Bacon-Wrapped Venison Poppers
This is the popper that earns its place on the table. Cube backstrap, marinate it quick, set each piece on a cream-cheese jalapeno half, wrap the whole thing in bacon, and grill hot. The trick is pulling them while the venison is still pink. Crisp the bacon, save the deer.
- Method
- Hot & Fast direct grill
- Total time
- 40 min plus marinate
- Target internal temp
- 130 to 135F venison
- Gear
- Folding Tongs, grill
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 6 (12 poppers)
Ingredients
- 1 lb venison backstrap, cut in 1 inch cubes
- 1/4 cup soy sauce plus 2 tbsp Worcestershire for the marinade
- 6 large jalapenos, halved and seeded
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 12 slices thin bacon
- 2 tbsp BBQ rub
The Cook
- 01
Marinate the venison cubes 30 minutes, no longer. Acidic marinades start cooking lean game if they sit.
- 02
Halve and seed the jalapenos, fill each half with cream cheese.
- 03
Set a venison cube on the cream cheese in each half.
- 04
Wrap the whole half in a slice of bacon and dust with rub.
- 05
Grill direct over medium-high, turning with the tongs to crisp the bacon on all sides.
- 06
Pull as soon as the bacon is crisp and the venison hits 130 to 135F. Failure point: leave them on to crisp the bacon harder and you cook the deer to gray.
Doneness
Bacon crisp, jalapeno softened, venison cube at 130 to 135F and still pink in the middle. The cube should feel springy, not firm.
Pro Tip
Cut the venison into even cubes. Mixed sizes mean some are raw and some are overdone by the time the bacon is ready. Even cubes cook even.
Questions
Cooked By Our Readers
Real cooks, real fire.
Cooked this one? Add your photo.
Drop a shot of your cook — sign in and earn 50 embers when it clears review.
Build The Kit
Two or more pieces.
10% off your order.
Every BLCK ANVL piece is built in the same shop that runs ATV parts. Run two or more in your cart and the discount applies on its own. No code.
