Bacon Jalapeño Cheese Ball: Must-Try Party Appetizer!
Level up your ordinary cheeseball and make this bacon jalapeno cheese ball recipe bursting with Southwestern flavor!
What could be better than bacon, jalapeño, and cheese? 🤤
How about a homemade cheese ball recipe with all of the above?! This is my personal favorite appetizer to whip up that doesn’t take a ton of effort and is so tasty which makes it great for gatherings!
I love traditional cheese ball recipes with nuts and cheese, but this one is so unique and elevated in my opinion. There is a ton of flavor going on and will disappear in a flash so you may want to make a couple. 😋
Watch me make this easy cheese ball on Instagram!
Serve this easy cheese ball with a hearty cracker such as a water cracker, and serve it on a tray or plate with a cheese spreader.
Eating keto? This could also be a delicious low-carb or keto appetizer if you provide other dippers such as celery or pork rinds as a couple of ideas!
Helpful tips on making this bacon jalapeno cheese ball recipe:
- The beauty of cheese ball appetizers is that they are so easy to adapt to taste. If sharp cheese doesn’t sound good to you, choose another favorite shredded cheese.
- Jalapeños without the seeds are far less spicy and taste great in this combo. However, if you want to nix the spice altogether, substitute with chopped bell peppers instead. I enjoy using my push-down hand chopper to chop jalapeños easily.
- A microwave bacon cooker makes it super easy to make your bacon and is very useful for a recipe like this!
- This cheese ball will need some time to set up in the fridge and let the flavors meld. It’s a great make-ahead option and can be made the day before. Then just set it out on the counter for a bit to soften before serving.
- If you happen to have leftovers, you can scoop them into a covered container and they will last for a couple of days.
Bacon Jalapeño Cheese Ball
yield: 8 SERVINGS
prep time: 15 MINUTES
cook time: 5 MINUTES
total time: 20 MINUTES
Creamy cheeseball featuring the perfect combo of flavors with bacon, chopped jalapeno, sharp cheddar, and onion.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large jalapenos, stems and seeds removed, diced, divided
- 6 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled, divided
- crackers, for serving
Directions
1
Mix together the cream cheese, green onion, cheddar cheese, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, cumin, half of the diced jalapenos, and half of the crumbled cooked bacon. Place the remaining diced jalapenos and bacon to the side on a plate or cutting board.
2
Stir together so that it's well mixed.
3
With your hands, roll the cheese mixture into a ball. It helps to get your hands a little wet to avoid sticking.
4
Now roll the cheese ball in the leftover jalapeños and bacon until the outside is covered.
5
Chill covered for at least one hour before serving. Serve with crackers or desired dipper and enjoy!
This cheese ball recipe is such a keeper and something I’ve been making for years. The creaminess of the cream cheese is a great base for smokey bacon and chives!
Here’s what my teammate Chelsey thought of this bacon jalapeno cheese ball recipe:
“This recipe was SO easy to make! I’ve never made a cheese ball before but I’ll definitely be making them from now on. It doesn’t take very long to make and I love that you can toss it in the fridge until it’s ready to be eaten, perfect for family gatherings or football games. My husband’s three favorite foods are jalapenos, bacon, and cheese so this was a huge hit at our house!
Plus, I recently grabbed this Nordic Ware Microwave Bacon Cooker, and it makes it super easy to make bacon. Just pop your bacon in the microwave and it’s ready to go, no need to watch it or keep track of it while you’re prepping your other ingredients.”
Create an entire snack board around your cheese ball!
For a recent dinner party appetizer, I created a fun charcuterie board and included my bacon jalapeno cheese ball on it along with nuts, crackers, and a selection of other delicious meats and cheeses. This was so easy to do and was well received.
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Sounds delicious! Will have to make for the football party.
Yes it’s perfect for football 🙌❤️ Enjoy!
This looks delicious! I wanted to share a tip that I use when I cook a lot of bacon. Its called bacon method. You line a cookie sheet with whatever you normally use – silpat or foil, lay out the bacon on it side by side, but not overlapping, and put it in your cold oven. Set the temp to 400 degrees and bake for 20 minutes, give or take depending on oven. You don’t need to cover, it won’t make a mess. Don’t put the bacon on a rack while baking, it needs to cook in the grease. I tend to cook a couple of sheets at a time, and then store what we don’t immediately use in the fridge.
Thanks for all your hard work! Love Hip2Save!
Oh thanks so much for sharing! I agree that’s a great method 💕🙌
Sounds so yummy!! Always appreciate the LINA recipes!! Thank you.
Oh yay! Thanks so much that made my morning ❤️
Can’t wait to try this minus the jalapenos. Sounds delicious. None of us can eat spicy foods.
Oh okay! Ya maybe just some chopped bell pepper or green onion 🙂 Enjoy!
This is not spicy because you cut out the seeds. They posted this recipe years ago and I have been using it a lot🙃 and it is fantastic and my kids love it and it is not one bit hot!!
Thanks Hip2Save. I have been using my own recipe because I couldn’t ever find the original and now that I have it again I will have to try it this way again!! I love this recipe so much!! It’s easy and a crowd pleaser!!
Oh that’a great to hear Liz! Glad it’s a fav ❤️
Thanks Hip2Save! It is the best recipe that I lost and I have been making it off of memory!! It is so delicious and not hot at all!! I have also used the bacon that is real cooked bacon but in pieces at Costco and you refrigerate it after opening. It is really easy with that! I don’t think it has quite the bacon taste but it is still so yummy when you are in a pinch!! Thanks again!! You guys are the best!!
Great idea to use the precooked bacon! Thanks Liz!
This looks amazing!! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Heather! Enjoy!
wow 😲 yummy thanks for sharing!! I will have to try and make this
Thanks and Enjoy! ❤️👏