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I’ve made these air fryer jalapeño poppers so many times, and they’re always the first thing gone at any party. They’re the perfect mix of creamy, cheesy filling wrapped in smoky, crispy bacon. The air fryer makes them easy and fast, without heating up the whole kitchen.
One of my other favorite game-day appetizers is these juicy air fryer chicken bites. They are always on the menu.
“Cheesy, spicy, smoky, and crispy, these jalapeño poppers check all the boxes for the ultimate party snack.”
-Becky
The best part about making jalapeno poppers, is that this appetizer works for game day, backyard barbecues, or even a quick weekend snack. And since they’re made in the air fryer, you can have them ready in less than 20 minutes.
If you love these, you might also enjoy our Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs, Air Fryer Taco Ring, and Air Fryer Mushrooms for other fun, crowd-pleasing bites. If you are serving these poppers as a side, Air Fryer Hamburgers and Air Fryer Pizza, are great dinner ideas!
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Will Need
- jalapeños
- cream cheese, softened
- shredded cheddar cheese
- bacon
A full list of ingredients is included in the recipe card below.
Variations
- Add crumbs: For a little crunch, sprinkle panko breadcrumbs mixed with a little bit of melted butter, over the cream cheese filling before wrapping with bacon.
- Change up the cheeses: Try a blend of flavors of cheese by adding cheddar for pepper jack or Colby jack cheese.
- Serve with a sauce: Drizzle the cooked poppers with BBQ sauce for a sweet and smoky twist, or serve with a side of ranch dressing to dip poppers.
- Add seasonings: Sprinkle garlic powder, salt, and pepper, into the cheese while mixing.
How to Make Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
- Slice jalapeños in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and membranes, then gently rinse to remove any leftover seeds.
- In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese and shredded cheddar and stir together until combined.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture into each jalapeño half.
- Wrap each stuffed jalapeño with a slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick if needed.
- Place poppers in the air fryer basket, keeping them in a single layer. Air fry at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 12–15 minutes.
- Poppers will be done when the bacon is golden brown and crisp to your liking. (Depending on the size of your air fryer, cooking times may need to be adjusted.)
Expert Tips
Use gloves: Jalapeños can irritate skin and eyes, so wear disposable gloves (if you have them) when handling them.
Pre-cook bacon slightly: If you like extra-crispy bacon, cook it halfway before wrapping the peppers.
Don’t overcrowd: Air fry in batches so the bacon gets crispy all over.
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers FAQs
Yes, assemble them and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking.
Removing the seeds and membranes reduces heat significantly. If you want them milder, soak the jalapeños in cold water for 30 minutes before stuffing.
Yes, but it won’t get as crisp as regular bacon. Increase the cook time slightly for better texture.
Yes, freeze unbaked poppers on a sheet pan, then store in a freezer bag. Cook from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
More Easy Air Fryer Appetizer Recipes
Chicken
Air Fryer Chicken Bites
Appetizers
Air Fryer Fried Pickles
Appetizers
Air Fryer Green Bean Fries
Appetizers
Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
Air Fryer Jalepeno Poppers
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 10 medium Jalapeños
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 10 slices bacon
Instructions
- Cut the jalapeños in half, lengthwise. Remove all of the seeds and rinse the jalapeños.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese until well combined.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture, filling the jalapenos.
- Wrap each jalapeno with a slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick if necessary.
- lace poppers in the air fryer basket, keeping them in a single layer. Air fry at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 12–15 minutes, or until the bacon is golden brown and crisp to your liking. (Depending on the size of your air fryer, cooking times may need to be adjusted.)
Video
Notes
Pre-cook bacon slightly: If you like extra-crispy bacon, cook it halfway before wrapping the peppers.
Don’t overcrowd: Air fry in batches so the bacon gets crispy all over.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looks easy and quick to make.
They are! 🙂 You should try them, they’re so good.
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!