Who doesn’t love party food? These air fryer jalapeño poppers will become an instant favorite when your family and friends see them come out of the air fryer!
Fiery jalapeño halves are stuffed with a creamy cheese filling and topped with crispy bacon for a classic appetizer. You can make them ahead of time and air fry them in about 8 minutes, creating the perfect party appetizer.
This is one of my family’s favorite snacks because of the spicy pepper’s contrast with the filling’s creamy texture. So switch up your snack game with these homemade jalapeño poppers!
Looking for more easy game day food! Try Air Fryer Blooming Onion, Stuffed Ham and Cheese Biscuits, and Air Fryer Pasta Chips for more delicious finger food.
🌶️Key Ingredients
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Jalapeño pepper
- Cream cheese
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cooked Bacon, crumbled
🥣How to Make Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
- Cut the peppers – Oil from the peppers can burn your hands, so you might want to wear rubber gloves. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise. Then scoop out the seeds and ribs.
- Mix cheese filling – In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and half of the crumbled bacon.
- Filling the peppers – Fill each of the jalapeños with cream cheese.
- Add bacon – Put the peppers in the air fryer basket. Add the remaining crumbled bacon on top of the poppers.
- Air fry – Air fry at 400 degrees F for 6-8 minutes.
🍴Serving Ideas
Air fryer jalapeño poppers are fun to serve as part of an appetizer sampler! Include other favorites like Bang Bang Shrimp, Potato Skins, and Corn Ribs for a delicious and varied appetizer selection.
Add dipping sauces like ranch, sweet chili sauce, or whipped feta dip. Or serve these cheesy jalapeños as a side dish for a fun and different meal.
💭How to Store and Reheat
Cooked jalapeño poppers keep for about 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat them put them back in the air fryer and cook them at 350 degrees F for 3 minutes.
🧊Make Ahead or Freezing Instructions
You can easily make these ahead of cooking them. Do all the prep and store the prepared poppers, tightly wrapped, in the fridge. Then air fry them right before serving.
Or you can freeze the uncooked poppers. Freeze them in a single layer, and they will last about 3 months. You can air fry frozen jalapeño poppers without thawing! Just take out as many as you want, and air fry them at 370 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.
♨️Oven Baking Instructions
What if you don’t have an air fryer? No problem, you can bake these in the oven. It takes a little longer, but they still taste amazing.
Put them on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any cheese drips. Then bake them in a preheated 400-degree F oven for 20-25 minutes.
🥓Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
Another favorite way to serve this spicy appetizer is to wrap jalapeños in bacon. To do this, cut a piece of bacon in half and wrap it around the stuffed popper. Then air fry it at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes or until the bacon reaches your desired level of crispness.
I prefer putting the bacon in the filling because I like the balance of flavors better. But if you are a bacon lover, give it a try!
⭐Tips and Variations
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- Wear rubber gloves when slicing the peppers to prevent your hands from burning.
- Use room-temperature cream cheese for the filling.
- Larger jalapeños are easier to stuff.
- You can stuff mini sweet peppers if you want a less spicy version of this recipe.
- Use other types of cheese in the filling. Use a Mexican cheese blend instead of cheddar or substitute low-fat cream cheese.
- Add a few tablespoons of panko breadcrumbs on top for extra crunchiness.
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Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 jalapeño peppers
- 4 ounces cream cheese 1/2 package, softened
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled, divided
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Jalapeño juice can burn your skin, so you might want to wear rubber gloves when slicing the peppers.
- Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and clean out the seeds and white membrane.6 jalapeño peppers
- Crumble the bacon and divide it in half. Half will go in the filling, and half will go on top of the poppers.4 slices bacon
- Cream the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and about half of the crumbled bacon in a medium bowl.4 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fill each pepper half with the cream cheese mixture.
- Put them in the air fryer basket. Keep them in a single layer, and don’t overcrowd the basket. Cook in batches if you need to.
- Sprinkle them with the rest of the crumbled bacon.
- Air fry at 370 degrees F for 6-8 minutes or until they are hot and the cheese is bubbly.
- Let cool slightly before serving, so you don’t burn your mouth.
Notes
- Wear rubber gloves when slicing the jalapeños to prevent your hands from burning.
- Use room-temperature cream cheese for the filling.
- Larger jalapeños are easier to stuff.
- You can make these and store them in the fridge for about 24 hours before cooking.
- Or freeze the poppers and cook them from frozen. If cooking frozen poppers, reduce the temperature to 370 degrees F and add a few minutes to the cooking time.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
