Bacon Wrapped Chorizo Stuffed Dates

These Bacon Wrapped Chorizo Stuffed Dates can be made with either cream cheese or goat cheese, and both ways are insanely delicious! These easy to make appetizers simply fly off the baking sheet faster than you can make them And everyone always wants a copy of the recipe!

These are my favorite appetizers ever… and I really mean ever! I’ve been making these for special occasions and holidays for over 10 years now. And I’m not alone in my enthusiasm because everyone absolutely loves these.

The spicy chorizo is turned into a creamy filling that you sandwich into sweet Medjool dates. Then it’s all wrapped up with smoky – salty bacon – utterly addicting for sure. As if that’s not tempting enough, you can make these ahead as well!

When I first discovered these dates, they were going by the name Dates Rumaki. Since I have no idea what that means, Bacon Wrapped Dates sounded a bit more appealing to me!

I don’t know where the idea for this recipe originated since I’ve seen it from many sources. But my recipe is adapted from a cookbook called “On Cooking”.

These are the perfect appetizer for entertaining because they can be completely made ahead. Whenever you’re ready to serve them, you can pop them in the oven for a few minutes and that’s it!

I’ve even catered a few parties for friends and family, (I’m not in the business by any means) and these dates are always the hit of the party.

Now let’s dive in and make these Bacon Wrapped Chorizo Stuffed Dates step by step:

We’re going to start by removing the pits from the the fresh Medjool dates. I like to use a pairing knife to cut into the date just until you reach the pit. You don’t want to cut all the way through the date because that makes it impossible for the stuffing to stay inside as it bakes.

Then we’ll brown the chorizo, and drain off any excess grease. I like to use a cast iron skillet for browning meats because it always gives me a good browned color before overcooking my meat.

Next mash the cream cheese and browned chorizo together in a bowl with a fork, or the back of a spoon. Spoon the filling into the dates, really just packing it in there. A good amount of filling is essential for balancing the sweetness of the dates.

Then it’s time to wrap them in bacon. For this recipe, it’s best to use thinly sliced bacon because it’s easier to wrap around the dates.

Wrap 1/2 a strip around each date, securing the bacon with a toothpick. Or make sure the bacon ends are tucked under before you bake these.

At this point, you can refrigerate these for a couple of days. I like to store them in the same baking dish that I’m going to cook them in.

Tips for perfect bacon wrapped dates:

1. Getting the bacon right! Thinly sliced bacon will crisp up the proper amount during the baking time with the oven temperature listed. Also try and select a package with the least amount of fat, so you get the most bacon flavor here. But if your bacon is on the thicker side, you might consider partially cooking it first, (either in the oven or a skillet). You want it to still be pliable when you go to wrap the dates, and the cooking time will be reduced to somewhere around half the time. If you don’t partially cook thick slice bacon, you’ll end up with bacon that isn’t crispy on all sides. So if you have access to thinly sliced bacon, it’s really the easiest all around.
2. Cream cheese or goat cheese? I couldn’t possibly make that decision because I think they’re equally good. But here are some things to consider – do you prefer a bit of tang? If that’s the case, goat cheese may well be the perfect combo for you. Also I’ve had some write in to say the dates were a bit sweet for them. This is another case where goat cheese can balance the natural sweetness of dates. Cream cheese on the other hand tends to be richer, and it’s also the crowd pleasing choice. So if you’re serving these to a diverse range of ages from kids to adults, cream cheese would be my go-to choice.
3. What are the best dates to use? I love making these with fresh Medjool dates. These are the fresh kind, not the dried kind in the baking section. Our local health food store carries them, and so does Costco. I’ve also used Deglet Noor dates which are the golden colored ones. The bonus with them is they’re smaller for an appetizer, but you will need more bacon for wrapping them. The downside is I don’t think their flavor is as good in this recipe as Medjool dates.
4. These are large if you’re serving multiple appetizers. So you can always cut them in half before serving them.

How to make these bacon wrapped dates ahead of time!

1. You can fully assemble these dates, then refrigerate them for 2-3 days until you’re ready to bake them. Remove them from the refrigerator to come to room temperature while your oven preheats.
2. Or you can make and bake them before storing up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Again let them come up to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 250ºF and bake until they’re warmed through, about 15 minutes.

If you love bacon wrapped recipes be sure and check these out as well!

• Bacon Wrapped Ranch Chicken
• BBQ Chicken with Bacon
• Bacon Wrapped Ranch Meatloaf

I sure hope you get a chance to make these soon, and if you do, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below. I always love hearing from you here in the comments. And also over on Instagram where you can tag me at #getinspiredeveryday with your photos!

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