Jalapeño Popper Sausage Balls are a creamy, cheesy twist on classic sausage balls. They're made with breakfast sausage, cream cheese, two types of shredded cheese, Bisquick, and jalapeños. They're finished with a simple jalapeño ranch dipping sauce. Perfect for parties, holiday gatherings, game day, or a fun Cinco de Mayo appetizer.
These Jalapeño Popper Sausage balls are a delicious twist on the original. Cream cheese and cheddar cheese add richness, while Pepper Jack cheese and and jalapeños bring just the amount of flavor and gentle heat. These bite-sized appetizers are easy to make, perfect for sharing, and a great choice for everything from casual snacking to festive entertaining.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Yield: about 4 dozen sausage balls
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 to 22 minutes
- Method: Conventional oven (air fryer for small batches)
- Special Technique: Food processor combines ingredients
- Difficultly: Easy
- Heat Level: Mild to medium (adjustable)
- Make-Ahead: Yes, and freeze friendly
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
These Jalapeño Popper Sausage Balls are everything you want in an easy appetizer.
- Cheesy, savory, creamy, and just a little spicy
- Cream cheese provides a softer richer texture than traditional sausage balls
- Food process does the work of combining the ingredients
- Easy to portion with a small scoop
- Perfect for game day, Cinco de Mayo party, holiday gatherings, or anytime fun snack
Ingredients for Jalapeño Popper Sausage Balls
Step-by-Step Making the Sausage Balls
- Combine Ingredients: Add the breakfast sausage, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, Bisquick, and garlic powder to a food processor, and pulse 7 to 8 times to combine. Then add the jalapeños and green onions and pulse several times more.
- Form Balls: Use a 2 teaspoon scoop, portion the mixture and roll into smooth balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and drain on paper towels.
- Make Dipping Sauce: While the sausage balls are baking, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch dressing, and drained diced green chiles until smooth. Finsh with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Serve: Serve the jalapeño popper sausage balls with jalapeño ranch dipping sauce for the perfect appetizer.
This is one of those variations from the classic sausage balls that truly earns a place on your appetizer table. The cream cheese adds richness, the jalapeños bring personality, and the jalapeño ranch ties everything together into a delicious, cohesive, and crowd-pleasing appetizer. Yum!
Chula's Test Kitchen Tips
- In general, sausage ball recipes call for using a whole pound of sausage. Since it's just the two of us, I use a half a pound of sausage with the other ingredients scaled accordingly.
- Most recipes for sausage balls that I've seen call for combining the mixture by hand. Years ago, I decided that the food processor with a steel blade was more efficient and did a better job of mixing the ingredients. I've used this technique consistently when making sausage balls.
- One thing that I focus on is precision in both the ingredients and process. To form the balls, I start with a 2 teaspoon ice cream scoop and weigh the portions - 10 grams each - before rolling into smooth balls. Each sausage ball is the same size, providing a cohesive presentation.
- When I make regular sausage balls, I use Jimmy Dean Hot sausage. Since the jalapeños provided the heat, I used regular Jimmy Dean sausage.
- Once formed, the sausage balls can be refrigerated or frozen for later baking.
- The air fryer is a perfect option when you don't want to bake the full batch. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F and cook 10 to 12 per batch for 8 to 12 minutes, shaking or turning as needed. Make sure not to overcrowd the basket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but the heat will be more pronounced since the jalapeños and Pepper Jack are also included.
Yes. Mix by hand or with a stand mixer until well combined.
Absolutely. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking, or freeze. If freezing, scoop the balls and place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid and transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or air fry at 350°F for 10 to 14 minutes.
Yes. Just replace it with additional cheddar cheese.
As written, these are mildly spicy. For more heat, leave the jalapeño seeds and/or use hot sausage.
Other Cinco de Mayo Appetizers
For fun-filled Cinco de Mayo festivities, consider these additional appetizers:
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Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Sausage Balls with Jalapeño Ranch
Equipment
- Food Processor with Steel Blade
- 2 teaspoon scoop
- Half-sheet pan lined with nonstick aluminum foil
- Small to medium bowl
- whisk
Ingredients
Jalapeño Popper Sausage Balls
- ½ pound (8 ounces) regular breakfast sausage (See Tip 1)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup (2 ounces) shredded Pepper Jack cheese
- 1 cup (5 ounces) Bisquick
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and membranes removed, finely minced
- 2 green onion tops, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Jalapeño Ranch Dipping Sauce
- ½ cup (4 ounces) mayonnaise
- ½ cup (4 ounces) sour cream (See Tip 2)
- 1 tablespoon (0.5 ounces) dry ranch seasoning mix
- 2 ounces (½ can) diced green chiles, well drained
- 1 teaspoon lime juice for brightness
Instructions
Jalapeño Popper Sausage Balls
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a half-sheet baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil.
- Add the sausage, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, and garlic powder to a food processor. Pulse 7 to 8 times to combine. Add the jalapeño and green onions and pulse several times to combine. (See Tip 3
- Use a 2-teaspoon scoop to portion the mixture and roll into smooth balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet. (See Tip 4)
- Bake at 375F for 20 to 22 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly browned. (See Tip 5)
- Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Yield: Around 4 dozen. (See Tip 6)
Jalapeño Ranch Dipping Sauce
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, Ranch seasoning, and chopped green chiles. Add the lime juice and whisk to combine. Chill for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
- Yield: About a cup.
Video
Tips/Notes
- I used Jimmy Dean regular breakfast sausage. For added heat, substitute Jimmy Dean Hot sausage.
- I used light sour cream in the dipping sauce.
- Do not overprocess the mixture.
- The sausage ball mixture can be prepared in advance up to this point and refrigerated for up to 24 hours, or frozen for up to 3 months.
- The air fryer can be used to cook smaller portions. Air fry at 350° for 8 to 12 minutes.
- Leftovers can be reheated for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave.
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