Texas twinkies are barbecue heaven. Jalapenos are loaded with smoked brisket, cream cheese, chives, and moterey jack cheese. They’re then wrapped in bacon, smoked or grilled, then finished with barbecue sauce.
Serve these next to barbecue sides like cucumber salad or bacon bourbon mac and cheese for the ultimate summer meal.
We love whipping these up as much as French dip sandwiches when we have leftover smoked brisket. If you don’t have brisket to use, you can either find some at the store, or use ground beef or a roast.
How To Make Texas Twinkies
Prep:
- Slice the jalapenos in half lengthwise, leaving the stem intact. Scoop out the seeds, and the pith.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, monterey jack, and spices. Set aside.
- Finely chop the brisket, and the chives.
- Assemble the texas twinkies by filling half of each jalapeno with cream cheese mixture. Fill the other half with brisket. Press together to close.
- Wrap each jalapeno with 1-2 slices of bacon, securing with toothpicks. Place on a rack on a baking sheet.
On the smoker:
- Preheat the smoker to 350°F. Place baking sheet directly into smoker.
- Smoke for 45-50 minutes or until bacon is rendered and cheese is hot and bubbly.
- Preheat oven to broil.
- Brush each texas twinkie with barbecue sauce, then broil for 3-4 minutes or until barbecue sauce is sticky and caramelized.
On the grill:
If you don’t have a smoker, the grill can be used to make these. Just a note – the grill will produce a lot of smoke as the bacon renders.
- Preheat the grill to 350°F. Place baking sheet with rack of texas twinkies right onto the grill.
- Cook for 40-45 minutes or until bacon is rendered and cheese is bubbly.
- Remove from the grill carefully. Brush the texas twinkies with barbecue sauce.
- Broil under the broiler for 4-5 minutes or until barbecue sauce has set.
Tips and Substitutions
- Wear gloves while handling the jalapenos. Trust me.
- Use the tip side of the brisket. This is the fattier side, it’s used to make shredded sandwiches rather than being sliced for serving.
- Whipping the cream cheese mixture makes it light and fluffy, rather than hard and dense.
- Cut the brisket finely. You’ll be able to fit more in, and they turn out better.
- While cleaning the seeds and ribs out of the jalapenos, be careful to keep the stem intact.
- Press the brisket and cream cheese halves together a little. The cream cheese will help them stick together while you wrap with bacon.
- Be generous with the bacon. If there are too many spaces when it cooks down, the cream cheese will leak out of the texas twinkies.
Storing Instructions
We love bringing these to barbecues and potlucks. You can do all of the prep work ahead of time, and just throw them on the grill or into the smoker when you arrive.
If you’d like to prep and freeze texas twinkies, prepare them up until grilling, then place the baking sheet in the freezer. Once they’re frozen, you can transfer to a plastic bag and store for up to 6 months.
Once cooked, texas twinkies will last in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat like a dream.
To reheat texas twinkies:
- Air Fryer (best option): Heat at 350°F for 5-7 minutes.
- Oven: Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
- Microwave: Microwave for 2 minutes on high.
Serve Texas Twinkies With These Side Dishes
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint
- Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Texas Twinkies
Ingredients
- 14 jalapenos large
- 1 pound smoked brisket cooled, finely chopped
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons chives finely chopped
- 2 packages bacon
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
Assembly
- Preheat smoker or grill to 350°F.
- In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, combine cream cheese, monterey jack, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and salt. Set aside.
- Slice the jalapenos in half lengthwise, leaving the stem intact. Wearing gloves, use a spoon to scoop out the pith and the seeds. Arrange jalapenos on a baking tray.
- Fill half of each jalapeno with cream cheese mixture. Top with chives. Fill the other half with brisket mixture. Press the halves together to help them stay shut.
- Working with one jalapeno at a time, wrap with bacon, starting at the stem. You may need 2 pieces of bacon for larger jalapenos. Secure bacon with toothpicks. Place the wrapped jalapenos on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
On The Smoker
- Place the sheet of texas twinkies into the smoker. Smoke for 40-45 minutes, or until bacon is rendered and cheese is hot and bubbly.
- Brush with barbecue sauce. Smoke for 5-10 minutes longer or until barbecue sauce is sticky and set.
On The Grill
- Preheat grill to 350°F, medium. Add the wire rack of texas twinkies (on a baking sheet). Cook for 40-45 minutes or until bacon is rendered and cheese is bubbly.
- Preheat broiler. Carefully remove tray from grill. Brush texas twinkies with barbecue sauce. Broil for 4-5 minutes or until barbecue sauce is set.
Notes
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