Shrimp & Avocado Jalapeño Poppers

By Mangia Paleo January 27, 2014 Recipes 9 Comments

Kick off the superbowl with these savory bites of bacon heaven. Bacon heaven exists, right?

I don’t want to sound bragadocious, but this is one of the best paleo finger-foods I’ve ever made. When in doubt, wrap it in bacon.

*NOTE: Despite the title, I usually make these with tiny sweet peppers. The sweet bite of the pepper balances all the other savory flavors incredibly well. The jalapeños work nicely, but I find their spicy kick get diminished after cooking. Try both and let me know what you like better!

Ingredients

10 jalapeño or tiny sweet peppers

1/2 pound shrimp

3 avocados

10 bacon strips

5 stems cilantro

spices when cooking shrimp – (garlic, onion, cumin, paprika, cayenne, S&P)

Directions

THE FILLING

1. Rinse and prep the shrimp (if frozen, thaw out in cold water. If fresh, de-vein and remove tails).

2. Chop raw shrimp into small dices. They should be about twice the size of a pencil eraser. Season with garlic, onion, cumin, cayenne, and sea salt & pepper. Add to a olive oiled skillet on medium heat. Once cooked, set aside.

3. De-pit and scoop out the flesh of avocados. See how to properly cut an avocado here. Mash in a bowl. Add shrimp, chopped cilantro, and any extra seasonings you wish. Mash to evenly combine. Set mixture aside.

THE PEPPERS:

1. Cut the stem off the peppers and slice in half longways. Remove the seeds and membrane then discard.

2. Spoon the avocado shrimp mixture into the hollow pepper halves.

3. Cut the raw bacon slices in half – or to whatever length it will wrap around the pepper fully. Secure with a toothpick.

4. Place peppers in a broiler pan or baking sheet. Broil on low until the bacon is a bit crispy (about 15-20 minutes). You can also bake these if you aren’t around the kitchen to watch them broil but it may take a tad longer.