Smoked Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese

5 from 3 votes

Posted: 11/26/25

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Meet the ultimate comfort mash-up: Smoked Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese—creamy, ultra-cheesy pasta loaded with smoky bacon, roasted jalapeños, and a crunchy topping kissed by the smoker. Bold, cozy, and perfect for cookouts, game day, or holiday sides.

Smoked Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese on spoon in skillet

If you love Jalapeño Poppers you are going to flip over this easy jalapeño popper mac and cheese recipe. It’s cheesy, loaded with bacon and jalapeños, and the ultimate comfort food side dish when you want to wow your family and friends! This is a great spicy upgrade to our Smoked Mac And Cheese that is a major crowd-pleaser itself. Don’t have a smoker? No problem! You can make this a baked jalapeño mac and cheese in the oven.

This mac and cheese has a bit of a kick, just like the creamy appetizer, and the flavors are such a good combination. The creaminess of the sauce and the heat from the jalapeños balance each other so well, the whole dish will disappear before your eyes! We know you’re going to love this easy dinner recipe.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You only need a cast iron skillet to make this one pot recipe. It starts on the stovetop and then finishes in the smoker. It makes clean up easy!
For this mac and cheese recipe, you cook the bacon and peppers first and then add the elbow macaroni and cheese sauce ingredients so they all cook together. This infuses the whole dish with the bacon and jalapeño flavor!
The jalapeño bacon macaroni and cheese is smoked for 30 minutes so every bite has a delicious smoky flavor but is still quick to cook on a busy weeknight.

Ingredients For Jalapeño Popper Mac And Cheese

Bacon – Use regular or thick cut bacon, whatever you prefer or have on hand. Chop it up into bite-sized pieces before frying.
Fresh jalapeños – I remove the seeds and membranes from my jalapeños but if you like a little more spice, leave them in. If you are looking to make it even spicier you could add more jalapeños.
Cream cheese – What better way to make the creamiest mac and cheese sauce but with cream cheese! Go for full fat for the best flavor and texture.
Elbow macaroni – Classic mac and cheese pasta shape but any tubular, short pasta will work in this recipe.
Water – You need enough liquid to cook the pasta.
Whole milk – Full fat milk gives the mac and cheese the best sauce but use whatever you have on hand.
Heavy cream – This will thicken up that sauce to make it so decadent.
Seasonings – Garlic powder, onion powder, salt and ground black pepper will really enhance the overall flavor of this creamy dish.
Cheese – Shred your own sharp cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese for the best melt and flavor. Other firm types of cheese that melt well and taste delicious when smoked are gouda, pepper jack, Gruyère, Monterey Jack, and Swiss cheese. Avoid soft cheese types – they don’t hold up well and can take on too much smoke flavor.
Breadcrumbs – These are baked on the top of your amazing mac and cheese. Sometimes when we are feeling a little fancy, we add crushed potato chips to the top instead.

How To Smoke Jalapeño Popper Mac And Cheese

In a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat pan fry chopped bacon. Remove grease from pan and add the jalapeños, cooking 2-3 minutes.
Add the cream cheese to the skillet and mix until combined.
Add macaroni, water, milk and cream to skillet, stirring to combine. Simmer, stirring frequently until the noodles are almost al dente, about 7 minutes. Turn off heat and add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Add shredded sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese and stir until melted. Top with breadcrumbs and sliced jalapeños.
Place cast iron skillet on smoker grates at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Photo collage of pictures to make jalapeno mac and cheese

How To Bake Jalapeño Popper Mac And Cheese

You can make this a baked mac and cheese! Once you have completed all of the steps on the stovetop, simply put it into the oven preheated to 300 degrees Fahrenheit instead of the smoker. Cook it in the oven for the same amount of time it would smoke for.

Pro Tips

Make sure you cook your pasta until it’s slightly less then al dente because the mac and cheese will continue to cook in the smoker. This will be about about 7 minutes for macaroni.
The best wood for jalapeño popper mac and cheese is a mild wood flavor like cherry, apple, maple, or pecan.
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, prepare the mac and cheese on the stove top in a regular skillet before transferring the macaroni mixture to a disposable foil pan to place it in the smoker.

Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese in cast iron skillet on smoker

Jalapeño popper lovers are going to be thrilled when they sit down to this heart warming pasta dish. The smoky flavor really takes it up a notch, we know you’re going to love this one!

Storage And Reheating

Fridge: Store leftover jalapeño popper mac and cheese in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freezer: You can freeze leftovers, but the sauce might separate when you thaw and reheat it.

To reheat leftover mac and cheese, heat in intervals in the microwave or on the stovetop. Keep covered to retain moisture and stir in a bit of milk if the mac and cheese appears a bit dry after being refrigerated.

How To Serve Smoked Jalapeño Popper Mac And Cheese

When having friends and family over we are known for our Smoked Pork Loin because it’s so easy for entertaining. Glazed Carrots are a great side veggie option or even a green salad to keep it really simple.

This mac and cheese dish is great to serve on game day with Pork Belly Burnt Ends, Smoked Wings, Queso or any of your other favorite crowd pleasing appetizers.

More Great Smoker Recipes

Delicious Smoked Cheese Potato Casserole is made with hash browns and topped with a buttery Corn Flake topping then smoked for the ultimate flavor on your Traeger pellet grill.
This easy Smoked Meatloaf recipe is full of smoked flavor and cheese for a great dinner any day of the week. This classic dish is so great with a smoky, cheesy twist!
Sticky Spiced Smoked Ribs are a hit with the spice lovers in our family and we always cook up a batch when we have a cookout. The flavor is out of this world!
Tender and moist every time Easy Smoked Chicken Breasts are a great protein option to add to your weekly meal prep list. They’re always a hit in school lunch sandwiches!

Meet the Evinks

Hi! We are Jason & Julie! We focus on easy, simple recipes that everyone can tackle on their smoker and grills that the entire family will enjoy!

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