Jalapeno Popper Meatballs

These jalapeno popper meatballs taste just like the classic poppers dish but made with cheese stuffed ground beef and formed into little balls.

Have you ever wanted to spice up the classic jalapeño popper recipe!? Well, me too! That is why I created these jalapeño popper meatballs which are literally EXPLODING in flavor. They are the healthier, protein packed version of your favorite appetizer. This dish was voted best dish of the year!

If you are scared of spice, do not worry, you can still make these jalapeno popper balls and just add less jalapeño. You can also skip the jalapeno entirely and make just some cheese stuffed meatballs.

Ground beef + jalapeno poppers = perfection

What You Need for Jalapeno Popper Meatballs

You will need all of the basics of a jalapeño popper, plus some extra ingredients as we are forming them into meatballs.

• Ground beef
• Jalapeño
• Breadcrumbs
• Worcestershire sauce
• Seasonings
• Shredded cheese
• Cream cheese

However, we can go over some substitutions and suggestions.

ground beef

I am truly a chicken person. However, my husband always asks me for beef recipes and I do enjoy my occasional beef. These jalapeno popper meatballs seemed like the perfect recipe to use beef; however, you can use ground chicken, turkey or anything else. I do use extra lean ground beef, which is 96% fat-free, to keep it lighter. Since I am on weight watchers, I like to keep the ground beef fat as low as possible in these poppers. However, you can use any fat percentage that you like.

Jalapeño

If you do not want this dish to be too spicy, remove the jalapeno or use less. Fresh jalapeño tends to be more spicy than the bottled version which is also something to keep in mind. Plus, the seeds are the very spicy part so be mindful of how many you are using.

As always, after touching a jalapeno with your bare hands, please wash your hands. The jalapeno spice will stick to your hands and will get in your eyes or on your mouth if you touch that after.

Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs help keep the meat together. You can also plop an egg in there too; however, I do not think it is necessary in these jalapeno popper meatballs.

Worcestershire Sauce

Just add it in, you will not taste it!

Seasonings

I keep my seasonings on the less spicy side as we will add in some minced jalapeno; however, you can spice up the seasonings as much as you like. In addition, some minced onion or garlic would be good in this too; however, I was keeping it simple and easy.

Shredded Cheese

I use fat free shredded cheddar cheese; however, you can substitute that for any cheese that you like. I usually keep fat-free or reduced fat on hand and that is just what I use.

Cream Cheese

Finally, for the main attraction. You cannot have a jalapeno popper without some cream cheese and these meatballs are no exception. I do not season the cream cheese, I just put it straight from the fridge into the balls; however, you can do with it as you please.

I also use ⅓ less fat cream cheese. You can use any type that you want or try a flavored cream cheese.

I served these with some store bought truffle Mac and cheese bites!

How to Make Jalapeno Popper Meatballs

To start, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and grease with cooking spray.

Mince or dice the jalapeños as small as you want them. I use this mini food processor. It is great for garlic too. Add the ground beef to a bowl. Sprinkle with all the ingredients (except the cream cheese) and toss to evenly mix.

Divide the meat mixture into 6 equal sized pieces, flattening them out into circles. Scoop one teaspoon of cream cheese, in a ball shape, and place in the middle of a flatten meat circle. Bring up the edges, pinching closed, and roll together to form a ball. Repeat for each meatball, placing on the baking tray.

Bake these jalapeno popper balls in the oven for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway.

Alternative Meatball Recipes

If you still want to make a meatball recipe; however, do not want something this spicy, I have a couple of suggestions.

• Cheeseburger bombs are one of my most popular recipes. If you want the ground beef but not the jalapeno, try this. Very similar to this recipe but not spicy and more burger-y.
• You can also try my buffalo ranch chicken meatballs. These will be a tiny bit spicy; however, not as spicy as these jalapeno popper meatballs. In addition, they are made with chicken instead of beef.
• Try for a classic turkey meatball recipe. Then, you can add any sauce that you want with it.

I will link some more under the recipe. You will love any of these recipes!

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Jalapeno Popper Meatballs

These jalapeno popper meatballs taste just like the classic poppers dish but made with cheese stuffed ground beef and formed into little balls.

WW- on ww and looking for a points value? Click this link and your points will be automatically calculated for you. Plus, you can easily substitute ground chicken if you prefer that.