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I love creating new recipes with familiar flavors – if you follow me on Instagram, you already know this. These Jalapeno Ranch Pickle Poppers do just that! In this recipe, you get the perfect tang of a dill pickle along with the savory flavor of cream cheese and the smoky flavor of bacon and slight spice flavor of the jalapeno ranch all in one amazing bite.
Grab the seasoning for this recipe
I’d love to hear if there’s something better! Leave a comment at the bottom.
Let’s Prep:
Pickle Poppers are almost here!
First, let’s talk about prepping these pickle poppers. You’re going to start with whole dill pickles. Slice them in half lengthwise and take out the seeds, creating a perfect little boat for all that creamy goodness. The key here is making sure you scoop out enough to hold the filling, but not too much that the pickle falls apart.
There are a few ways to remove the seeds in the middle; I’ve done them both, and they’re both easy. To make the pickle poppers into a boat to fit the cheese, you can either use a knife, as I have in the image above, or you can use a small measuring spoon to scoop out the insides. Note that using a teaspoon or tablespoon will be too big.
Next up is the cream cheese. You’ll want it softened so it’s easy to spread into the pickle cavities. Once your pickles are filled with cream cheese, give them a generous dusting of jalapeño ranch seasoning. Don’t be shy here—this is where a lot of the flavor comes in! After that, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top of each pickle half. It adds that cheesy layer we all love.
Now comes the fun part—wrapping the pickle poppers in bacon. You’ll need two strips per pickle half. Make sure the ends of the bacon are tucked under the pickle, so that when they cook, the weight of the pickle keeps the bacon from curling up. Trust me, you don’t want your bacon unraveling while it’s in the smoker.
Let’s Cook
Once everything is wrapped up and ready to go, fire up your smoker to 400°F. That’s the sweet spot to get the bacon nice and crispy while letting the pickles soften just a bit. Carefully place your pickle poppers on the smoker, making sure the bacon ends are down to avoid any curling.
Now, I like my bacon on the crispier side, so I usually leave these in for around 30 minutes. The goal is to have the bacon fully cooked and the cheese melted. You’ll know these pickle poppers are ready when they look golden, and the smell of smoky bacon fills the air.
While the pickle poppers are smoking, let’s whip up a quick dipping sauce. You’ll need ranch dressing, a little more jalapeño ranch seasoning, and a squirt of Sriracha for some extra heat. Adjust the Sriracha to your taste—if you like it spicier, go all in. If not, a little bit still adds great flavor.
Give it a good mix and set it aside for serving.
Let’s Eat
Once your pickle poppers come off the smoker, let them cool for a few minutes. I know it’s hard to wait when your kitchen smells like smoky bacon and cheese but trust me, it’s worth it. The cheese needs a minute to settle, and you don’t want to burn your mouth on that first bite.
Now, you’ve got these warm, cheesy, smoky pickle poppers, and they’re even better when dipped into that spicy ranch sauce. The combination of creamy cheese, tangy pickle, crispy bacon, and a little heat from the jalapeño ranch seasoning is just perfect. It’s a flavor explosion in every bite.
These pickle poppers are the perfect food for your party, big game, or tailgate. These are super easy to make and are perfect in the smoker, but could also be made in the oven at the same time and temp as the recipe for these pickle poppers below. Serve them with my dipping sauce or any others that you’re a fan of – you’ll love them!
Jalapeno Ranch Pickle Poppers
Ingredients
Jalapeno Ranch Pickle Poppers
- 4 Whole Dill Pickles
- 8 oz Cream Cheese softened
- 2 TBSP Jalapeño Ranch Seasoning plus more for coating
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 8 slices Bacon
Dipping Sauce
- 3/4 cup Ranch dressing
- 1 tsp Jalapeño Ranch Seasoning heaping
- 2 TBSP Sriracha adjust to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 400°F
- Slice the whole dill pickles in half lengthwise and remove the seeds
- Fill the cavity of each pickle half with softened cream cheese
- Generously cover the cream cheese with jalapeño ranch seasoning, ensuring it’s well coated
- Sprinkle shredded Cheddar cheese on top of the seasoned cream cheese
- Wrap each stuffed pickle half with 2 slices of bacon, ensuring they are fully covered
- Place the wrapped pickles in the smoker and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and cooked to your liking
- In a small bowl, mix together the ranch dressing, jalapeño ranch seasoning, and Sriracha. Adjust the amount of Sriracha based on your desired spice level
- Once the pickles are done, remove them from the smoker and let them cool slightly
- Serve warm with the jalapeño ranch dipping sauce on the side
