MEAT SMOKING TIMES & TEMPERATURES GUIDE

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Here at Bradley, we get asked all the time how long to cook different cuts of meat. One thing that’s important to consider when food smoking is that smoking time isn’t as important as food temperature.

Doneness is influenced by cooking temp, meat thickness, meat type and other variables that make it impossible to pinpoint exactly how long a 5 lb brisket or 12 lb whole bird will take to reach a desired internal temperature. Well, maybe in a perfect world.

We made the following guide to give you a general idea of about how long your meat will take to cook and what the final internal temp should be. Remember that the smoking time is only an estimation. It will vary.

We strongly recommend that you follow a recipe to avoid undersmoking or oversmoking and that you use a good quality digital probe meat thermometer to monitor internal meat temperature.

The finished temperatures provided represent safe internal meat temperatures. You may wish to cook certain meats a little longer, such as pork butt or beef brisket, to increase the temp of the meat if the recipe calls for it (for good brisket, you should shoot for 185°F [85°C]).

Also, for certain meats such as chicken thighs and turkey legs, it’s wise to check the internal temp in more than one spot to make sure the meat is fully cooked throughout.

*Tender is a word used to describe doneness of ribs. It can be easily measured by grasping each end of the rack and pulling in opposite directions. If the meat is “tender” then it will tear apart easily.

Bradley Smoker is a global food smoking company that specializes in food smoking products, bisquettes and recipes! The above images are not our own.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

byHOLLY

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers are the perfect snack and appetizer!  Fresh jalapenos are stuffed with a mixture of cheeses and seasoning and wrapped in smoky bacon.

These easy poppers are then grilled (or baked) until the bacon is crisp and the cheese is perfectly melty.

I absolutely adore jalapeno poppers in any way, shape, or form including  Jalapeno Popper Dip to Jalapeño Cheddar Stuffed Burgers. And of course what doesn’t taste amazing wrapped in bacon? I could pretty much eat these bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers at any meal and I especially love this version using fresh jalapenos and bacon (and skipping the breading).

How to Make Jalapeno Poppers

When cutting jalapenos, I very strongly suggest wearing gloves as the oils in the peppers can really affect (and burn) your skin if you’re cutting several peppers.

To reduce the heat from jalapenos (and other spicy peppers), be sure to remove all of the seeds and membranes as that’s where the capsaicin is contained (which is what makes them spicy).  You can use any peppers in this recipe including sweet baby red & yellow peppers if you don’t like spice or would like to have another option for those that don’t eat spicy foods.

Can you Freeze Jalapeno Poppers?

Absolutely!! Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers are the perfect snack to have on hand for unexpected guests.  I often make a couple of large trays and freeze them (before cooking).  Once frozen I move them to a sealed container (or freezer bag) and store them for a few months.

When guests pop by, pour a pitcher of mojitos, heat up the grill and throw these on right from frozen.  The perfect summer snack!

How to Cook Jalapeno Poppers

We most often cook these on the grill in the summer, and while you can cook them directly on the grill, a grill mat helps keep the bacon from flaring up. I use grill mats for so many things from burgers and veggies to Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin.  They reduce flare ups, keep things from slipping through the grates and clean up like a dream.

To grill jalapeno poppers from frozen, we turn the grill down and cook them low and slow to ensure the middle heats & melts.

In the winter, we bake this jalapeno poppers recipe in the oven.  Preheat to 425 degrees, place on a parchment lined pan and bake about 18-23 minutes or until bacon is crisp and cheese is melted. So easy!

Need More amazing Jalapeno recipes?

Here are some of my other favorite recipes with a spicy kick of jalapenos:

1. Jalapeno Popper Dip:  This has been the a top on my blog for years and years (and is my daughter’s favorite recipe on the whole site).
2. Bacon Jalapeño Cheese Ball Recipe:  This cheeseball is the perfect make ahead snack and everyone always loves it!
3. Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken Breasts:  Jalapeno Poppers make a great snack… but in this recipe you can enjoy them as a complete meal!

I hope you enjoy these bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers as much as we do