This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy
Watch the recipe
Cooking With Anadi
12K subscribers · crispy, creamy jalapeños stuffed with bacon and cheddar
Easy Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
I’ve been loving appetizer recipes lately! Whenever I go out to eat, I get super excited for apps - pretty much just as excited as for the main!
Along with French fries, jalapeño poppers are a top choice for appetizers! I’m always up for some heat in my food, and these jalapeño poppers will certainly deliver! However, don’t worry, they won’t be overly spicy - and I’ll discuss this later on in this post how to minimize the heat if you are sensitive to heat!
If you’re subscribed to my YouTube channel (please do if you’re not already so you stay up to date on all my video recipes!), then you’ve seen I started a new theme for August called #hotshots2022, where we’ll be preparing lots of tasty finger foods! I recently had some amazing jalapeño poppers when I ordered a pizza, and I knew I just had to try them at home! For more details about the benefits of having a theme and how going out to eat can inspire your next amazing creation in the kitchen, be sure to check out my 5 Tips To Make Cooking Fun! free motivational guide! If you try out these jalapeño poppers as part of your Live to Cook one month challenge, then be sure to share your creation on Instagram so I can get hungry!
Don’t forget to watch the video to follow along as I prepare these crowd pleaser Cheesy Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers! I’ve got all the details whether you’re baking these in the oven or air frying them. Let’s get cooking!
How to Cut the Jalapeños
- Cut the jalapeños down the middle and then using a spoon or a knife, remove the white parts of the peppers, the ribs and the seeds. Most of the heat in the peppers are from the ribs of the pepper. You can control the heat level by remove all or parts of the ribs to match your preference.
Tools Needed for Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
- Cutting board
- Sharp chef’s knife
- Mixing bowl
- Air fryer
- Baking tray (if baking in the oven)
- Parchment paper
- Cheese grater
- Ramekin (handy for your garlic butter)
My air fryer is the Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 2-basket air fryer. My favorite feature of this air fryer is the fact that you can make two different dishes at the same time. I love this aspect if you’re making a complete meal in the air fryer. For instance, if you want to pair some Chicken Wings with the Cheesy Jalapeño Poppers, then you can make them at the same time as the poppers. Everything can be prepared hot and fresh at the same time! I recommend you watch this video for a more detailed review.
Are these Jalapeño Poppers Spicy? How do I Make Jalapeño Poppers Less Spicy?▼
If all the inner white ribs of the jalapeño were removed, then these poppers would be more towards mild than spicy. Similarly, if you left all of the ribs in the jalapeño, these poppers can get quite spicy. There is a range of spice levels down the middle based on how much of the ribs you leave on the jalapeños.
Another note, is the act of roasting the peppers intensifies the spice in the jalapeños.
Tips to Make This Air Fryer Jalapeno Popper Recipe Super Addictive!
- Play around with the spice level by leaving some of the ribs in the jalapeño before stuffing them. Most of the heat lives in the white parts of the pepper.
- Using similar sized peppers will help with consistency in both filling and the final platter of jalapeño poppers.
- Be careful before eating once the poppers are done, the cheese and the juices from the peppers will be super hot!
Ingredients for Cheesy Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
Time to see what we’ll need for our Air Fried Jalapeño Poppers. The ingredient list is quite minimal, making this an accessible and quick appetizer! Scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD to see all ingredient quantities and instructions and to save the recipe for later! The recipe card will also allow you to scale the individual ingredients for our filling based on how many poppers you want to make. You can make these just on a casual weeknight or for a huge crowd and you’ll have the right amount of filling - no calculations and ratios on your end!
For the Garlic Butter
For the Jalapeño Poppers
- Jalapeño peppers: Find the best jalapeños you can find! You want them nice and firm. Try to find them as close in size as possible for even shapes.
- Cream cheese: I recommend you use a full fat cream cheese for a creamier and thicker filling.
- Cheddar cheese: You can use any yellow cheddar of your choice, but for a stronger flavor use old cheddar.
- Breadcrumbs: I’m actually using regular plain breadcrumbs instead of Panko breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs have bigger grains, and we want these to be smoother.
- Garlic butter: As described above.
- Bacon: Use any kind of bacon you choose. I’m using double thick cut bacon here and it was absolutely amazing!
- Green onions: Chop them up and add to the cheese mixture.
How to Make Cheesy Air Fried Jalapeño Poppers
For the Garlic Butter
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Using a whisk or a spatula, combine well together. Reserve as needed for the recipe and freeze the rest.
For the Jalapeño Poppers
Cut the jalapeños in half.
Then using a paring knife or a spoon, remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño.
In the meanwhile, add the diced bacon to a cold pan and turn the heat to medium. Cook the bacon bits until they are crispy.
Then transfer to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels and lightly pat dry.
In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, bacon, green onions and cheddar cheese.
Mix well until combined, taste and adjust with salt to preference.
Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the jalapeño halves - making sure not to overstuff it.
In a pan or microwave, melt the garlic butter.
Pour the breadcrumbs into another bowl and add the melted butter on the breadcrumbs. Mix well until there are no lumps.
Spoon 2-3 teaspoons of the breadcrumb mixture over each of the jalapeños.
Air Frying the Jalapeño Poppers
Set the temperature between 375 F to 390 F and cook for 8-12 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs and jalapeños are done to your liking.
To remove the cooked jalapeño poppers, use a thin spatula to remove from the air fryer basket.
Variations of Jalapeño Poppers
You can switch up your Jalapeño Poppers in so many ways! Here are a couple of ideas:
- Cheese: Switch the cheddar for white cheddar or use a combination of cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, mozzarella and/or goat cheese.
- Meat: You can swap the bacon for chorizo sausage or pancetta. You could even explore other meats such as shredded chicken, crab meat, or ground beef, chicken pork or turkey.
- Vegetarian: Take out the meat and replace with chopped onions, peppers, or mushrooms!
- Herbs: Change the green onions for chives or cilantro!
- Butter: Substitute the garlic butter with regular butter if desired.
Be sure to comment below how you’ll customize your Cheesy Bacon Jalapeño Poppers!
What Goes with Cheesy Jalapeño Poppers?▼
This is such an easy appetizer recipe. To be honest, you can have them with anything you want! They’re unbelievably light, so they’re a blank canvas to mix and match with a meal to remember! Here are some ideas to complete your special gathering or just to pair for an awesome game day party!
I don’t have an Air Fryer! Can I Bake These Cheesy Jalapeño Poppers?▼
For sure you can! If you check out the video, you’ll see that I baked the jalapeño poppers in the oven as well to do a comparison of air frying and baking in the oven. To bake your jalapeño poppers in the oven, set the oven to 425 F and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs and jalapeños are done to your liking.
Serve hot!
As you can see, the air fryer popper (on the left) looks significantly different from the baked one! The air fryer method was much easier and got the cheese a nice golden brown. You can achieve a similar effect in the oven, but I just took it out early because I was hungry and so that you can compare!
Can I Make Air Fried Jalapeño Poppers ahead of time?▼
Yes, you definitely can, and I really recommend you do! These are such easy appetizers to prepare, assemble, and cook, so if you have a large party to deal with, I’d get these out of the way so you can focus on other more complicated dishes! Let’s review how to store leftovers and how to reheat Air Fried Jalapeño Poppers.
Storing Leftover Jalapeño Poppers
If you have extra jalapeño poppers, store them in an airtight container. They will stay fresh in the fridge for about 3 days due to the cheeses in here.
How to Reheat Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers▼
You can reheat your jalapeño poppers in the oven or air fryer.
To reheat in the air fryer, turn it on to 350 F and heat for about five minutes, or until the cheese is molten and the jalapeño poppers are entirely warmed through. To reheat in the oven, preheat it to 350 F. It will take about 10 minutes to reheat in the oven.
I would not recommend you reheat your Cheesy Jalapeño Poppers in the microwave or else the breadcrumbs will get soggy and lose their nice crunchy texture!
However, for best results, I do recommend you serve these fresh! If you want to still save some time, you can prep your jalapeno poppers by doing the following:
- Slice your jalapeños and store them covered in the refrigerator
- Cook the bacon and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container
- Make your cheese filling and store in the fridge covered
Other Delicious Air Fryer Appetizer Recipes!
- Air Fryer Greek-Style Feta Fries
- Loaded Cheese & Bacon Air Fryer Fries
- Juicy Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings
- Spicy Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings
- Super Crispy Air Fryer Cajun Potato Wedges
- Healthy Chicken Samosa
- Air Fryer Indian Chicken Cutlets
Diced Bacon in the Filling, Not Wrapped Around It: No Toothpicks, No Spices, No Garlic Powder
These are not bacon-wrapped poppers, so there is no toothpick holding anything together: half a cup of finely diced bacon is crisped in a cold-start pan and folded straight into the cream cheese filling with a cup of shredded cheddar and a quarter cup of green onions. That filling has no spices at all beyond salt to taste, and no garlic powder either; the garlic comes from the homemade garlic butter (one stick of unsalted butter at room temperature, a quarter cup of Italian parsley, one minced garlic clove, a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice, and salt and pepper) that gets melted and mixed into three quarters of a cup of plain breadcrumbs for the topping. Cream cheese and old cheddar are the perfect combination here: the cream cheese keeps the filling smooth and the cheddar gives it a sharper bite. In the air fryer there is no cookie sheet to line; you only need one, with parchment paper, if you switch to the oven method at 425 F for 25 to 30 minutes.
Gloves, Membranes and the Stem: Prepping the Jalapeno Peppers
Wear gloves if your skin is sensitive, because the oils in the ribs stay on your fingers for hours. Cut each of the dozen jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise from the stem end down, then scrape out the seeds and the white membranes with a spoon or a paring knife; the membranes are where most of the heat lives, so leave a little in if you want more of a kick. Spoon the cream cheese filling in without overstuffing, melt the garlic butter in a small bowl in the microwave, stir it through the breadcrumbs, top each half with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the mixture, and air fry at 375 to 390 F for 8 to 12 minutes.
Game Day Serving, Sauces and What Goes in the Freezer
A batch makes 24 poppers, which is the right amount for game day, and each one is roughly two bites, which makes this one of my favorite recipes for a crowd. For sauces, ranch dressing is the classic dip and cools the heat, and a sour cream and lime dip or a drizzle of hot honey both work too. The only thing that goes in the freezer is the leftover garlic butter, since the recipe makes a full stick's worth and the poppers only need 1 1/2 tablespoons; freeze the rest for garlic bread or a steak. Leftover poppers go in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days and reheat best back in the air fryer for a few minutes so the breadcrumbs crisp up again.
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Crispy, creamy, and packed with flavor — these air fryer jalapeno poppers are stuffed with cheesy filling and ready in minutes. The perfect easy starter for beginners and snack lovers alike.
Air fryer
5.0 · 1 rating
25 min
Prep
25 min
Cook
50 min
Total
24
poppers
medium
Level
Ingredients
Ingredients
Tap any quantity to scale
For the jalapeño poppers
- jalapeños
- (227 g) cream cheese
- (25 g) green onion(finely chopped)
- (65 g) bacon(finely diced)
- (115 g) cheddar cheese(shredded)
- (21 g) garlic butter (see below) · make your own
- (75 g) plain breadcrumbsShop →
For the garlic butter
- unsalted butter(at room temperature)
- (15 g) Italian parsley(finely chopped)
- (5 ml) lemon or lime juice
- garlic cloves(minced)
- salt and pepper to tasteShop →
Instructions
For the garlic butter
- 1
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Using a whisk or a spatula, combine well. Reserve as needed for the recipe and freeze the rest.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Using a whisk or a spatula, combine well. Reserve as needed for the recipe and freeze the rest.
For the jalapeño poppers
- 1
Cut the jalapeños in half. Then using a paring knife or a spoon, remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño.
Cut the jalapeños in half. Then using a paring knife or a spoon, remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño.
- 2
Meanwhile, add the diced bacon to a cold pan and turn the heat to medium. Cook the bacon bits until they are crispy. Then transfer to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels and lightly pat dry.
Meanwhile, add the diced bacon to a cold pan and turn the heat to medium. Cook the bacon bits until they are crispy. Then transfer to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels and lightly pat dry.
- 3
In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, bacon, green onions and cheese. Mix well until combined, taste and adjust with salt to preference.
In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, bacon, green onions and cheese. Mix well until combined, taste and adjust with salt to preference.
- 4
Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the jalapeño halves - making sure not to overstuff it.
Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the jalapeño halves - making sure not to overstuff it.
- 5
In a pan or microwave, melt the garlic butter. Pour the breadcrumbs into another bowl and add the melted butter to the breadcrumbs. Mix well until there are no lumps.
In a pan or microwave, melt the garlic butter. Pour the breadcrumbs into another bowl and add the melted butter to the breadcrumbs. Mix well until there are no lumps.
- 6
Spoon 2–3 tsp of the breadcrumb mixture over each of the jalapeños.
Spoon 2–3 tsp of the breadcrumb mixture over each of the jalapeños.
Baking the jalapeño poppers
- 1
Air-fryer method - Set the temperature between 375 F to 390 F and cook for 8-12 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs and jalapeños are done to your liking.
Air-fryer method - Set the temperature between 375°F (191°C) to 390°F (199°C) and cook for 8-12 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs and jalapeños are done to your liking.
- 2
To remove the cooked jalapeño poppers, use a thin spatula to remove from the air fryer basket.
To remove the cooked jalapeño poppers, use a thin spatula to remove from the air fryer basket.
- 3
Oven method - Set the oven to 425 F and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs and jalapeños are done to your liking.
Oven method - Set the oven to 425°F (218°C) and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs and jalapeños are done to your liking.
- 4
Serve hot!
Serve hot!
Nutrition per popper
90
Calories
3g
Protein
4g
Carbs
7g
Fat
0g
Fiber
1g
Sugar
130mg
Sodium
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Recipe history
- April 16, 2026 — Reworked and refreshed for the 2026 relaunch — new photography, restructured and standardized ingredients & instructions.
Filed under
Part of
You might also like
Super Loaded Cheese & Bacon Air Fryer Fries
Crispy, golden fries loaded with melted cheese and smoky bacon, all made in your air fryer. Super easy, incredibly satisfying, and ready in minutes. The ultimate air fryer potato recipe you need tonight.
Super Crispy Air Fryer Cajun Potato Wedges
Crispy on the outside, fluffy inside — these Air Fryer Cajun Potato Wedges are bold, seasoned to perfection, and ready in minutes. The easiest weeknight side dish you'll make all year.
The Best Spicy Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings Recipe
Get the crispiest, most flavorful spicy BBQ chicken wings using your air fryer. Bold heat meets smoky sweetness in every bite. The perfect finger food for dinner or game day.
Ultimate Guide to Making Perfect Chili Cheese Fries
Make perfect chili cheese fries in your air fryer! Crispy golden potatoes loaded with hearty chili and melted cheese make the ultimate easy dinner everyone will love.
Cheesy and Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
Crispy, cheesy, and irresistibly golden, these Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes are the easiest side dish you will ever make. Ready in minutes with simple ingredients you already have.
Mouthwatering Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings in 30 Minutes!
Crispy, saucy, and ready in just 30 minutes! These Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings deliver bold, spicy flavor with less mess. The perfect quick dinner everyone will love.
Comments
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts!
Leave a review
Be the first to share how it went — your note helps other cooks (and earns the recipe its stars).