Texas Twinkies

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Servings: 12
Yield: 12 servings

Description

Texas Twinkies are bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers stuffed with cream cheese and tender beef brisket, smothered in BBQ sauce for a crowd-pleasing snack.

Ingredients

12 medium jalapeño peppers
12 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 pounds cooked chopped brisket
12 slices thick-cut bacon
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 (12 ounce) bottle BBQ sauce

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2 Slice jalapeños in the shape of a "T." Cut a straight vertical line from top to bottom with a crosscut directly under the stem, making sure to cut only halfway through the jalapeños. Use a spoon to remove and discard all seeds and membranes. Place jalapeños on a baking sheet.
3 Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
4 Transfer jalapeños to a bowl of ice water for a few minutes to extract the rest of the seeds' oil. Blot dry with a paper towel.
5 Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
6 Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese inside each jalapeño. Place about 2 ounces brisket inside each, then wrap with a slice of bacon. Place poppers on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
7 Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with BBQ sauce. Return to the oven and bake 5 more minutes.