Jumbo shrimp, stuffed with a jalapeno popper filling, wrapped in bacon and brushed with a pepper jelly barbecue glaze.
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Poppers with Pepper Jelly Glaze
The Cajun's Dad always had an abundance of shrimp on hand. Nice ones too, many jumbos.
Back in the day, the family owned a small shrimp boat, so the boys would go out with Dad for a day of shrimping. When I was a kid, most young men and yes, even some gals around here too, would have experienced working on a shrimp boat at some point in their lives. Most families were involved in the industry and it was just part of the culture then.
When The Cajun went out, we would put up about 100 pounds of fresh from the Gulf shrimp that day. What a blessing!
It was a lot of work both on them and then on me but it was worth it to have a freezer full of fresh Gulf shrimp. It eventually got to be too much for Dad, so he sold the boat and these days we mostly buy our shrimp at the docks as the shrimp boats come in or from the seafood markets here locally.
One appetizer that Dad used to make often was a stuffed, bacon wrapped shrimp.
Jumbo or colossal shrimp, stuffed with a cream cheese and jalapeno popper filling and wrapped with bacon, they are a delicious bite to go with any meal or to serve as an appetizer. I finished mine with a barbecue pepper jelly glaze.
Just a quick reminder.... as always, full recipe text with measurements and instructions, as well as a printable document, are a little bit further down the page. Just swipe or scroll past the step-by-step pictures below.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Add the cream cheese, shredded cheese and jalapenos to a bowl.
Blend together.
In a small bowl, add all of the sauce ingredients. Double sauce if you want extra sauce for the table.
Whisk until smooth and set aside half for dipping.
Peel, devein and rinse shrimp, leaving tails intact, if desired. Pat dry with paper towels.
Make a cut along the back of the shrimp, leaving both the top and the bottom ends of the shrimp back closed to form a pocket.
Meanwhile, precook bacon in a skillet, or place onto a plate, cover with a paper towel and microwave on high for a minute or two, depending on the wattage of your microwave.
You only want to parcook the bacon and render off some of the fat, but don't cook it crisp!
Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly into the pockets of the shrimp and set aside.
Wrap bacon tightly around shrimp, securing bacon with toothpicks if needed.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easier cleanup, place an oven safe rack on top and place shrimp on the pan, with the cut side of the bacon down. I'm using my pyramid baking mat (#ad), because I like how it elevates the shrimp out of the drippings, giving a more roasted effect.
Bake at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes total, removing from oven halfway to brush with sauce. Turn and brush with sauce on the other side. Continue baking for the remaining 5 minutes, or until pink and cooked through. Total time will depend on size of shrimp, as well as the method you use - baked, skillet stovetop, on a grill or under the broiler. Brush with additional sauce before serving.
Serve as a side or appetizer and offer the reserved glaze on the side.
For more of my favorite appetizer recipes, check out the collection on my Pinterest page!
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