I have so many jalapeno peppers in my garden right now it’s crazy! With this many jalapenos, I decided I had to make a bunch of jalapeno poppers. Since I have a fairly new Air Fryer, I came up with this Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers Recipe in the Air Fryer just for you.
This Spring I started 4 jalapeno pepper plants inside with seeds. Finally, this Fall I have LOTS of jalapeno peppers. I’m so excited that they survived yet another grasshopper plague. Of course, our chickens and ducks have helped demolish those pesky grasshoppers this year. Our ducks really go after them. If you are interested in starting your own Garden you can read my post, How to Start a Garden for Beginners or Gardening with Your Kids.
I love the flavor of jalapenos, but I don’t like the heat! I need jalapenos to be mild. Here are a few tips to help you find mild or hot jalapenos
Tips on choosing jalapenos for Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers Recipe in the Air Fryer
- Pick jalapenos when they are young, they will generally have less heat.
- Pick/choose jalapenos with little to no white lines, they are more likely to have less heat. If you want heat, find the jalapenos with more lines
- Clean all seeds and veins from the jalapeno for a milder heat. Leave them in for more heat. Check out this tool that I love for cleaning my jalapenos!
- There is no guarantee of what heat you will get with jalapenos. These tips are just a guideline. You still may end up with a hot or mild jalapeno.
Freeze a Few Jalapeno Poppers for Later Use
You can freeze the jalapeño poppers before baking. Make them up (skip baking them) then put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze them until solid.
Next, put them in a freezer bag and pull them out to have freshly baked jalapeño poppers whenever you want! Heat them up in the air fryer when you’re ready.
Make Them Keto Friendly
You can easily make these cream cheese jalapeno poppers keto-friendly by omitting the bread crumbs. I know so many people are looking for Keto recipes, and this is one of the most delicious you can find!
Why an Air Fryer?
I love my Air Fryer! It has a lot of benefits besides just being healthier than frying your foods. My second favorite reason to love it is that it does not heat the house up! Who wants to heat up the house on a hot Summer day? Not me! You can read more reasons I love my Air Fryer, 7 Reasons You Need an Air Fryer Now.
The Recipe
In my recipe I am using small jalapenos from my garden, if you have large jalapenos, you may need less to use up the filling.
These are perfect as appetizers but are also perfect as a snack or a side dish.
Preparing Jalapenos
Jalapeno peppers are hot! When you slice and clean them, the oil from the peppers get on your skin and can easily transfer to your face or eyes, by simply touching the skin. That’s why I always wear rubber gloves when I handle jalapenos.
Wash your jalapenos in water with mild soap. Make sure to rinse the soap completely off. You can leave the tops on or cut them off. I usually leave them on. I slice my jalapenos in half, lengthwise. I have a handy tool from Amazon that I love, but you can also use a knife or a small scoop like a melon scoop.
If you want less heat, remove all seeds and scrape the sides clean. If you want heat, do not scrape sides.
Preparing Filling
- Soften the cream cheese to room temperature, either by leaving on the counter or microwaving for about 30 seconds.
- In a small bowl, add bacon bits, shredded cheddar cheese, garlic powder, bread crumbs to cream cheese. Stir until mixed. Skip the bread crumbs for a Keto version of jalapeno poppers.
- Place filling in jalapeno halves.
Cooking Jalapenos in the Air Fryer
- My air fryer has a wire rack and solid rack. I used the solid rack. I evenly spaced my jalapenos on the rack.
- Set my Air Fryer to 350 and cooked for 8 minutes. Depending on how well done you want your jalapeno poppers, you can cook yours for less or longer.
- You may need to cook in batches, depending on the space in your Air Fryer and how many jalapeno poppers you make.
- Put leftovers in the fridge and reheat in the air fryer for a couple of minutes. You can also freeze them and reheat later.
Some things you may need
Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers Recipe in the Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 12 jalapenos mine were smallish
- 3 Tbsp bacon bits
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tblsp bread crumbs omit for Keto
Instructions
- Clean jalapenos and slice in half lengthwise. Remove seeds, and scrape insides smooth for a milder pepper.
- Combine cream cheese and the remaining ingredients. Mixing well.
- Fill jalapeno halves with cream cheese mixture.
- Place jalapenos in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.
- You may want to cook less or longer depending on how well you want them cooked. The longer they cook, the less heat they will have.
Conclusion
I hope you try my Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers Recipe in the Air Fryer. They really are simple and taste delicious. You will want to make them over and over again. What’s your favorite way to eat jalapenos?