Texas-Style Bacon-Wrapped Armadillo Eggs
Learn how to make Texas-style armadillo eggs with jalapeños, cream cheese, breakfast sausage, and crispy bacon for a punch of flavor at your next gathering.
Texas-Style Bacon-Wrapped Armadillo Eggs
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Category
Appetizer
Cuisine
Southwestern
Author:
This recipe comes from Matt Pittman, CEO of Meat Church BBQ, YouTube personality, and friend of Montana Knife Company.
Servings
6
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
90 minutes
Calories
500
Traditional Texas-style armadillo eggs pack a serious punch!It’s no wonder bacon-wrapped armadillo eggs are a southern favorite, and I’m excited to bring my twist on the classic to your kitchen.
Don’t let the name fool you — there’s no actual armadillo in this armadillo eggs recipe; just jalapeños stuffed with seasoned cream cheese, wrapped in breakfast sausage, and hugged by crispy bacon.
What makes these bacon-wrapped armadillo eggs stand out is a careful balance of heat from the jalapeños, richness from the cream cheese, and smokiness from the bacon and wood smoke.
They’re perfect for game-day gatherings, backyard cookouts, or any occasion when you want to impress your guests with a hearty, flavorful appetizer.
Ingredients
To make these Texas-style bacon-wrapped armadillo eggs, you’ll need:
- 6 fresh jalapeño peppers
- 12 slices regular-cut bacon
- 1 block (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
- 1 tube (16 oz.) breakfast sausage
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose BBQ rub (I prefer a sweet and smoky blend)
- Your favorite BBQ sauce for glazing
Grab a squeaky clean, razor-sharp knife before you start cooking. Trust me — you’ll need it.
Directions
Creating perfect bacon-wrapped armadillo eggs takes time, but the results are worth every minute:
Prepare your smoker. Fire up your smoker to 250°F. Oak, mesquite, hickory, or pecan wood all work beautifully with this armadillo eggs recipe.
Prep the jalapeños. Using your sharp kitchen knife, slice the tops off the jalapeños and carefully core them, removing seeds and membranes. Keep the peppers intact — they’re the foundation of our armadillo eggs recipe.
Create the filling. Mix softened cream cheese with the BBQ rub until well combined. A clean, sharp knife makes this job easier. Fill each jalapeño with the cream cheese mixture.
Form the armadillo eggs. Take the breakfast sausage and wrap each stuffed jalapeño completely, forming an egg shape. Use just enough sausage to cover the pepper entirely. This step gives our bacon-wrapped armadillo eggs their distinctive shape.
Add the bacon wrap. Wrap each “egg” with two pieces of bacon. I’ve found that using a sharp knife to cut small one-inch pieces off each bacon strip to place on the ends helps achieve full coverage. Cover the entire egg with bacon, then dust with more BBQ rub.
Smoke your armadillo eggs. Place the bacon-wrapped armadillo eggs in the smoker. Cook until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F, about 90 minutes at 250°F. The bacon should be crispy and golden brown.
Add the finishing touch. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, brush your bacon-wrapped armadillo eggs with your favorite BBQ sauce.
Rest and serve. Remove your armadillo eggs from the smoker and let them rest for at least 10 minutes. That cream cheese filling gets smoking hot during cooking!
Recipe Note
Tips for Armadillo Eggs Recipe Success
Want your homemade armadillo eggs to become legendary? Here are some expert tips I’ve learned while perfecting this armadillo eggs recipe through years of trial and error:
When selecting jalapeños for your armadillo eggs recipe, look for ones that are roughly the same size.This helps them cook evenly and gives you consistent results. Using a sharp kitchen knife makes coring them easier and safer.
For the smoothest cream cheese filling, let it come to room temperature before mixing.This makes it easier to blend with the seasonings and fill the jalapeños without air pockets.
When wrapping your armadillo eggs with bacon, slightly stretch each piece to get more coverage.Always place the bacon seam-side down on the smoker grate to prevent it from unwrapping during cooking.
Regular-cut bacon works better than thick-cut for this armadillo eggs recipe. It wraps more easily around the sausage layer and crisps up more consistently during smoking.
Keep your smoker lid closed as much as possible to maintain a steady temperature. If you notice one side of your bacon-wrapped armadillo eggs cooking faster than the other, rotate them halfway through the smoking process.
When applying BBQ sauce, use a brush rather than a mop for more precise application. This gives you better control over the amount of sauce on each bacon-wrapped armadillo egg.
The resting period isn’t optional.Not only does it allow the juices to redistribute, but it also prevents anyone from burning their mouth on molten cream cheese.
These bacon-wrapped armadillo eggs are sure to become a favorite in your smoking and grilling rotation. They take a bit of practice to perfect, but once you’ve mastered this armadillo eggs recipe, you’ll have a signature dish friends and family will request time and again.
