resting on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Place half of the chicken mixture into a plastic zipper bag and cut a small hole in the corner. Squeeze chicken mixture into each jalapeño.
- Wrap each jalapeño with half a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
- Place the rack of peppers in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Remove the peppers from the oven and allow them to cool. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
I like your modifications Stephanie, you are right, not everyone has a jalapeno grilling rack. Glad you liked the recipe, my neighbor sure did.
These sound so good!!
These sound so good!!
I’m thinking to just cut them in half and fill that way….can’t wait to try:)
Loving the idea of these. They would make fabulous Superbowl snacks!!!