This Jalapeño Popper Dip is the perfect creamy dip recipe. If you love the taste of jalapeño poppers but don’t feel like stuffing a whole batch, this dip will satisfy the craving and then some!
I am a sucker for a good dip recipe. I could make a meal out of them in fact. And this jalapeño popper dip recipe is no different. It’s creamy, delicious, has the slightest kick, and the perfect popper flavor. This will be such a huge hit no matter where you bring it.
How to Make Jalapeño Popper Dip
Here is a brief overview of how this delicious dip recipe comes together. For the full recipe including all ingredients and their measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Cook the bacon. Cook just until crisp, then remove the bacon from the pan and dice it into small pieces, leaving the grease in the pan. Read more on why I recommend cooking it first below.
- Cook the jalapeño. Sauté the diced jalapeño in the skillet in the remaining bacon fat for about five minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Make the dip. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, cooked jalapeño, and most of the cooked bacon (save some for topping). Stir in one cup of cheddar cheese and one cup of Monterey Jack.
- Bake the dip. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to the baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and bacon and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese on top is bubbling and beginning to brown. Enjoy!
Dicing Jalapeños
Cutting fresh jalapeños is an essential step to get the perfect texture and flavor, yet something you want to be careful doing. I recommend wearing rubber gloves to protect yourself, as even a tiny bit of jalapeño juice in your eye will ruin your day. Think of the pepper as a rectangle and cut off each of the four sides. Discard the stem, membranes, and seeds, which is where most of the heat lives in the pepper.
Slice each “side” into small strips and then dice them, being careful not to cut them too small. Since you’ll need to remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon later, slightly larger pieces are easier to handle and ensure you get just the right amount of spicy goodness in every scoop of dip!
Cooking Bacon For This Dip
While I love cooking bacon in the oven or air fryer, this is a recipe where we need the grease so you must cook it in a skillet on your stovetop.
I suggest that you do not dice the bacon before cooking it. Because we are using the rendered fat to cook the jalapeños, you will want to easily remove the bacon from the pan by keeping it whole. If it is diced first, it will be harder to get all the pieces and they may end up burning in the fat while you cook the peppers.
Tips and Tricks
- Use room temperature cream cheese. Even though the dip will be baked, you want the cream cheese to mix well with the other ingredients and create a smooth, creamy dip.
- Shred your cheese from a block. In a recipe where cheese is one of the stars like this dip, it is important to shred your own cheese if you can rather than buying bags of pre-shredded cheese. It will melt and taste so much better and is worth a few extra minutes of your time.
- Add some green onion. Top the dip once it comes out of the oven with some diced green onion like in the photo below.
Making it in a Crock Pot
If you want to make this for a party and keep it warm, you can make it in a small Crock Pot. Combine all the dip ingredients, add them to the small Crock Pot, and cook for two hours, stirring occasionally. While we reserve cheese and bacon to top it with when baking, you will want to mix both of those in at the start. Enjoy when the dip is heated through and the cheese is melted. Keep on the warm setting for up to two hours.
Small Crock Pot
What to Serve with Jalapeño Popper Dip
I love this dip with tortilla chips as you can see in the photos. But crackers or pretzel flats would work great with this dip as well. You want to use something that is sturdy as this is a hearty delicious hot dip.
Storing Leftovers
This dip is best when it is warm out of the oven. You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days and reheat the portion you plan to eat in the microwave or oven. Remember that leftovers should never be reheated more than once and to always use your best discretion with them.
Other Great Dip Recipes
If you make this jalapeño popper dip recipe or any of my other recipes, be sure to come back and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
Jalapeño Popper Dip
Ingredients
- 10 slices bacon see note (95 grams)
- 4 fresh jalapeños diced, reading my tips for dicing jalapeños here
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature (227 grams)
- 1 cup sour cream I used reduced fat (227 grams)
- 1 cup mayonnaise I used light (113 grams)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded (169.5 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded (169.5 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 4 cup baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and then chop into small pieces.10 slices bacon
- Cook the jalapeño in the skillet in the remaining bacon fat for about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.4 fresh jalapeños
- In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, cooked jalapeño, and most of the cooked bacon (reserve about 2 tablespoons). Stir in one cup of cheddar cheese and one cup of Monterey Jack. Taste and add more salt as needed.8 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
- Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and bacon. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese on top is bubbling and beginning to brown. Sprinkle with the green onions.
- Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy.
Notes
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