Grilled Bacon Jalapeno Popper Spring Rolls
These crispy spring rolls are loaded with jalapeno popper flavor that literally comes exploding out when you take a bite! I like jalapeno poppers as much as the next guy, but sometimes I think the ratio of ingredients is a little off, and you can do it better in other things, like a
The inspiration for this recipe
I love making spring rolls because they are much lighter and smaller than egg rolls. Grilling them is a great way to serve a fun and different appetizer for your backyard get together. I have made lots of different creative fillings for them over the years. Lately I have been craving jalapeno poppers, and more specifically, the combo of cream cheese, jalapeno, and bacon. Personally I don’t think jalapeno poppers work that well on the grill, so I thought this would be a cool way of getting those flavors outside!
Prepping the jalapenos
Broil the jalapenos to brown the skin. Then let them cool in a bowl with plastic wrap tightly sealed on top. This will loosen the skin and allow you to peel them much easier.
Making the jalapeno popper spring roll filling
Mix the cream cheese with a cheddar-jack blend, the roasted jalapenos, cooked bacon, and fresh oregano
Assemble the jalapeno popper spring rolls
Time to roll them up! Make sure not to add too much filling to the wrappers or they will explode on the grill. You can see on this photo, I put a tiny smear of the filling mixture at the edge of the wrapper. This will act as glue when you roll it up.
Coat them in the bacon grease to prevent them from sticking to the grill. It also adds some great flavor!
Grilling the jalapeno popper spring rolls
Grill them on high heat so they are able to brown on the outside before they explode too much. Take them off the grill when you see the first signs of explosion.
Make the dipping sauce
The sauce was just honey, sambol, and some soy sauce. This creates a really simple sweet chili sauce that is great with these jalapeno popper spring rolls!
I love these! I ate way too many of them.
The crispy spring roll wrapper is perfect for the creamy insides.
The jalapeno is pretty mild since you take all the seeds out.
And the hint of bacon is just enough. The fresh oregano adds a little bit of that summer floral flavor.
Twists on this recipe
Look I know I said I don’t like grilled jalapeno poppers, but it can be done well and this is a great guide.
You could also deep fry or even pan fry these spring rolls if you don’t feel like grilling them. They taste great with just jalapenos too, if you don’t want to add the bacon. I also like to double the jalapenos in the recipe sometimes if I am looking for more of a kick, and you can leave some of the seeds in too if you want! I also love fresh oregano for the floral flavor it adds, but feel free to skip it or use another heb if you would rather.
Grilled Bacon Jalapeno Popper Spring Rolls
Ingredients
- 5 jalapenos
- 5 strips bacon
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar jack
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 8 spring roll wrappers
sauce
- 2 tablespoons sambol chili garlic paste
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Broil the jalapenos on all sides to char the skin. Cover and set aside.
- Cook the bacon to crisp. Remove from pan and reserve the bacon fat.
- Put the cream cheese in a bowl with the cheddar jack and the herbs.
- Peel the jalapenos and remove the seeds. Chop small and add to a bowl. Chop the bacon very small and add to the bowl as well. Add a pinch of salt and mix really well to combine everything.
- Make the spring rolls, You will have anywhere from 6 to 8 depending on how big you want them, but any less then 6 and you have made them too big. It is important to keep them on the smaller side do they don’t explode on the grill. I used a small smear of the cream cheese mixture to also help seal the rolls.
- Once they are done and on a plate or pan, brush the reserved bacon grease over the rolls to coat evenly.
- Preheat grill and grill them on high heat to brown on all sides. Once the insides get too hot they will start exploding so make sure to grill them hot and fast.
- Meanwhile, mix the sauce ingredients.
- Serve the rolls with the sauce.