Simple Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers

Here are my air fryer jalapeño poppers, with a creamy filling made with cream cheese, garlic powder, smoked paprika, colby jack cheese, crispy bacon, and green onions, all stuffed into halved jalapeños and cooked until golden in the air fryer.

These jalapeño poppers are always the first thing to disappear at any party or game day gathering. I love making them because they’re so much easier than the deep-fried version, and honestly, they taste just as good!

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What Kind of Jalapeños Should I Use?

Fresh jalapeños are what you’ll want for this recipe, and you can find them in pretty much any grocery store year-round. When picking them out, look for firm peppers with smooth, shiny skin and no soft spots or wrinkles. The size matters here since you’re stuffing them – larger jalapeños are easier to work with and give you more room for all that cheesy, bacon-filled goodness. Keep in mind that jalapeño heat can vary quite a bit, so if you’re sensitive to spice, you can remove all the seeds and membranes inside to tone down the heat without losing that great jalapeño flavor.

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Options for Substitutions

These poppers are easy to customize based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Jalapeños: If you want less heat, try using mini sweet peppers instead. They give you that same popper shape without the spice. You can also remove all the seeds and membranes from the jalapeños to tone down the heat.
• Cream cheese: Regular cream cheese works best here since it holds its shape during cooking. I wouldn’t recommend swapping it out, as other soft cheeses tend to get too runny in the air fryer.
• Colby Jack cheese: Feel free to use cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or even mozzarella. Any good melting cheese will work great in this recipe.
• Bacon: Not a bacon fan? You can leave it out completely or swap it for cooked chorizo or Italian sausage for a different flavor profile. Just make sure whatever meat you use is fully cooked before mixing it in.
• Green onions: Regular diced onions, chives, or even a tablespoon of dried minced onion will work if you don’t have green onions on hand.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with jalapeño poppers is not removing all the seeds and membranes, which can make them way too spicy for most people – use a small spoon to scrape out the insides completely if you want a milder flavor.

Skipping the first round of cooking the peppers before filling them is another common error, as this pre-cooking step softens the jalapeños and ensures they’re tender when the filling is done.

Make sure your cream cheese is truly at room temperature before mixing, because cold cream cheese won’t blend smoothly with the other ingredients and you’ll end up with lumps in your filling.

Finally, don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket – leave space between the poppers so hot air can circulate around them, which gives you that nice crispy top instead of a soggy one.

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What to Serve With Jalapeño Poppers?

Jalapeño poppers are perfect party food, so I like to serve them alongside other finger foods like chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, or some tortilla chips with guacamole. They’re also great as an appetizer before a backyard barbecue – just set them out with some ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping. If you’re making them for game day, round out your spread with some loaded nachos, buffalo chicken dip, and plenty of cold drinks to cool down the heat. Since these poppers are pretty rich and spicy, a simple side salad or some fresh veggies with dip helps balance everything out.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep any leftover jalapeño poppers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They’re great for snacking straight from the fridge, or you can warm them up again if you prefer them hot.

Freeze: You can freeze these poppers either before or after cooking. If freezing uncooked, arrange them on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Cooked poppers can be frozen the same way and will keep just as long.

Reheat: Pop leftover poppers back in the air fryer at 350°F for about 3-4 minutes until warmed through and crispy again. If cooking from frozen, add a few extra minutes to the cooking time. The microwave works too, but they won’t be quite as crispy.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1750-1950
• Protein: 55-65 g
• Fat: 160-180 g
• Carbohydrates: 25-30 g

Ingredients

For the peppers:

• 6 large jalapenos (halved lengthwise and seeds removed)
• 1.5 tbsp olive oil

For the filling:

• 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
• 3 tbsp green onions (thinly sliced)
• 1 1/4 cups colby jack (freshly shredded)
• 1/2 lb bacon (cooked crispy and crumbled)

Step 1: Prepare the Filling Mixture

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
• 3 tbsp green onions
• 1 cup Colby Jack
• Reserved bacon

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and red chili flakes, stirring until smooth and well combined.

Fold in the green onions, three-quarters of the shredded Colby Jack cheese, and most of the crumbled bacon, reserving some cheese and bacon for topping.

I like to use my hands to gently fold the mixture together—it helps distribute the ingredients evenly without overworking the cream cheese.

Set the filling aside while you prepare the peppers.

Step 2: Pre-cook the Jalapeños

• 6 large jalapenos
• 1.5 tbsp olive oil

Pat the halved jalapeños dry with paper towels and lightly coat all sides with olive oil using a pastry brush or your fingertips.

Arrange them skin-side down in a single layer in your air fryer basket.

Air fry at 400°F for 4 minutes to soften the peppers and begin charring the skins slightly.

Remove them carefully and let them cool for 5 minutes on fresh paper towels—this makes them easier to handle and allows excess moisture to drain.

Step 3: Fill and Top the Poppers

• cooked jalapeño halves from Step 2
• filling mixture from Step 1
• 1/4 cup Colby Jack
• reserved bacon

Once the jalapeños have cooled, pat them dry again with paper towels to remove any remaining moisture—this helps the filling stay in place during cooking.

Generously spoon the filling mixture from Step 1 into each jalapeño half, mounding it slightly.

Top each popper with a pinch of the reserved Colby Jack cheese and a small piece of reserved bacon, pressing gently so it adheres to the filling.

Step 4: Final Cook and Serve

• filled jalapeño poppers from Step 3

Carefully arrange the filled jalapeño poppers in the air fryer basket in a single layer, skin-side down.

Air fry at 400°F for 5 minutes until the filling is heated through, the cheese is melted and begins to bubble, and the edges are lightly golden.

For extra crispiness on top, I sometimes turn off the air fryer for the last minute and use the residual heat—it melts the cheese perfectly without drying out the peppers.

Transfer to a serving plate and let them cool for 1-2 minutes before serving, as the filling will be very hot.