Stuffed jalapeño peppers in bacon is a hot appetizer with a bright taste, which is convenient to serve both on the holiday table and at home dinner. The basis of the recipe is simple: hot peppers, juicy ground beef, a little cheddar, tomato juice and strips of bacon that hold the filling and add a distinct flavor during baking. The recipe is not complicated, but it is important to take your time here: carefully prepare the pepper, mix the minced meat well and do not overcook the snack in the oven so that the bacon browns and the jalapeño remains elastic.
Ingredients for 4 servings
- jalapeños – 600 g
- ground beef – 360 g
- bacon – 1.5 packages
- salt – to taste
- ground black pepper – 2 g (1/3 tsp)
- ground smoked paprika – 3 g (1/2 tsp)
- cheese cheddar – 80 g
- tomato juice – 80 ml
Before starting work with jalapeños, it is convenient to wear gloves or at least not to touch your face and eyes with your hands. If you want to reduce the spiciness a little, remove the seeds and light partitions inside the pods very carefully. For a more expressive taste, part of the seeds can be left.
How to prepare the filling
First grate the cheddar on a fine grater. So it will be quickly distributed in the minced meat and will help the filling to become more cohesive. Place ground beef in a large bowl, add grated cheese, smoked paprika, ground black pepper and a little salt. Consider that bacon is also salty, so it is better not to oversalt the mass at the start.
Now pour in the tomato juice and once again mix well until smooth. The filling should be juicy, but not liquid. If the minced meat is very dense, tomato juice will make it softer and help it to bake evenly inside the pepper. Leave the finished mass for 5-10 minutes so that the spices reveal their aroma.
Preparation of peppers
Wash the jalapeños, dry them and cut them in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the seeds and septa. Fill each half with minced meat tightly, but without a hill, so that the filling does not fall out during baking. If the peppers are small, it is more convenient to work with a teaspoon.
Baking and serving
Heat the oven to 180 C. Put the form with the peppers on the middle level and cook for 15-20 minutes. During this time, the minced meat should be completely cooked, and the bacon should be browned. If your oven bakes gently, you can turn on the top heat for 2-3 minutes at the end, but be careful not to dry out the bacon.
It is better to serve the snack hot or warm. It tastes good on its own, and goes well with a light salad, yogurt-based sauce or tomato salsa. If you are cooking for a company, put the peppers on a large plate and immediately serve napkins – the dish is juicy, aromatic and disappears very quickly. Delicious!