The best Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers with Bacon

An alternative to deep frying, this air fryer jalapeño poppers recipe is the perfect spicy appetizer for game day. The cheesy filling mixed with crisp bacon and crunchy green onion is a winning combination!

The best Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers with Bacon

Author: Jennifer Banz

5 from 3 votes

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Prep 15 minutes mins

Cook 15 minutes mins

Total 30 minutes mins

These air fryer jalapeño poppers are an easy appetizer recipe for game day or a great snack. Fresh jalapeños are stuffed with a blend of cheeses, bacon, and green onions and then air fried until golden brown. You might want to make a double batch because they will be gone in an instant!

Servings 5

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Ingredients

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US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 4 slices bacon, diced
• ▢ 5 jalapeño peppers about 4 inches (10cm) each
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning the jalapeños
• ▢ 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ▢ ⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced green onions, light green parts
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ black pepper to taste

Equipment

• ▢
  Air Fryer (Here's the air fryer I like best on Amazon)

Method

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1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, sauté the diced bacon until crispy, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and let drain on a plate with paper towels. Set aside. See below the recipe card for helpful photos.
   4 slices bacon, diced
2. While the bacon is cooking, prepare the jalapeños. Slice them in half from stem to tip, then use a spoon to remove the seeds and the ribs. Note: I like to always use gloves when preparing any kind of hot pepper. Season the insides of each halved pepper with a little salt.
   5 jalapeño peppers
3. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, crispy bacon, shredded cheddar, minced green onions, garlic powder, and salt. Mix well and season with pepper to taste.
   4 ounces cream cheese, softened, ⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon minced green onions, light green parts, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, black pepper to taste
4. Use a spoon to fill each jalapeño half with the cream cheese mixture. Place in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry for 5-8 minutes at 400F (200C). The cream cheese filling will begin to turn golden brown. 5 minutes will yield a crisper jalapeño, while 8 minutes will be softer.

Notes

• Jalapeños: Make sure they are all similar size so they cook evenly.
• Baking: These jalapeño poppers can also be baked on a baking sheet in the oven at 400F (200C) for about 10 minutes.    
• Storage: keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Nutrition: was calculated using full-fat cream cheese and bacon that was 40 calories per slice.  Thick-cut bacon can also be used but the calories will be a little more per serving.

Nutrition

Serving2poppersCalories146Carbohydrates2gProtein5gFat13g

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Photos to reference while making the jalapeño poppers

The 15 minutes of prep work for this recipe can seem like a lot but it is really quite easy. I always wear disposable gloves when dealing with peppers because you never know if you have spicy jalapenos or not. Slice each jalapeno from stem to tip and then remove the seeds with a spoon.

Here are our prepared jalapeños ready to be seasoned with salt and stuffed with the cream cheese filling. Go ahead and mince your green onions so you can then use your knife to dice the bacon. The addition of the crispy bacon and the green onions really give the filling some much needed texture.

I like to use a separate plastic cutting board to dice the bacon to make my own bacon bits. You could also cook the bacon strips and then crumble them after cooking.

All of the filling ingredients are tossed into the same bowl and mixed well. You want to be sure your cream cheese is room temperature so it is easy to mix. I prefer to put the bacon in my jalapeno poppers as opposed to making a bacon wrapped popper. The bacon just never gets crispy enough for me before the jalapeno is overcooked.

Our delicious jalapeno poppers are all stuffed and ready to be air fried!

After the poppers are finished cooking, I like to put a little extra bacon and green onion on top, but that is optional.

These perfect poppers are one of many delicious appetizers you can make for your Super Bowl party, especially if you like spicy snacks. You should also check out these other easy recipes: air fryer chicken wings, air fryer bacon, keto sausage balls and dry rub chicken wings!