Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
Halved jalapeños stuffed with a cream cheese, cheddar and bacon filling, topped with buttery panko and air fried until bubbling and golden.
Ingredients
Ingredients for servings
Enter a number of at least ½, in steps of ½.
Original recipe serves 6. Ingredient amounts adjust automatically. Cooking times and pan size may need adjusting separately.
- 12 jalapeños, halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 slices cooked bacon, finely crumbled
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
Steps
Step 1: Wear gloves (or wash your hands well) when working with the jalapeños. Halve them, then scrape out the seeds and white ribs with a small spoon.
Step 2: Mix the cream cheese, cheddar, bacon, green onions, garlic powder and paprika until smooth.
Step 3: Fill each jalapeño half with the cheese mixture, mounding it slightly.
Step 4: Toss the panko with the melted butter and press a little on top of each popper.
Step 5: Arrange the poppers in the air fryer basket in a single layer (use a liner if you like).
Step 6: Air fry at 370°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the tops are golden.
Step 7: Let them cool 5 minutes before serving. The filling is molten at first.
Swaps
- Bacon-wrapped: Skip the panko and wrap each popper in half a slice of raw bacon; cook at 380°F for 12 to 14 minutes.
- Cheese: Pepper jack or Monterey Jack instead of cheddar.
- Heat: Leave some ribs in for more heat; remove all of them for mild poppers.
Tips
- Most of a jalapeño’s heat lives in the white ribs, not just the seeds.
- Prep ahead: stuff them up to a day early and refrigerate. Add the panko just before cooking.
The story
HAM Cooking. Let’s fire it up.
Jalapeño poppers are the official game-day snack. They’re spicy, cheesy, smoky and just dangerous enough to make you feel brave. Every batch has that one pepper that’s way hotter than the rest. It’s like roulette, but delicious.
Most of a jalapeño’s heat comes from capsaicin, which is concentrated in the white ribs inside the pepper. Scraping those out, along with the seeds, tames the heat so everybody can enjoy them. Cream cheese cools things down too, because capsaicin dissolves in fat, which is why dairy soothes a burning mouth better than water.
In the air fryer, the peppers soften and get a little blistered while the filling bubbles and the panko turns golden and crunchy. It takes about 10 minutes, which is less time than a commercial break. Give them a few minutes to cool, though. Molten cheese is no joke.
HAM out.
Related recipes
AI illustrationAir fryerSnackAir FryerAir Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
String cheese double-breaded in Italian panko and frozen solid, then air fried for a few minutes until crunchy outside and stretchy inside.
90 min · serves 4 · Veggie
AI illustrationAir fryerSnackAir FryerAir Fryer Chicken Wings
Extra-crispy wings with no frying oil, thanks to a little baking powder and a two-stage cook, tossed in classic buffalo butter sauce or served dry.
40 min · serves 4 · Chicken
AI illustrationAir fryerSnackAir FryerAir Fryer Fried Pickles
Dill pickle chips in a crunchy cornmeal and panko coating, air fried golden and served with a spicy ranch dipping sauce.
30 min · serves 4 · Veggie
Cooked this? Tell us how it went.
Loading reviews…