Shrimp Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers with Sausage
Open faced shrimp stuffed jalapeño poppers. Kielbasa diced up and crispy, shrimp cut in quarters and mixed with diced jalapeño, cream cheese and cheddar. All stuffed in a pepper and smoked over applewood at 275 to 300. Sprinkled with bacon bits when done.
Ingredients for Shrimp Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| Jalapeño | 12 big jalapeños. |
| Kielbasa | One lb diced up real fine. Or whatever sausage you want to use. |
| Shrimp | Medium size, peeled and deveined. Cut into 4 pieces each. |
| Jalapeño | Finely diced and added to filling. |
| Cream Cheese | One block softened. |
| Cheddar | 1 cup shredded. |
| Sweet BBQ Seasoning | Add to filling. |
| Bacon | Cooked and cut into bits. Used to top off the poppers. |
| Applewood | To smoke with. |
Amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.
Why Cut Off The Top And Not In Half
When you cut off the top of a jalapeño you create a cup. By cutting it in half you’re making something that doesn’t have walls. Which means less room to stuff them and the filling will most likely fall out of it. You can fit way more into these and keep everything contained.
Using a small spoon or knife remove the insides of the jalapeño. Remove as many seeds as you want. The more you leave in the hotter they will be.
This also allows you to smoke them upright. Which keeps everything inside the cup and the top gets nice and brown.
Cook Your Filling Before Stuffing
All the ingredients that go into the filling should be cooked before stuffing them in.
Start by cooking your sausage until it’s nice and crispy. Add your shrimp and cook until they are done. Then add the diced jalapeño and cook for a couple minutes.
These will only be on the smoker for about 30 minutes. Which will get your jalapeño nice and soft and melt your cheese. But it will not cook your sausage through and make it safe to eat. Or your shrimp, which need about 2-3 minutes on their own.
So by cooking your filling you are allowing your smoker to just make your jalapeño soft.
Allow your filling to cool down a bit before adding your cheese. If it’s too hot it will melt your cream cheese and make it soup.
How I Made Shrimp Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers
Washed my jalapeños and cut the tops off.
Removed the seeds and pith.
Diced up my pound of kielbasa and fried it in a pan until crispy.
Cut my shrimp into quarters and added them to the pan.
Added one diced up jalapeño to my pan and allowed everything to cook.
Removed from pan and placed in a bowl. Added my cream cheese, shredded cheddar and sweet BBQ seasoning. Mixed it all together.
Stuffed each jalapeño with the filling.
Smoked them at 275 to 300 over applewood for about 30 minutes. Until the jalapeño was soft.
Cooked down some bacon and cut it into bits. Garnished my shrimp jalapeño poppers.
See recipe card for times and temps.
Author’s Notes
These Go Fast
My pro tip is I like to cut them a little bit on top only. That way you can put a lot more stuffing into those poppers and nothing spills out.
These are excellent for tailgating, for game day. These go fast, so you wanna make a lot.
Miguel
Tips From Miguel
- Only cut the top. This will give you a deeper jalapeño to stuff and nothing will fall out.
- Make sure to cook your filling. You only have 30 minutes on your smoker.
- Cook your sausage first. Then add shrimp to those oils.
- Cut your shrimp in quarters. It will allow you to spread them throughout.
- Top with bacon bits after they are done. They will get soggy if you put them on before smoking.
- Make a bunch. These will disappear quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use another type of sausage?
Yes. I used kielbasa but feel free to use any sausage you like. Just make sure to dice it up fine.
Can I buy bacon bits?
Sure you can. I like to cook down my bacon and cut it into bits. But store bought bacon bits will work.
How many of these do you get?
12. Make double if you’re having a party.
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Shrimp Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers with Sausage
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash and dry the jalapeños. Stand each one upright and cut off roughly the top quarter, like removing a cap. Do not cut them in half, you want the walls intact so they hold more filling and can smoke standing up.
- Hollow out the inside of each pepper with a small spoon or knife, removing the seeds and membranes. Leave some in if you want more heat.
- Finely dice the kielbasa and cook it in a skillet over medium high heat until browned and crispy.
- Add the shrimp, cut into 4 pieces each, and cook until done. Then add the finely diced jalapeño and cook another couple of minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl and let it cool a bit, or it will melt the cream cheese into soup. Add the cream cheese, shredded cheddar and sweet BBQ seasoning and mix thoroughly.
- Pack the filling generously into each jalapeño.
- Preheat your smoker to 275°F to 300°F. Place the poppers upright and smoke over applewood about 30 minutes, until the jalapeños are tender and the filling is hot and melted.
- Remove from the smoker and top with the cooked bacon bits. Add them after smoking, not before, or they go soggy.
