Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
Halved jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese and cheddar, wrapped in bacon, and air-fried until the bacon crisps and the peppers blister.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Written
Method
-
Beat the cream cheese, cheddar, garlic, and smoked paprika together until evenly combined.
-
Pack a heaping spoonful of the cheese mixture into each jalapeño half, mounding it slightly above the rim.
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Wrap each stuffed half tightly with a piece of bacon, overlapping the ends and securing with a toothpick if it won’t hold on its own.
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Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket, cut side up, without crowding.
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Air fry at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and rendered and the peppers have blistered at the edges.
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Let rest 5 minutes before serving — the cheese filling is lava-hot straight out of the basket.
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Scatter with chives.
Notes
The bacon needs to actually crisp, not just cook through, or the poppers turn soggy under the cheese — if yours are browning slower than the peppers are softening, finish them under a hot broiler for the last minute instead of running the air fryer longer.
Seed the jalapeños all the way, including the white ribs, if you want these mild enough for a crowd; leave a few ribs in on half the batch for people who want the heat. No air fryer works too — bake at 400°F on a wire rack over a sheet pan for 18 to 20 minutes.