Barbecue lovers like to joke that any recipe for leftover smoked brisket must be a mistake—because let’s be honest, there’s never any leftover brisket. But the rise of the Texas Twinkie on the barbecue scene might just change that thinking.

A Texas twinkie being brushed with a little bit of sauce. — Texas Twinkies: Its a brisket jalapeno popper wrapped in bacon and smoked to perfection.

A Texas Twinkie takes chopped smoked brisket and mixes it with cream cheese to create a rich, chunky filling. This smoky goodness is then stuffed into a giant jalapeño, wrapped in thick-cut bacon, and smoked a second time until the jalapeño softens and the bacon turns perfectly crispy. Finished with a glaze of barbecue sauce, it makes a compelling argument that brisket sandwiches shouldn’t be the only way we enjoy smoked brisket in Texas.

Some argue that it’s just another jalapeño popper—or even a variation of the (and yes, I can’t believe I’m writing this) ‘Atomic Buffalo Turd’—an old-school barbecue name for a 'little smokie' stuffed jalapeño. But let’s be real: in the great Texas court of public opinion, the Texas Twinkie has officially earned its spot on the menu.

So if, like me, you do somehow end up with leftover brisket (because let’s face it, brisket deviled eggs, brisket queso, and brisket sandwiches are all musts), then this legendary Texas barbecue recipe needs to be in your lineup!

A baking sheet of crisp brisket jalapeño poppers made with a thick slice of bacon. — When you bite into your Texas Twinkie, you get the snap from the crisp bacon, and a pop of sweet bbq sauce that balances out the creeping heat of the spicy jalapenos. The brisket mixture is creamy and rich balancing out the heat and providing a unique barbecue twist to classic poppers.

The Introduction of Texas Twinkies Into Barbecue Culture

Sometimes, credit for historic recipes gets murky—hotly disputed and shrouded in culinary lore. Just look at the drama over the creation of the margarita or the Caesar salad to see how spicy things can get when defending who made the dish first.

When it comes to Texas Twinkies, a similar debate could arise. Although they’re now a staple in barbecue joints everywhere—from Dallas to Perth, Australia—the generally agreed-upon creator is Hutchins BBQ in North Texas. I believe they coined the term Texas Twinkies sometime between 2015 and 2019.

I can personally attest to being the first recipe blogger to create an at-home version of Texas Twinkies after seeing locals marvel over photos of them on social media around 2019. Living in the same metroplex as Hutchins, I stumbled across the idea when friends began sharing mouth-watering pictures of the dish on Instagram.

Naturally, I thought our readers would love it too. Our homemade version quickly went viral on Pinterest, with hundreds of thousands of people around the world sharing, making, and reviewing the recipe.

As with any hot new dish, everyone now has their own version, and many claim credit. However, I firmly believe that Hutchins BBQ was the first to create and name Texas Twinkies—and deserves recognition for bringing this legendary bite to the barbecue world.

How To Make Texas Twinkies

Ingredients You'll Need

Chopped smoked brisket chunks, about 1/4 inch square, or smaller. Obviously you can use any leftovers, but morsels containing the bark are the most delectable
A block of cream cheese, softened
Any shredded cheese you like for a double hit of cheese (we like a melty cheese like monterey jack or cheddar cheese)
Extra large jalapenos (or as big as you can find)
Thick cut bacon
Toothpicks
Barbecue Rub
Barbecue Sauce
Any barbecue smoker, rolling your favorite smoke

Tips For Success

Authentic Texas Twinkies are made with jalapenos as large as possible. It's worth a trip to your local Hispanic grocery store for the largest possible peppers if the standard grocery store only carries small peppers. Its easiest to find large jalapenos during the hottest months of the year.
Thick cut bacon is best for sealing the mixture into the pepper with a sturdy wrap. Standard jalapeno poppers may work with thin bacon, but Texas Twinkies will be smoked for 40 minutes and need the additional thickness to seal in the filling.
During the cold months you can make Texas Twinkies in an air fryer or oven, though they won't have identical texture to their smoked counterparts.

Prep Your Ingredients

A bowl of brisket and a bowl of pepperjack cheese to make this spicy popper. — Leftover brisket or order chopped brisket from your local restaurant

A block of cream cheese, some salty bacon, shredded melting cheese, and jalapeno peppers for preperation. — Leftover brisket or order chopped brisket from your local restaurant

Combine the chopped brisket, cheese, and cream cheese in a medium bowl or food processor, and pulse until it all comes together. The cream cheese acts as a binder and the pepper jack cheese provides a nice string pull.

Slicing The Jalapenos And Filling Them

Prepping the Jalapeños

Before you start, we highly recommend wearing latex gloves when handling peppers to prevent skin irritation and avoid accidentally touching your face (trust us, pepper burn is no joke!).

For cutting the jalapeños, we use a technique called the T-cut, commonly used in chile rellenos, another stuffed pepper dish. This method involves making a vertical slit down one side of the pepper and a horizontal cut across the stem end, forming a T-shape.

Once cut, remove the seeds and ribs using a small spoon or paring knife—the edge of a spoon works especially well for scraping them out. If you’re not wearing gloves, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water afterward. And whatever you do, avoid touching your face!

Stuff peppers with cream cheese and brisket filling.

Now, it’s time to fill the jalapeños with the cream cheese mixture. Since the mixture is dense, you can simply mash it in—it holds together really well.

For best results, place the filled peppers on a baking sheet or wire rack and refrigerate them for about an hour before wrapping them in bacon. Chilling the filling helps it firm up, making the bacon-wrapping process much easier and less messy.

Choosing The Right Bacon For Texas Twinkies

When first testing this recipe, we assumed thin-cut bacon would be the best option for achieving a crispy, well-rendered exterior. However, after testing multiple brands, we quickly realized that not all "thick-cut" bacon is created equal—every brand has a different standard for thickness.

We tested generic store-brand bacon, Wright’s thick-cut bacon, and Hormel thick-cut bacon. While we’re not advocating for any specific brand, our goal was to determine which thickness worked best for sealing the stuffed jalapeños while still crisping up beautifully in the smoker.

Here’s what we found:

Thin bacon shrank significantly during cooking, causing the filling to become exposed to the grill grates.
Very thick bacon (like Wright’s brand) produced a meatier, more filling bite, but it was trickier to wrap around the peppers due to its sturdiness. Bringing it to room temperature before wrapping helped make it more pliable.
Standard "thick-cut" bacon (such as Hormel’s Black Label) wasn’t as thick as Wright’s but still held up well and created a tight wrap without filling loss.

Ultimately, the best method was using a good, solid wrap of 1 ½ to 2 slices of bacon per jalapeño. Keep a paring knife handy to trim as needed while wrapping. Don’t worry if two pieces don’t seem to "seal" together—as they roast, they’ll naturally bond, creating the perfect crispy, bacon-wrapped bite.

How To Wrap A Texas Twinkie

Set up your workspace with your unwrapped bacon, paring knife, cutting board, jalapenos, and toothpicks within reaching distance. Lay a slice of bacon out and place a filled jalapeno pepper on top of it, always starting near the stem.

Wrap the bacon tail up and over the pepper tightly. Skewering with toothpicks as you go.

jalapeño peppers wrapped and held for cooking time.

Top Tip

If you need to pre-prep your twinkies before a party, assemble them fully up to this point and keep them refrigerated and wrapped in plastic wrap. They can be moved to the smoker and cooked in batches straight from the refrigerator.

Smoking Texas Twinkies

Texas Twinkies should be smoked at 375°F for 30-40 minutes over indirect heat. If you're smoking other meats at the same time, you may need to adjust the smoke time slightly to accommodate the additional items on the smoker.

Wrapped twinkies going on the smoker with pecan wood pellets.

While 375°F is quite hot for smoking, we find this necessary to ensure the bacon crisps properly. If you’re smoking at a lower temperature, consider transferring the peppers to a baking sheet and finishing them under the broiler in your oven for a few minutes to achieve crispy perfection.

Best Woods for Smoking Texas Twinkies

You can use any type of wood smoke, but for authentic Texas barbecue flavor, we recommend:

Post Oak (the gold standard for Texas BBQ)
Hickory (adds a rich, smoky flavor)
Mesquite (for a bold, earthy kick)
Pecan (a slightly sweet, nutty flavor)

Texas Twinkies are a great way to create an unforgettable side dish with a barbecue twist!

Cooking Texas Twinkies in an Oven or Air Fryer

After these went viral, many readers reached out for alternative cooking methods without a smoker. Here’s how to make Texas Twinkies using an oven or air fryer:

Oven Method:
- Bake at 425°F for 30-40 minutes on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- For extra crispy bacon, switch the broiler on for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Air Fryer Method:
- Cook 4 at a time at 375°F for 30 minutes.
- Watch closely, as air fryers vary in strength by brand.
- Important: Make sure your air fryer is completely emptied of grease before cooking, as Texas Twinkies release a lot of bacon fat, which can accumulate in the bottom.

Question

Are Texas Twinkies an Appetizer or a Main Dish?

Honestly? They’re whatever you want them to be!

At barbecue joints, chefs have access to extra-large jalapeños from restaurant vendors, making Texas Twinkies hefty enough to rival a stuffed pepper and easily qualify as a main dish.

In home kitchens, jalapeños tend to be smaller, meaning you’d likely need 3-4 per person to make a full meal—especially when served alongside classic BBQ sides like potato salad or smoked baked beans.

That said, they also shine as an appetizer! Just like spicy poppers, Texas Twinkies are perfect for game days, backyard barbecues, parties, and potlucks—anywhere you want a bold, smoky bite that’ll disappear fast!

Glaze with barbecue sauce to take them to the next level!

How to Store & Reheat Leftover Texas Twinkies

Storage:
- Allow leftovers to cool completely before storing.
- Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
- Freezing cooked Texas Twinkies is not recommended, as the texture may suffer.
- However, you can freeze fully assembled, uncooked Twinkies (wrapped in bacon) and smoke them at a later date.
Reheating:
- Air Fryer: Heat at 375°F until warmed through.
- Microwave: Heat 1-2 Twinkies on a plate for about 2 minutes.

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