Texas Twinkies Recipe

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Texas Twinkies are smoked brisket-stuffed jalapeño poppers wrapped in bacon and baked until the peppers soften and the bacon turns golden. They are creamy, smoky, a little spicy, and exactly the kind of appetizer that disappears fast.

If you have leftover smoked brisket, this is one of the best ways to use it. Mix the chopped brisket with cream cheese and dry rub, stuff it into large jalapeños, wrap everything in bacon, then bake or smoke the peppers until the bacon is cooked through.

You get the richness of brisket, the savory creaminess of the filling, and just enough jalapeño heat to keep each bite interesting.

What Are Texas Twinkies?

Texas Twinkies are jalapeño peppers stuffed with smoked brisket and a cream cheese filling, then wrapped in bacon and cooked until the pepper is tender and the bacon is done.

Think of them as a barbecue-style jalapeño popper. The brisket makes them richer and smokier than a regular cream cheese popper, while the bacon helps hold everything together and adds a crisp, savory edge.

Texas Twinkies Ingredients

The ingredient list is short, but each part does a specific job. Large jalapeños give you enough room for the filling, leftover smoked brisket adds the barbecue flavor, cream cheese holds everything together, and bacon wraps the whole thing into one sturdy popper.

• 2 cups Smoked Brisket (leftovers)
• 1 block Philadelphia Cream Cheese (plain)
• 6 Large Jalapeño Peppers
• 1/4 cup Salt Lick Dry Rub
• 6 strips Hardwood Smoked Bacon
• Salt Lick Original Barbecue Sauce

A few quick notes before you start:

• Use large jalapeños if you can. Smaller peppers are harder to stuff and wrap.
• Finely chop the brisket so it mixes evenly into the cream cheese.
• Plain cream cheese works best here because the rub, brisket, bacon, and sauce already bring plenty of flavor.
• If you want a milder Texas Twinkie, remove as much of the white membrane and seeds as possible.

The Equipment Needed

• Baking Tray
• Wooden Mixing Bowl
• Paudin Paring Knife

Make the Brisket Cream Cheese Filling

Start with a whole block of plain Philadelphia cream cheese and add it to your mixing bowl.

Add about 2 cups of finely chopped leftover smoked brisket, then get the dry rub ready.

Mix in 1/4 cup of Salt Lick Dry Rub.

Give everything a good mix until the brisket is evenly folded through the cream cheese. Gloves make this step easier, and honestly, it is oddly satisfying.

Set the filling aside while you prep the jalapeños.

Stuff and Wrap the Jalapeños

Wash the jalapeños under cold water, then use a sharp paring knife to cut a wide opening into each pepper.

Carefully remove the seeds and white membrane from the inside. The seeds and membrane are where most of the heat lives, so scrape them out well if you want a milder Texas Twinkie.

Add about 2 tablespoons of filling to each cored jalapeño. Once the pepper is packed, replace the pepper “lid” and press gently with your palms so the filling stays in place.

Wrap each stuffed jalapeño with a strip of bacon in a spiral, covering as much of the pepper as you can.

Bake or Smoke the Texas Twinkies

Preheat your oven to 300°F.

Place the bacon-wrapped Texas Twinkies on a baking tray, spaced at least 2 inches apart.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the bacon is fully cooked and golden brown.

Serve them with sour cream or barbecue sauce. This Salt Lick sauce goes especially well with the brisket, bacon, and jalapeño.

Tips for the Best Texas Twinkies

• Use larger jalapeños. They are easier to core, stuff, and wrap with bacon.
• Chop the brisket finely. Smaller pieces mix into the cream cheese more evenly and make the peppers easier to fill.
• Remove the membrane for less heat. The white membrane and seeds hold most of the jalapeño heat.
• Wrap the bacon tightly. A snug spiral helps the pepper hold together as it cooks.
• Cook until the bacon is done. The filling is already cooked, so the bacon and jalapeño texture are the main things to watch.

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