These Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers are equal parts easy, quick, and delicious. Made with spicy buffalo sauce, melty pepper Jack and cream cheese filling, and a crispy bacon exterior, you’ll love creating these jalapeno poppers for game day, holidays, gatherings, and more. Serve them as an appetizer or side dish alongside your favorite entrée for a flavor-packed meal.
Creamy and cheesy on the inside with a crispy, browned bacon exterior, these air fryer bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers are what dreams are made of! The best part about this recipe is the air fryer bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers time – they only take around 15 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to cook! With only a few steps, you’ll have these yummy poppers party-ready in no time.
Luckily, jalapeños are versatile, so you can use any leftover jalapeno peppers you have for recipes like Jalapeño Popper Egg Rolls, Blackberry Jalapeño Margarita, or Jalapeño Lime Crema.
If you have leftover bacon, try Bacon Wrapped Dates with Cream Cheese.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How to Cut Jalapeños for Poppers
- How to Make Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers in the Air Fryer
- Recipe Serving Suggestions
- Expert Tips
- Make Ahead, Freezing, & Storage
- Additions & Variations
- Recipe FAQs
- More Appetizer & Snack Recipes
- The Best Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy – This air fryer bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers recipe only requires four steps and about 15 minutes of prep time.
- Cheesy – Cream cheese and pepper Jack combine to create a rich, ooey-gooey filling.
- Bacon – The best part about this bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers recipe is the crispy bacon wrapped around each jalapeño.
- Spicy – Using buffalo sauce, pepper Jack, and jalapeños helps create a delightfully fiery flavor.
- Quick – This yummy recipe requires only about 30 minutes (including prep time).
- Perfect for sharing – With 20 servings, these jalapeño poppers are perfect for sharing at get-togethers with loved ones.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pepper Jack: You can use any cheese for these air fryer bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers. I prefer using pepper jack, as it adds a bit more heat to each of the bacon-wrapped jalapenos with cream cheese in air fryer. However, you can use other options like shredded cheddar cheese, mozzarella, or gouda.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Cut Jalapeños for Poppers
- Put on gloves before chopping jalapeños to avoid skin irritation while making this air fryer bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers recipe.
- Use a spoon to remove the seeds and membranes from the inside of each pepper.
- Do not remove the stem from the poppers.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers in the Air Fryer
Quick Overview
- Combine filling ingredients.
- Stuff jalapeños.
- Wrap with bacon.
- Air fry.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: In a small mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese, buffalo sauce, garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt, until well combined. Fold in the pepper jack cheese.
Step 2: Fill each jalapeño half with the cheese mixture using a spatula or spoon.
Check each jalapeño popper at the 14-minute mark for doneness.
Step 3: Wrap each jalapeño popper with 1/2 a piece of bacon and use a toothpick to secure the bacon. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and arrange the peppers in a single layer. You will likely need to air fry these in batches.
Step 4: Air fry at 340 degrees for 14-17 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through and crispy.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Garnish these air fryer bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers with a dollop of sour cream (to cool the heat), fresh parsley, or a sprinkle of freshly shredded cheese.
I love serving these bacon jalapeño poppers with other game-day-inspired appetizers/side dishes. Here are a few ideas:
Expert Tips
- Soften the cream cheese. It’s best to make air fryer bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers with softened cream cheese, as it’s easier to mix and work with. Allow the cream cheese to sit on your counter for about 30 minutes so it can soften and come to room temp.
- Grate blocks of cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking ingredient that helps keep it from sticking together. This ingredient also means it does not melt as well as freshly shredded cheese. Use freshly shredded cheese for an even gooey-er filling.
- Use gloves when prepping the jalapeños. Jalapeños naturally release an oil that can irritate your skin as they’re chopped. Avoid irritation by wearing gloves when handling jalapeños.
- Do not cut off the stems. While cooking in the air fryer, the filling becomes gooey and melty. So, if you chop off the jalapeños’ stems, the filling will likely drip out the air fryer jalapeño poppers. So, it’s best to keep the stems on for this recipe.
- Use toothpicks. The best way to keep the bacon from unraveling while cooking is by using a few toothpicks to adhere it to the poppers. Remember to remove all toothpicks once the poppers are fully cooked.
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer. Place the poppers in a single layer with plenty of space between them so they can cook evenly. If you have a smaller air fryer, cook the poppers in batches until they’re all cooked.
- Keep poppers warm in the oven. If you’re making these air fryer jalapeno poppers ahead of time for a party, you can keep them warm in the oven until the guests arrive. Place the poppers in a single layer on a baking sheet and keep them in the oven at 350F until you’re ready to serve them. Don’t leave them in too long, or they may start to become soggy.
Make Ahead, Freezing, & Storage
- To make these air fryer bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers ahead of time, prep them according to the recipe. Store them in an airtight container (uncooked) in the fridge for up to two days. Then, bake them in the air fryer when you’re ready to eat them.
- Leftover cooked jalapeño poppers can be stored similarly. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge once they cool. They can last in the fridge for up to three days.
- If you know you won’t get through the entire recipe of poppers, you can freeze the leftovers. This is one recipe where you can freeze leftovers before or after they’re cooked. Freeze them on a baking sheet in a single layer for a few hours. Once solid, pack them in airtight containers or bags. They can stay in the freezer for up to four months.
Additions & Variations
- Oven: If you don’t have an air fryer, you can make these air fryer bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers in the oven instead. Preheat the oven to 400F. Then, follow the above directions to create the filling and prep the poppers. Add them to a baking sheet in a single layer and cook them for about 30 minutes or until the bacon is crispy.
- Vegetarian: Create vegetarian jalapeño poppers by skipping the bacon in this recipe. The remaining ingredients are already vegetarian-friendly.
Recipe FAQs
If you’re wondering about the bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers in air fryer temp and time, you can use the above recipe for timing and temp. In general, you’ll want to cook jalapeño poppers for about 14 minutes at 340F. However, every air fryer works slightly differently, so you may need to adjust the temperature or time based on your appliance for jalapeno air fryer recipes.
Set the temperature on the air fryer to 340F. Then, place the poppers in the basket and cook for about 5 minutes (or until warmed through).
I prefer reheating them in the air fryer since it helps the bacon crisp up again. However, if you’re in a pinch, you can zap them in a microwave for about 30 seconds.
Overcooking the jalapeño poppers can make them soggy, even if you overcook them by only 1-2 minutes. If you’re unsure how much time you need to cook poppers, start with a small batch and adjust the time as needed. They should be softened but not overly soft when done.
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The Best Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
- 5 ounces full fat brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon buffalo sauce, optional
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic & onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded*
- 10 medium jalapeños, halved lengthwise, seeds & membranes removed
- 10 slices bacon, sliced in half
- 20 toothpicks & cooking spray
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese, buffalo sauce, garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt, until well combined. Fold in the pepper jack cheese.5 ounces full fat brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature, 1 Tablespoon buffalo sauce, optional, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic & onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 4 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded*
- Fill each jalapeño half with the cheese mixture using a spatula or spoon.10 medium jalapeños, halved lengthwise, seeds & membranes removed
- Wrap each jalapeño popper with 1/2 a piece of bacon and use a toothpick to secure the bacon.10 slices bacon, sliced in half, 20 toothpicks & cooking spray
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and arrange the peppers in a single layer. You will likely need to air fry these in batches.
- Air fry at 340 degrees for 14-17 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through and crispy.
Notes
- Pepper Jack: You can use any cheese for these air fryer bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers. I prefer using pepper jack, as it adds a bit more heat to each of the bacon-wrapped jalapenos with cream cheese in air fryer. However, you can use other options like shredded cheddar cheese, mozzarella, or gouda.
- Soften the cream cheese. It’s best to make air fryer bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers with softened cream cheese, as it’s easier to mix and work with. Allow the cream cheese to sit on your counter for about 30 minutes so it can soften and come to room temp.
- Grate blocks of cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking ingredient that helps keep it from sticking together. This ingredient also means it does not melt as well as freshly shredded cheese. Use freshly shredded cheese for an even gooey-er filling.
- Use gloves when prepping the jalapeños. Jalapeños naturally release an oil that can irritate your skin as they’re chopped. Avoid irritation by wearing gloves when handling jalapeños.
- Do not cut off the stems. While cooking in the air fryer, the filling becomes gooey and melty. So, if you chop off the jalapeños’ stems, the filling will likely drip out the air fryer jalapeño poppers. So, it’s best to keep the stems on for this recipe.
- Use toothpicks. The best way to keep the bacon from unraveling while cooking is by using a few toothpicks to adhere it to the poppers. Remember to remove all toothpicks once the poppers are fully cooked.
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer. Place the poppers in a single layer with plenty of space between them so they can cook evenly. If you have a smaller air fryer, cook the poppers in batches until they’re all cooked.
- Keep poppers warm in the oven. If you’re making these air fryer jalapeno poppers ahead of time for a party, you can keep them warm in the oven until the guests arrive. Place the poppers in a single layer on a baking sheet and keep them in the oven at 350F until you’re ready to serve them. Don’t leave them in too long, or they may start to become soggy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yum! These were great! How do you stay thin!
LOL
This is fabuloso!
Gratzi!
Love all u Recipes
Thank you!! <3