Armadillo Eggs Recipe

By
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches is a grilling and barbecue expert. He has written two cookbooks.
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Updated on 06/1/20
sausage wrapped jalapeno stuffed with cream cheese

Pete Scherer 

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 40 mins
Yield: 12 armadillo eggs

Armadillos are mammals, which, with the exception of the duck-billed platypus, do not lay eggs. Still, it's fun to imagine that these armored critters of the southeastern United States, might produce these meaty, spicy, gooey treats that we call armadillo eggs.

An armadillo egg is a cheese-stuffed jalapeno, encased in sausage and grilled or smoked to barbecued perfection. The grilled version leaves the jalapeno inside much fresher, almost raw, with noticeable crunch, while the long, slow heat of smoking will soften the pepper and create a smoother bite with mellow heat.

These babies make great appetizers, or can be served with a side or salad for the main event.

Ingredients

  • 12 jalapeño peppers

  • 4 ounces cream cheese

  • 4 ounces shredded colby jack cheese

  • 3 pounds bratwurst

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Fire up the grill.

  3. In a medium bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and shredded colby jack together. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. If you don't have a pastry bag, use a zip-lock freezer bag, then use scissors to cut away one of the corners.

  4. Cut off the stem end of the jalapenos. Use a small, thin knife - such as a grapefruit or steak knife - to remove the seeds and soft white membranes inside the peppers, leaving a hollow cone, open at one end. Take care not to split the peppers.

  5. Pipe the cheese mixture into the peppers.

  6. Divide the sausage into 12 4-ounce portions. Flatten each of the portions into a thin oval, then wrap the sausage around the stuffed peppers, encasing them completely. If your jalapenos vary in size and shape you may have to make some adjustments in order to fully wrap them.

  7. Sear the armadillo eggs on the grill with direct heat for about 2 minutes on each side, then reduce the heat and move them to a spot with indirect heat, if possible, and close the grill. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese begins to escape, bubbling through its sausage enclosure. Remove from the grill and serve immediately.

Smoked Armadillo Eggs

To smoke these armadillo eggs, set up your smoker or grill for indirect heat and bring the temperature to about 225 F. Use an aromatic hardwood like mesquite or hickory. Smoke for about 90 minutes or until the cheese bubbles through the sausage.

Bacon Wrapped Armadillo Eggs

Bacon-wrapped armadillo eggs can be either grilled or smoked. Use thinly-sliced bacon. Wrap one slice around the outside of each egg. When grilling bacon-wrapped armadillo eggs, be aware that rapidly-rendering bacon can cause flares and unpleasant carbon flavors if the heat is too high or too close to the food.


Use lower heat so the fat renders more slowly. Grill them over indirect heat for the duration of the process. For both grilling and smoking, you may want to place a foil pan beneath the armadillo eggs to catch the dripping bacon fat. This will create less carbon-heavy smoke, preserving the flavor of the bacon.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
5437 Calories
472g Fat
65g Carbs
224g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 5437
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 472g 606%
Saturated Fat 182g 908%
Cholesterol 1226mg 409%
Sodium 12557mg 546%
Total Carbohydrate 65g 24%
Dietary Fiber 7g 26%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 224g
Vitamin C 17mg 83%
Calcium 1426mg 110%
Iron 11mg 61%
Potassium 5405mg 115%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)