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This air fryer jalapeno poppers recipe has to be one of the easiest snacks to make in the air fryer! This is our family’s “go-to” snack, and cooking them in the air fryer not only saves so much time, the bacon has the perfect crispness we want with our poppers.
This is a must try recipe when using your air fryer. But they are so good, so be prepared for them to disappear just as fast as you make them!
Table of Contents
WHY I LOVE MAKING THIS RECIPE
I love making these in the air fryer because the bacon comes out so crispy, and clean up is SO easy! But the best part, is biting into the poppers after you’ve stuffed them with Philadelphia Cream Cheese
We used to bake them in the oven, but it takes double the time it takes to make them in the air fryer. Since we can make them faster in the air fryer, we love making all the time. Now they are officially our favorite game day snack!
I enjoy trying our favorite recipes in the air fryer, like this simple air fryer corn dogs recipe, and fall more in love with the air fryer, every time it makes a meal or in this case, a snack, faster than the oven.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 medium Jalapeños-slice in half
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 6-12 slices bacon
Optional:
- 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
HOW TO MAKE JALAPENO POPPERS IN THE AIR FRYER
STEP 1
Slice each jalapeno in half, lengthwise. Rinse and remove the membrane and seeds.
STEP 2
Use a spoon to scoop 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese into each of of the pepper.
STEP 3
Wrap each piece with either a half slice or whole slice of bacon. Then secure it to the pepper by sticking a toothpick all the way through the bacon and pepper.
STEP 4
Place the wrapped poppers in the air fryer basket, in a single layer without stacking or overcrowding.
STEP 5
Air fry at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes. Check your peppers after ten minutes of cooking, to see if the bacon is crisp enough for your preference. For crispier bacon, let cook for the full 12 minutes.
STEP 6
Remove from the basket and place on a paper towel to remove any leftover bacon grease. Serve immediately.
TIPS
If you have them, wear gloves while cutting and removing the membranes and seeds from the jalapeno peppers. This can help the juice from the peppers from being transferred to your skin, which can burn or irritate eyes or lips if touched with the juices on bare hands.
Because they taste best fresh and crisp, save the cooking until you are going to eat them. If you like the jalapenos with an extra crispy, make them in your smoker with this smoked poppers recipe!
When making jalapeño poppers in the air fryer, I didn’t use parchment paper or a cooking spray. The grease drains as it cooks, and the natural grease helps prevent sticking. Because of the natural greases, the jalapeños were nice and crispy, along with the bacon.
Here are a few of our FAVORITE recommendations.
Cosori Dual Blaze Air Fryer – Digital Meat Thermometer – Air Fryer All Day
VARIATIONS
If adding additional cheese to the cream cheese mixture, stir the cheeses together in a medium bowl. Then drop a spoonful of the mixture into each of the jalapeno halves.
Because there are so many flavors of cheese, you can easily change up the flavor of the poppers by adding shredded sharp cheddar cheese, or any other flavored cheese to the cream cheese. Or add chopped green onions or bacon slices before using as a filling.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauces like ranch dressing or a creamy jalapeno dip. Or chop the jalapenos up and mix with cream cheese for a yummy dip.
Add extra spices for flavor like a pinch of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, or even just salt and pepper.
STORING AND REHEATING
Store leftover poppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, return the poppers to the air fryer and air fry for 3-5 minutes until cream cheese has melted and the bacon is warm and crispy.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Using the air fryer instead of the oven, not only makes them faster, but makes clean up easier, and the bacon is crispier.
If you want to make thee ahead of time, do all of the prep work, such as cutting, stuffing, and wrapping the peppers the night before you cook them. Then, keep them wrapped and refrigerated until you are ready to prepare them.
Because the air fryer has the tray with holes, you don’t have to deal with splattering bacon grease! It drains directly to the bottom of the basket, away from the poppers.
MORE EASY AIR FRYER RECIPES
Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Jalapeno Popper Egg Rolls
Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Pickle Poppers
Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Texas Twinkies
I love how crispy and spicy these cheesy jalapeno poppers taste! And because they are so easy to make in the air fryer, they are the perfect snack or appetizer!
Air Fryer Jalepeno Poppers
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 6 medium Jalapeños
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 6-12 slices bacon
Instructions
- Cut the jalapeños in half, lengthwise. Remove all of the seeds and rinse the jalapeños.
- Cut small slices of the cream cheese, in strips, and place a strip inside each half piece of the pepper.
- Wrap a piece of bacon around the stuffed pepper and secure with a toothpick.
- Place the stuffed peppers in the basket of the air fryer, working in batches if necessary. Be sure they aren't overlapping each other in the basket.
- Air fry at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes, until the bacon is cooked to your desired crispness.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are very fast, easy, and delicious!
Love these in the air fryer! I added a tsp of garlic salt and a sprinkle of Tajin for a little zip. So good!
Such a good recipe! I added a tsp of garlic salt and a sprinkle of Tajin for a little more flavor. Yum!
We grow a large garden every year with jumbo jalapeños. When we have an abundance, we make up huge batches of stuffed peppers (some with cream cheese and shredded cheddar). Then freeze them on cookie trays, after frozen, bag them up! Stuffed peppers all winter long! Last fall we froze 324 !
What a great idea! We had a beautiful garden and the only thing that would grow was my jalapenos. They were little though, so I’d cut the bacon into thirds. They made great bite size appetizers! Thank you for sharing!
The perfect answer to how to use a bounty of jalapeños from the garden. These are great. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! So glad you liked them! And yes, my garden had the most amazing peppers and I loved using them for this recipe.
Do the jalapeños CARMELIZE at this time and temp? I find in baking them, I cook longer for carmelization to take the HEAt out of the jalapeño
I’ve never had them caramelize in the air fryer. I am sure to remove all of the seeds, and rinse them before filling with cream cheese. This helps take some of the heat out.
So I have discovered a little trick to make these things plus all the other meats and dishes taste like they were smoked and cooked on a grill for hours..liquid smoke. I add a couple of caps full to the air fryer and it does NOT disappoint. My favorite so far is rubbing a boneless pork loin with LS and then seasoning it. Brown sugar mixed with seasoning helps give it that charred texture on the outside too..yummmm
I shave a bit off the top to remove the seeds, gives more room for cheese. I also add a little pork sausage
Great idea! Glad you liked the recipe!
How about using whole jalapeño. How may degrees temperature & minutes. Please respond, ty
Hi Regina, I start with a whole pepper, but then cut it in half. I have never tried to stuff a whole pepper without removing seeds. Thank you!
I love these. I have found I can cut the bacon lengthwise and still have plenty to wrap them with.
Great idea. These are a favorite for us too! Glad you like them!