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Cheesy, spicy, crispy, and delicious jalapeño poppers made in the air fryer! This easy appetizer comes together quickly, and in a few simple steps. They’re loaded with tangy cream cheese, plenty of cheddar cheese, fresh herbs, spices, and topped off with crunchy breadcrumbs – yum!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- It’s healthier than most other jalapeño poppers! This restaurant-quality appetizer ditches the deep fryer and heavy breaded coating. Instead, we use an air fryer and a light sprinkling of breadcrumbs on top.
- They’re super quick and easy to make! Make your filling, then fill each jalapeño, before dipping it in breadcrumbs and placing them in your air fryer tray or basket. Then, cook until golden brown and crispy, and serve!
- It’s a total family favorite! Make these air fryer jalapeño poppers for your next tailgate, game day party, or potluck. I promise they’ll be the most popular appetizer there!
Key Ingredients
Jalapeños – Start by washing your jalapeños before slicing them. Once clean, slice them in half and use a spoon to scoop out the membrane and seeds. I highly recommend wearing gloves while handling your jalapeños, since the oil from the peppers can burn your skin. Also, definitely avoid touching your face and eyes after cutting them!
Cream Cheese – This tangy cheese spread is the perfect base for our air fryer jalapeño poppers filling. Feel free to use any cream cheese you’d like, regular, low-fat, or even chive-flavored cream cheese will all taste incredible.
Panko Breadcrumbs – While panko breadcrumbs cook up the crispiest, really any type of breadcrumb will work. However, panko breadcrumbs are dryer than regular breadcrumbs, which is why I prefer them for this recipe. Once air fried, the breadcrumb topping will be irresistibly crunchy and delicious. The perfect compliment to our creamy cheese filling!
Chef’s Tips
- You can double or even triple this air fryer jalapeño poppers recipe if you’d like! When cooking for a crowd, I always make at least a double batch to make sure everyone gets some. Trust me, these cheesy and spicy snacks will go fast!
- Finish your jalapeño poppers off with a sprinkling of fresh chives! I’ve also topped mine with some crumbled bacon and received rave reviews. Or, serve them as is – they’ll still taste incredible!
- Prep, then freeze your poppers ahead of time if you’d like. If preparing these for a party, simple assemble the jalapeños with their filling and topping, then store in an airtight container in the freezer. Once ready to eat, pop them straight from frozen right into the air fryer for an additional 5-10 minutes, then enjoy!
Other Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love
- Air Fryer Potatoes
- Air Fryer Tilapia
- Pizza Rolls in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Air Fryer Potato Skins
Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
Equipment
- Small bowl
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 5 medium jalapeños
- ½ cup cream cheese softened
- ½ cup Shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons Chives chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
Instructions
- Slice each jalapeño in half lengthwise, then remove any seeds and membrane inside each half.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chives, and garlic powder.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the panko breadcrumbs and melted butter.
- Fill each jalapeño half with about a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture, then dip cream cheese side into breadcrumbs.
- Place jalapeño poppers in a single layer in air fryer tray or basket, and cook at 380° Fahrenheit for 6-7 minutes or until golden brown.
- Make it Keto: To make this recipe keto-friendly, shred the cheddar cheese yourself, then omit the panko breadcrumbs. Top your air fryer jalapeño poppers with either an extra sprinkling of cheddar cheese or crumbled bacon!
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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