If you love cheese and bacon, you’ll truly enjoy these grilled banana peppers. The flavorful cream cheese and cheddar filling makes these a decadent grilled appetizer, and the addition of bacon literally takes these over the top!
When I made these the first time it was because the grocery was out of Jalapenos, my usual pepper popper pepper. Seeing the long, yellow banana peppers laying there all lonely, I decided “What the heck! I’ll give those a try.”
Because of their length, banana peppers are a tad more difficult to fill with the cheesy stuffing, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not too bad. And it’s well worth the effort. Also known as yellow wax peppers, they have a different flavor than Jalapenos. The heat level is usually on the mild side, but some varieties do pack a hot little punch.
Banana Peppers 101
Depending on your location you’ll see them called either banana peppers or yellow wax peppers, a name given to them because of their waxy appearance. But don’t let the word “wax” get in your way of enjoying them. There’s no need to peel ’em before they’re eaten.
And don’t confuse these with Hungarian yellow peppers. The looks are very similar, but there are differences in the flavor. In addition, the Hungarian variety contain more capsaicin, making them spicier to the tongue.
Grilled Banana Peppers Recipe
- 16 medium size banana peppers
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 slices of bacon, cut in half
- 4 medium green onions
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 16 toothpicks
First step is to get the grill going. Preheat to medium.
Wash and trim the green onions, then thinly slice. Combine the slivered green onions with the cream cheese, sharp cheddar, salt and pepper, mixing well.
Wash and dry the peppers. Cut off the tops and use a paring knife or the handle of a teaspoon to remove the seeds and pith. Use that same teaspoon handle to push the filling into each of the peppers, forcing it down as deep as you can.
Wrap a half-slice of the bacon over the top of each filled pepper, securing it with a toothpick. Coat the outer surface of each pepper with oil.
Cook your grilled banana peppers over direct, medium heat for about ten minutes, turning once after the first five minutes. When done the peppers will be soft, the cheddar will be melty good and the bacon crispy. What a flavor explosion!
And if you want these to be really special- use a full slice of bacon on each pepper, spiraling it around from top to bottom. You can never have too much bacon!