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Close-up of sliced jalapeño cheddar snack sticks showing cheese and pepper pieces.

Jalapeño Cheddar Snack Sticks

These homemade jalapeño cheddar snack sticks stay juicy and flavorful. Works with pork, venison, or beef and includes clear steps for consistent results.
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Prep Time 3 hours
Smoking 8 hours
Total Time 11 hours
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 200 servings
Calories 154 kcal

Equipment

  • smoker
  • meat mixer
  • sausage stuffer & 12mm stuffing tube
  • 1 19 milimeter collagen casings
  • digital probe thermometer

Ingredients
  

  • 20 pounds ground pork 80/20
  • 153 grams salt
  • 65 grams black pepper
  • 25 grams onion powder
  • 25 grams garlic powder
  • 117 grams sugar
  • 27 grams cure #1
  • 24 grams ascorbic acid
  • 6 ounces sure gel meat binder
  • 2000 grams water
  • 2 pounds jalapeño peppers fresh, finely chopped
  • 2.5 pounds cheddar cheese high temperature
  • 2.5 ounce encapsulated citric acid

Instructions
 

Make the Seasoning Blend

  1. In a bag or bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, cure #1, ascorbic acid, and sure gel meat binder.
    153 grams salt, 65 grams black pepper, 25 grams onion powder, 25 grams garlic powder, 117 grams sugar, 27 grams cure #1, 24 grams ascorbic acid, 6 ounces sure gel meat binder

Combine the Meat and Seasonings

  1. Add the ground meat to a mixer and begin mixing. Sprinkle in the seasoning blend and slowly add ½ of the water.
    20 pounds ground pork, 2000 grams water
  2. Mix thoroughly for 5 minutes. Add the remaining water.
  3. Add the jalapeños and cheddar crumbles. Mix thoroughly for 5 minutes, until the meat becomes sticky and begins pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
    2 pounds jalapeño peppers, 2.5 pounds cheddar cheese
  4. Add the encapsulated citric acid and mix 1–2 minutes more, just until evenly distributed. Do not over mix at this stage.
    2.5 ounce encapsulated citric acid

Stuff the Sausage

  1. Load the sausage stuffer, packing each handful firmly, to push out any air in the meat. Using a 12mm stuffing tube, slide a 19mm collagen casing to the end. Stuff the casings slowly and evenly, keeping steady pressure to avoid air pockets.
  2. Secure the ends with knots, hog rings or butcher twine.

Extended Fermentation (optional)

  1. The encapsulated citric acid in this recipe allows us to immediately smoke the snack sticks, or you can choose to let the snack sticks rest for 12-36 hours. Your call, both are safe methods. We generally smoke ours immediately, or let it hang in our butcher room at room temperature for fermentation. If you don't use encapsulated citric acid, you must refrigerate the stuffed sticks for a 12-36 hours before smoking them. This allows the cure to do its job.

Smoke the Sausage

  1. Cold smoke the snack sticks for two hours. We like to add two pellet tubes filled with fruit wood (like cherry or apple) or hardwood (like hickory, pecan or maple) to the bottom of the smoker. This is the our preferred method of smoke delivery for our smoker set up. The tubes smoke for the entire duration and provide the depth of smoky flavor we like.
  2. Turn on the heat to 130°F, then allow the temperature to gradually increase until it reaches 175-190°F. The snack sticks are done when the internal temp reaches 154-156°F. This process can take several hours depending on your smoker and conditions—focus on internal temperature, not the clock.
  3. Chill in an ice bath for 10 minutes, this stops the cooking process and locks-in the moisture, keeping them from drying out and shriveling.
  4. Hang them at room temperature to dry for 1-3 hours, (also called "blooming") then package and transfer to the fridge for storage.

Notes

Helpful Tips
  1. Cold meat grinds and mixes better. Freeze your meat until it's firm but not frozen solid for the best texture.
  2. If you aren't starting out with ground meat, it's no problem.  Grind your own by starting with a coarse grind for hearty texture, then regrind with a finer plate for a smoother finish. A 3/16" plate is our go-to for this recipe.
  3. Don’t rush the mixing! The stringy texture (called myosin development) is what binds the meat and helps the snack sticks hold together beautifully when cooked.
  4. Always have a few extra casings on hand in case of tears.
  5. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the sausage reaches an internal temperature of 156°F. Undercooked sausage isn’t safe, and overcooked sausage will lose its juiciness.
Flavor Variations
This base recipe also works well with pepper jack, smoked cheddar, or reduced jalapeños for a milder stick.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 4ouncesCalories: 154kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 10gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 329mgPotassium: 181mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 55IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg
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