This Bacon Jalapeño Cheese Ball is the ultimate appetizer for any occasion and any time of year. This cheese ball recipe is made with cream cheese, jalapeño pepper, Mexican cheese, smoked paprika, Mexican oregano, chipotle powder, and garlic powder then rolled in crispy bacon and diced jalapenos!
Welcome to My Kitchen Serenity! I’m excited to share with you this Bacon Jalapeno Cheese Ball recipe! Why? Because it’s simply delicious and everyone loves it. You will, too. It’s very easy to make and the flavors are amazing!
Whether you’re having a family get together, or the gang over to watch a game on TV, cheese balls are the perfect appetizer. You can serve them with so many different kinds of foods from raw vegetables, pretzels, crostini bread, and crackers. We’re big football fans so there’s almost always a cheese ball served at game time!
Cheese balls are best made ahead of time to give the flavors plenty of time to fuse together. So, consider making it several hours in advance. Cheese balls have been around since the beginning of time, lol. No, not really, but for as long as I can remember, they’ve always been part of the party.
Worried the jalapenos will make the cheese ball too hot or spicy? Cream cheese to the rescue! When you combine dairy (cream cheese) with jalapeños, the dairy brings down the heat level of the peppers. So if you like a lot of “kick” then add an extra jalapeno pepper or two!
This recipe makes about 10 servings so I would say this is an average size cheese ball. If you have a great assortment of all kinds of appetizers, then one cheese ball is all you need. However, for very large crowds, you may consider making two cheese balls. Keep one in the refrigerator while the other is being served. If the other cheese ball gets devoured too quickly, take the second cheese ball out. I call it the backup cheese ball!
Let’s take a look at what this fabulous cheese ball is made of:
Ingredients
Full, printable recipe below – just scroll down to the recipe card!
- Thick bacon: cooked and crumbled
- Jalapeño(s): seeded and finely minced
- Cream cheese: softened
- Mexican cheese blend: finely shredded
- Smoked Paprika: made from pimiento peppers that have been dried and smoked over an oak fire, then ground into a fine powder
- Oregano: Mexican oregano’s flavor is a bit stronger than regular oregano
- Chipotle Powder: a delicious blend of dried and ground chipotle chiles
- Garlic Powder
- Sea salt and black pepper
Do you love Bacon Dip Recipes? Be sure to also check out my BLT Dip Recipe! Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato never tasted so good in a bowl!
Directions
- Combine: cooked, chopped bacon with half of the chopped jalapeno.
- Combine: remaining chopped jalapeño, cream cheese, Mexican cheese, smoked paprika, Mexican oregano, chipotle powder, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Shape: shape the cheese mixture into a ball with your hands and place in the refrigerator.
- Roll: roll cheese ball in bacon and jalapeno mixture.
- Enjoy!
What to Serve with a Cheese Ball
- Fresh Veggies: Bell pepper strips, baby carrots, and cucumbers to name a few
- Hard Bread: Crostini is a great hard bread choice and toasted mini bagel slices are good, too
- Crackers: wheat thins, Ritz, triscuit, etc.
- Pita chips: or toast your own pita bread triangles
- Pretzels: sticks and twists
- Chips: corn chips, scoops
- Pork Rinds and toasted low carb tortilla triangles for low carb options
Tips and FAQs
- Let cream cheese soften on your countertop for about 30 minutes before making the recipe.
- Double the recipe for a larger crowd or make 2 cheese balls. Serve one cheese ball with crackers and pretzels, and serve the other cheese ball with salami and cooked sausages.
- If the cream cheese has softened too much, making it hard to form into a ball, refrigerate it for about 5 minutes and try again.
- For best results, remove cheese ball from the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to serving.
- Be sure to double to recipe for a larger party or make two cheese balls
Freezing
You can definitely freeze a cheese ball. Follow recipe steps 2-3. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Before serving, roll in cooked, chopped bacon and 1/2 chopped jalapeno.
Bacon Jalapeno Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 8 slices of thick bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1/2 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (divided)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup Mexican-blend cheese, finely shredded
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the bacon according to the package directions. (I like to cook bacon in the oven). Drain on paper towel. Chop or crumble. Transfer bacon to a large bowl, along with half the jalapeño pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Combine the remaining jalapeño pepper, cream cheese, Mexican cheese, smoked paprika, Mexican oregano, chipotle powder, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir vigorously to combine.
- Shape the cheese mixture into a ball with your hands and transfer to a serving plate. Place in the refrigerator to firm up a bit, approximately 5-10 minutes.
- Remove cheese ball from refrigerator and gently roll in the bacon jalapeño mixture until thoroughly coated. Return to serving dish and serve immediately with sliced vegetables and/or crackers.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional data is for brands that I used. Different brands may vary.
If you try this recipe, let me know. I’d love to hear from you!
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