Armadillo Eggs are a perfect summer BBQ recipe! A southern Texas classic. Cheese filled jalapeno poppers wrapped in ground pork sausage and wrapped in bacon with BBQ sauce. Bake or grill. Gluten free.
Preheat grill to 400°F (medium heat). (Or 400°F if using an oven).
Wear disposable gloves and use a pepper corer or a small knife to carefully cut off the tops of the peppers and carve out the ribs and seeds from the insides. Tap against the counter to knock them loose to come out.
6 jalapeno peppers
In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and garlic powder.
Stuff each pepper with the cream cheese mixture using a spoon or spatula. Tap the pepper against the counter to help move the cheese mixture down to avoid large air gaps at the bottom.
In a medium bowl, mix the ground sausage with 1 Tablespoon of the BBQ rub.
1 pound ground sausage
Divide the sausage roughly into 6 portions.
Wrap each stuffed pepper with a sixth of the sausage, sealing all the way around the pepper and especially near the open cheese end.
Wrap each sausage covered pepper with two pieces of bacon, winding one around from an end in a slightly overlapping pattern, and adding the second piece of bacon when the first runs out.
12 slices bacon
Secure ends of the bacon with toothpicks to help keep in place.Tip: Keep the toothpicks sticking out of the thinner sides so that they will still lay flat on the grill when sitting on the flatter, wider sides.
Grilling Instructions
Place the armadillo eggs on the grill, cover, and let cook 15 minutes.
Flip, cover, and cook another 10 minutes.
Baste the armadillo eggs with barbecue sauce, let cook 2-3 minutes, and flip.
Baste the second side of the eggs and let cook another 2 minutes. When registering 165°F in the middle, they are done. Remove from heat and serve.
Oven Instructions
Place the armadillo eggs in a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.
Baste the eggs with the barbecue sauce and bake an additional 5 minutes. When registering 165°F in the middle, they are done. Remove from heat and serve.