Texas Twinkies

Allyson Letal

Texas twinkies are a smoked twist on an appetizer favorite! These brisket stuffed jalapeno poppers are sure to delight.

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 45

Total Time 2

Ingredients

8 oz block Philadelphia cream cheese room temperature
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded smoked brisket point
10 slices bacon
½ cup sweet barbecue sauce divided

Instructions

Preheat smoker or pellet grill to 225f.
In the bowl of your stand mixer or food processor, combine an 8 oz block Philadelphia cream cheese, 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, 2 tablespoons ½ cup sweet barbecue sauce, and 2 cups shredded smoked brisket point. Pulse until completely combined, but avoid over-mixing. Set aside.
Wash and dry the peppers, then carefully slice a small wedge out of the top. Leaving the bottom of the pepper and the stem intact. Carefully scrape out the seeds and membranes.
Use a small spoon or knife to fill each jalapeno with the filling. Replace the wedge on the jalapenos.
Working 1 strip of bacon at a time, wrap each jalapeno up to seal the opening. Secure the bacon with toothpicks.
Place the Texas Twinkies directly on the grill grates and smoke at 225f for 90 minutes.
Bush with remaining barbecue sauce, then increase smoker temperature to 350f and smoke for another 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce begins to caramelize.
Remove from smoker and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Batch:

This recipe as written will make 15-20 3-4" stuffed jalapenos. It can be scaled up quite easily! All ratios remain the same and the smoke time is the same as well

Storage:

Once smoked, they can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days, or frozen for 2-3 months. Reheat them in your oven, air fryer, or toss them on the Traeger next time you're rolling smoke.

variations + substitutions

Don't like it hot? Sub the jalapeno peppers out with mini sweet peppers. My kids love these but don't love the jalapenos so I use mini sweet peppers for them!
Swap out the Monterey Jack cheese for smoked cheese!
No brisket? Use leftover smoked pulled pork, leftover smoked turkey, or even fried ground beef.

make ahead

To make ahead, follow the recipe for making the mix. At this point, you can refrigerate the filling in an airtight container for up to 2 days before slicing, stuffing, and smoking the jalapenos, or place assembled Texas Twinkies in a tin foil tray and freeze them for later!

To use frozen Texas Twinkies, remove the entire tray from the freezer and thaw at room temperature for approximately 2 hours or in the fridge overnight. Then follow baking directions as per the recipe.