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Air Fryer Jalapeno poppers are the delicious melted cheese balls stuffed with diced Jalapenos and bacon, coated in crispy golden breadcrumbs. Each bite-size cheese ball is full of delicious flavors and textures - crunchy, creamy, spicy, cheesy, and satisfying!
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Easy to make, quick to cook in the air fryer, and always the biggest hit at any party!
Ingredients:
- 1 pack Cream cheese (8oz.),softened
- 4 Jalapeños: seeded and finely chopped (⅔ cup). I use my Ninja Express to chop the Jalapeños. Pulse for 1-2 seconds or to the desired consistency.
- ½ cup cheddar cheese,shredded
- ½ cup Pepperjackcheese, shredded
- 6 strips bacon: cooked and finely chopped. I also used premade bacon crumbles.
- 2 cloves garlic,minced
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup breadcrumbs or Panko.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Seasoning salt to taste. I add ½ teaspoon seasoning since bacon is usually pretty salty.
- 1 Tablespoon Sriracha sauce, optional
Directions:
- In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, jalapeños, cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, diced jalapenos, bacon bits, garlic, salt, and sriracha sauce. Until all ingredients are well combined.
- Scoop the mixture and form it into 1 inch or larger size balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Place beaten egg in a medium bowl.
- In the second bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Remove cheese balls from the freezer. Dip one ball at a time into the beaten eggs, and then coat with the bread crumbs mixture (see picture)
- Arrange the jalapeño balls in the air fryer basket/sheet/tray and give them some space so they do not touch each other.
- Pre-heat air fryer at 400F/200C for 2 minutes and place the basket/tray into the air fryer
- Air fry mode 400F/200C for 7-8 minutes or until the breading is crispy, golden brown and the cheese starts to pop.
- It is important to flip each ball halfway thru the cooking. Cook 3-4 minutes per side.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
- To reheat, place in the air fryer at 350F/180C for 1-2 minutes per side.
Other Festive appetizers you're going to love
Air fryer stuffed Jalapeño peppers.
Air fryer Fried Pickles.
Air Fryer Spicy Mozzarella Sticks.
Potato Jalapeno Balls - are one of our favorite appetizers with creamy mashed potatoes. Click on the picture below to jump to it's recipe.
Can this air fryer jalapeno popper cheese balls recipe be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the jalapeno poppers balls ahead of time. Prepare the cheeseballs but do not air fry them. Place them in the container in the fridge for 2-3 days and air fry when ready.
Or keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to cook, thaw in the fridge for 2-3 hours and continue with directions above.
Can this air fryer jalapeno popper cheese balls recipe bemadelow-carb andketo-friendly?
Absolutely! Replace Panko breadcrumbs for Pork panko (0 carb pork rind bread crumbs) or almond flour and proceed with directions to air fry. Delicious!
Can I use another kind of cheese?
Absolutely! You can substitute an equal amount for another kind of shredded cheese of choice. Can also substitute for vegan cheeses.
Notes:
I used this handy Jalapeno corer tool for fast and easy coring and deseeding jalapeno peppers
You may want to consider wearing plastic gloves when handling jalapenos
Yield: 20
Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers Cheese Balls Recipe
Air Fryer Jalapeno poppers are the delicious melted cheese balls stuffed with diced Jalapenos and bacon, coated in crispy golden breadcrumbs.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time42 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pack Cream cheese (8oz.), softened
- 4 Jalapeños: seeded and finely chopped (⅔ cup). I use my Braun Multiquick food processor to chop the Jalapeños in 30 seconds to the desired consistency.
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ cup Pepperjack cheese, shredded
- 6 strips bacon: cooked and finely chopped. I also used premade bacon crumbles.
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup breadcrumbs or Panko.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Seasoning salt to taste. I add ½ teaspoon seasoning since bacon is usually pretty salty.
- 1 Tablespoon Sriracha sauce, optional
Instructions
Notes
I used this handyJalapeno corer toolfor fast and easy coring and deseeding jalapeno peppers
You may want to consider wearing plastic gloves when handling jalapenos
More Appetizer
- DIY Homemade Red Wine Gummies Recipe
- Classic Tuna Salad Recipe | Crispy and Creamy
- Homemade Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips
- Air Fryer Avocado Melt
Reader Interactions
Comments
Karen
These look amazing! What dipping sauce is pictured? Recipe? Thx!
Reply
Irina
HI Karen, Thank you
Homemade honey chipotle mayoReply
Laura
Is there a recipe for a dipping sauce to go along with these. Great recipe, thank you!
Reply
Irina
Hello. Sure. May I recommend two of my faves - Chipotle mayo dipping sauce and Homemade chick-fil-a sauce.
Reply
Karen
HUUGE family hit! Super easy and fun to make! Definitely need to spray the tray first so the balls don't stick, but they turned out great!
Reply
Irina
Yummy! Glad you enjoyed it! I have the non-stick tray so no food really sticks to it. But thanks for letting me know. It's important to know that other trays may stick
Reply
Davey Simpson
Hard to flip melted cheese after 4 minutes. Cook them a bit longer and dumped them from the basket, looks more like soup than jalapeno cheese balls!
Reply
DC
Same happened to us. Messy!!
Reply
Judy Maresh
I have a feeling if I try to make these I will end up with a leaky mess and empty shells of whatever is left
Irina
I made them multiple times and did not experience any leaky mess. Hope you will have success too. Delish!
Reply
Jennifer
Any advice on how to get them not to leak? The flavor is great but the few time I've cooked them most of the cheese mixture melts out.
Reply
Irina
Hi Jennifer. Coat generously in breadcrumbs. Air fry until the cheese starts to pop
Reply
Samantha
We love the recipe however I had to cook them in the stove..
After 2 batches stuck to my basket on my instapot duo one batch I even used spray...any suggestionsReply
Irina
Spraying is definitely a key, if they are getting stuck. Try to oil the basket more. If they still get stuck, place them on a small piece of parchment paper.
Reply
Robin
Why are jalapeños listed twice in the directions?
Reply
Veronica
What kind of dipping sauce did you use
Reply
Irina
I served them with homemade Chipotle dipping sauce. You can also try them with Copycat Chick Fil A sauce. Yum
Reply
Heidi
I followed this recipe to the letter. Needs more jalepenos vs cheese. Not enjoyable and a waste of my time honestly. I'll go back to making poppers the normal way.
Reply
Steve Anderson
I air fryer some and they were very good. A bit messy. What was left I froze before I breaded them. I later took the frozen ones and threw them all in a bowl. I microwaved them till melted, stirring occasionally. It makes an excellent dip. Like it much better as a dip.
Reply
Cat
I made these to go with pizza and they came out perfect! So creamy and delicious on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Thank you
Reply
Rosa
Can these be baked in the oven?" If so, temp and time please?
Reply
Irina
Sure. Please try at 425F (220C) for 10-15 minutes, or until the breading is crispy, golden brown and the cheese starts to pop.
Reply
Jan Driver
Can these be made in deep fryer ??
Reply
Irina
Oh absolutely. Prepare the balls as per recipe then cook them in deep fryer, as per deep fryer instructions.
Reply
John Rushton
Hi, I would appreciate if you could let me know the brand & model number of the Air Fryers you use so I can see if they're available in Australia.
Cheers, JohnReply
Irina
HI John. I'm using Cuisinart air fryer oven and Ninja Foodi XL 6-in-1
Reply
Glen
Would it be possible to use pickled jalapeños instead of fresh?
Reply
Irina
Absolutely. Just dice them up and follow the recipe. I'm sure they will turn out delish
Reply
Bob Johnson
What’s a good dipping sauce?
Reply
Irina
May I recommend this 5 minutes homemade Chipotle dipping sauce
Reply
