Sausage Stuffed Jalapenos

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Sausage stuffed jalapenos are such a flavorful appetizer. They only take 4 simple ingredients to make and they are always a hit for parties or game day.

Creamy, cheesy stuffed jalapeno peppers are one of our favorite appetizers. We like to change up the filling and make them almost every weekend from late summer on through fall.

Shrimp jalapeno poppers are one of our favorites. But we also love them with just cheese and bacon, pulled pork, taco meat and more.

We’ve even stuffed jalapenos with buffalo chicken dip for an extra fun tailgate treat. But one of our all time favorites is to stuff them with the same cream cheese and sausage mixture we use in our favorite creamy sausage stuffed mushrooms.

They are wonderful on the grill, but they also taste great in the oven. So you can make them any time.

The Filling

As I mentioned, this filling is the same mixture we use to stuff mushrooms. It is one of our absolute favorites.

You can use any kind of bulk sausage that you like. It is great with either hot or sweet Italian sausage.

It is also tasty with breakfast sausage. I can imagine it would be wonderful with some of the bacon sausage hybrids as well.

Whatever kind of sausage you choose, you will want to brown it. Try to break it up into relatively small crumbles as it cooks.

Once browned, drain off any excess grease. Then stir in some garlic salt and cream cheese.

That’s all it takes. Now you are ready to stuff your jalapenos or mushrooms or both!

Prepping the Jalapenos

While your sausage is browning, go ahead and get your peppers ready.

If you plan on touching your face, eyes or private parts any time soon, you may want to wear gloves. The oils from the jalapenos can leave a lingering burn that can spread to sensitive parts if you aren’t careful.

Once the peppers are washed, you will want to cut them in half longways from the tip through the stem. That will allow you easy access to the inside of the pepper.

Once halved, I find using a small spoon to scrape out the insides makes it easy to remove all the ribs and seeds. You can use a paring knife or your fingers if you prefer.

They do make special tools for cleaning the inside of jalapenos too, but that is just one more thing to store.

Either way, the better you clean your peppers the less likely you are to have an eye watering surprise. So you may want to spend a little extra time getting them cleaned if your heat tolerance is low.

Fill each pepper half with plenty of filling and arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Once they are all cleaned and filled, bake them until the filling is hot and the jalapenos are cooked to your liking.

We tend to like our peppers on the softer side, but we also have some family members who like a little bit of crunch left. Either way, they are really delicious.

Allow the peppers to cool for a few minutes and then dig in. They are so good when the cream cheese is gooey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the jalapenos ahead of time?

Yes, you can go ahead and clean and stuff your peppers several hours ahead of time. Refrigerate them until you are ready to bake them off.

You will need to add a couple of minutes to the bake time to compensate for the cold filling. But this way you can have the work done in advance.

What if they are too spicy?

Jalapenos can be hit or miss in term of spice. It is hard to predict how hot they will be.

One way to avoid them being too spicy is to clean them out well. But if they are still too spicy, serve them with a little bit of ranch or blue cheese dressing to help cool them down.

More Spicy Appetizer Recipes

If you like the idea of stuffed peppers, but don’t want to actually stuff a bunch of jalapenos, try making jalapeno popper dip instead. My version has pineapple in it, but you can easily leave it out or substitute other mix ins if you would like.

Or try making jalapeno poppers in the air fryer if you prefer. It’s a good way to make crunchy bacon and gooey cream cheese quickly.

Jalapeno pickled quail eggs are an interesting snack for jalapeno lovers. They are bite sized and have a bit of tang and spice.

Or make some fun warm and cheesy corn dip. It has a bit of kick from green chiles and jalapenos, but it is a mild spice with great flavor that is balanced with the corn and cheese.

For a cold dip option, try making fiesta dip. It is full of flavor and texture and you can spice it up more with a little bit of extra jalapenos.

Check out my full collection of appetizer and snack recipes for more fun ideas!

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