Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers

Name: Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 30
Cuisine: air fryer
Ingredients: 15 jalapenos; 8 oz cream cheese; ¾ cup Colby Jack cheese; 1 tsp garlic salt; 1 tsp onion powder; ½ cup panko breadcrumbs; ¼ cup bacon bits

Delicious creamy, crispy jalapeño poppers loaded with hearty flavor, right from the air fryer! Can be made keto and low carb.

air fried jalapeño peppers sliced in half stuffed with cream cheese mixture and bread crumbs on a speckled plate

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

air fried jalapeño peppers sliced in half stuffed with cream cheese mixture and bread crumbs stacked on top of each other

Crispy Air Fried Jalapeño Poppers

Jalapeño poppers are one of my favorite easy appetizers – they play off great flavor and texture contrasts for a bite that is bursting with an addictive creamy and spicy taste. Not only are these peppers cooked to perfection in the air fryer, making the pepper soft, with a subtle snap – but creamy filling is topped with a crispy breadcrumb for a crunch you won’t be able to get enough of!

In addition to being healthier and more convenient, air fried jalapeño poppers also tend to be more evenly cooked. Deep frying can result in uneven cooking, with some parts of the popper being overcooked and others undercooked. Air frying, on the other hand, produces a more evenly cooked popper with a crispy exterior and a tender, flavorful interior.

air fried jalapeño peppers sliced in half stuffed with cream cheese mixture and bread crumbs on a speckled plate next to a yellow towel

How to Make Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers

To make this recipe, you’ll need:

Jalapeños – jalapeños are fresh, vegetal, small peppers that vary from medium to spicy and are great paired with cream cheese and bacon!
Cream cheese – Cream cheese is a soft, mild-tasting cheese that is often used as a spread or a dip. Its creamy, smooth texture pairs well with the spicy kick of jalapeno peppers. The combination of the two flavors creates a delicious balance of creamy and spicy. Cream cheese is great with jalapeños is that it helps to temper the heat of the peppers. The creaminess of the cheese helps to cool down the spice, making it more enjoyable for those who may not be able to handle extremely spicy foods.
Monterey Jack cheese –
Garlic salt – garlic salt brings a balanced, salty, earthy kick to up the addictive value of these poppers and add dimension and a vegetal kick to the jalapeno and rich, creamy cream cheese.
Onion powder – onion powder is earthy and slightly sweet, lending dimension and balance to poppers to add a natural savory kick without having to chop a ton of onions, and with more onion flavor – and less of a strong heat kick.
Panko breadcrumbs – panko breadcrumbs come from crustless white bread and are extra light, crispy, and delicious – they are very crunchy, and seem crisp without feeling dry like other breadcrumbs can.
Crumbled bacon – cooked crumbled bacon is the perfect topping to add a salty, smoky, meaty kick to jalapeño poppers that take this air fried recipe over the top – we prefer The Best Air Fryer Bacon since it is super crispy and crumbles perfectly – plus you can use it to preheat your air fryer for the poppers!

jalapeño peppers in a bowl, cream cheese in a bowl, cheese in a bowl, crumbled bacon in a bowl, breadcrumbs in a bowl, garlic salt and onion powder in a bowl on a table

jalapeno peppers cut in half in a bowl on a table next to bowls of cheese

cream cheese, shredded jack cheese, crumbled bacon, onion powder, and garlic salt in a glass bowl on a table

cream cheese, shredded jack cheese, crumbled bacon, onion powder, and garlic salt mixed in a glass bowl on a table

jalapeño pepper cut in half filled with cream cheese filling and topped with panko breadcrumbs in the basket of an air fryer

browned air fried jalapeño peppers cut in half filled with cream cheese filling and topped with panko breadcrumbs in the basket of an air fryer

Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, you will use the following process:

Prep. Cut each jalapeno in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the insides of each half so they are hollow. Set the prepped jalapenos aside. In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together the cream cheese, Colby Jack cheese, and half of the bacon until the cheese and bacon is evenly distributed throughout the cream cheese. Using a spoon or spatula, fill each jalapeno half with the cream cheese filling. In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and remaining bacon. Dip the top cream cheese side of each popper into the breadcrumbs to fully coat the cream cheese.
Air fry. Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 390 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the air fryer has preheated, cook the jalapeno poppers 5-6 at a time for 5 minutes.
Enjoy. Serve and enjoy!

air fried jalapeño poppers stuffed with cream cheese filling and topped with panko breadcrumbs air fried to crispy brown

Tips and Tricks to Air Fry Jalapeño Poppers

You want to be careful not to overcook these jalapeño poppers. If you leave them in the air fryer for too long, then the jalapeños will lose all of their moisture and the poppers will fall apart when you try to take them out. If you preheat your air fryer, 5 minutes should be the perfect amount of time to cook.
I like to let my cream cheese sit out for a little bit before making the filling. It is not necessary, but it softens the cream cheese a little bit and makes mixing in the other ingredients easier.
You can store your leftover poppers in the fridge for up to 4 days. They can be served cold from the fridge or reheated in the microwave.
These poppers are great served with chipotle aioli, ranch, etc.
The panko crumbs do not really add a lot of flavor, but they give the poppers a nice crunch that pairs well with the soft filling.
If you want some more heat in your poppers, try adding a few drops of tobacco sauce to your filling. You can also add 1 tsp of red pepper flakes.