These Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers are spicy cheesy goodness wrapped in bacon. And they come together in a snap.
Greetings 👋
Here's a tongue twister for you. Peter Piper prepped a peck of Air Fried Jalapeño Pepper Poppers. How many proper pepper poppers did Peter Piper prep? Phew!
Making these poppers is much easier than saying that!
That's all because of our new friend, the air fryer.
As I'm sure you know, air fryers are mini appliance-sized convection ovens that cook food by surrounding them with hot air. They "fry" food with air instead of high-calorie oil. And they do a particularly good job at cooking crispy bacon.
Which is good, because these Air Fried Jalapeño Poppers are wrapped in it.
🥣 Ingredients
Jalapeño Chili Peppers- I've used other small peppers like Poblano and Banana peppers and had good success with this recipe. Just double the filling amounts to fill the bigger pepper.
Softened Cream Cheese- You can leave the cream cheese out on the counter for several hours to soften it or cheat a little and microwave it at 50% power for 20-30 seconds. No judgment.
Dried Oregano, Garlic Powder and Onion Powder- Spices last forever, but try and replace them every year to keep them reasonably fresh.
Bacon Slices- There are a lot of good bacons available at the grocery store. Try and go for uncured bacon made without any sugar if you can find it.
Shredded Cheddar Cheese- The sharper the cheese is, the tastier it'll be. You can go with a white cheddar or an orange cheddar depending on your own aesthetics.
💪 Is it Keto?
Yes, my friends, each popper has just 1g net carbs. All the ingredients are naturally low carb so these are Keto Jalapeño Poppers. But they are one of those unicorn recipes that you can bring to a party and everyone will love, no matter what diet they are on. Low Carb, Low Calorie, High Protein, you name it. Just make a few poppers without the bacon for the vegetarians and you are golden.
If you like this air fryer recipe, then you might like to try my recipes for Air Fryer Zucchini, Air Fryer Butternut Squash, or Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower.
Ok, let's prep some poppers!
📖 Instructions
- Slice and scrape the seeds and membranes off the jalapeños with a spoon or a small knife.
- In a small bowl, add the cream cheese, cheddar, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Mix to combine.
- Using a small spoon, add the cream cheese filling evenly to the jalapeños.
- Cut the bacon slices in half and wrap each jalapeño.
- Cook in the Air Fryer at 375ºF for 12 to 15 minutes until the cheese is browned and the bacon is crispy.
💬 Top Tips
They can, so it's always best to wear gloves when you handle them. I always end up touching my face when I cut jalapeños. Try not to do this. It burns.
Sure, just follow all the instructions, but skip the part where you wrap the jalapeños in bacon.
Yes, you most certainly can. Just preheat the oven to 350ºF, place the jalapeños on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.
At a party? Not very long. But generally speaking, these addictive appetizers will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
❄️ Frozen Jalapeño Poppers
To make party prep easier, you can put together and freeze the poppers ahead of time, and air fry them from frozen. Just place the poppers on a large cookie sheet in the freezer for 1-2 hours until frozen. Then place them in a large zip-lock bag.
To cook from frozen, place the jalapeño poppers in the air fryer in a single layer. Cook at 350ºF for 14-16 minutes until the cheese is browned and the bacon is crispy.
And that's all there is to Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers.
Soon you'll have a drool-worthy app, just in time for the big game. Or board game night. Or a little tongue twisting contest among friends.
How many proper pepper poppers did Peter Piper prep, anyway?
📋 Recipe
Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers with Bacon
These Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers are cheesy goodness wrapped in bacon.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 poppers 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Calorie
Ingredients
- 4 jalapeño chili peppers, sliced lengthwise
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 4 bacon slices, cut in half
- ½ cup extra sharp cheddar, shredded
Instructions
1. Slice and scrape the seeds and membranes off the jalapeños with a spoon or a small knife.
2. In a small bowl, add the cream cheese, cheddar, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Mix to combine.
3. Using a small spoon, add the cream cheese filling evenly to the jalapeños.
4. Cut the bacon slices in half and wrap each jalapeño.
5. Cook in the Air Fryer at 375ºF for 12 to 15 minutes until the cheese is browned and the bacon is crispy.
Notes
Jalapenos: It’s recommended to wear gloves when cutting pepper like jalapenos to avoid burning your skin. If you don’t have gloves, wash your hands immediately after handling them.
Oven baking: Preheat the oven to 350ºF, place the jalapenos on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 popper
- Calories: 92
- Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 2
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
Keywords: Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers, Jalapeño Poppers, Air Fried Poppers, Bacon Wrapped Poppers
Meg says
Sooooo good! I skipped the onion powder and added some chives from my garden to the mix and it turned out great.
★★★★★
Emily Krill says
Yea, I always like fresh over powdered onion too.