Name: Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 14 min
Ingredients: 1 lb beef chuck (about 20% fat); 10 jalapeno peppers (average size); 5 bacon slices; 1 tsp kosher salt (heaping); 1 tsp black pepper; 1 cup diced sharp cheddar

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our Privacy Policy for details.

These air fryer jalapeno poppers are out of bounds! After trying just one, you will be hooked forever. I am. They are meaty, juicy, cheesy, and so delicious! These poppers are perfect for parties and gatherings. You can make them ahead and cook in a matter of 12-14 minutes.

These jalapeno poppers are very special. The ingredients I chose are coarsely ground chuck, salt, pepper, bacon bits and loads of cheddar cheese. What does the filling remind you of? That's right, cheeseburgers. You could throw a couple of them on a bun and have yourself a nice burger. I love these poppers!

Air frying does magic to food. The flavor that you get is insane. I like my baked jalapeno poppers but, seriously, can they even compare to these little flavor bombs? Only smoked jalapeno poppers, pig shots or Texas Twinkies beat these in the flavor department, but not by that much.

If you don’t have an air fryer, do yourself a favor, get one now! This has been our most used kitchen appliance for the past 1.5 years. It makes cooking much easier and the food healthier and tastier.

How many jalapeno poppers can you fit in an air fryer?

This is a very good question as with air fryers, size matters a lot. Take a look at the picture below. As you can see, ten jalapeno halves comfortably take up most of the rack space in my Chefman 6.8 Quart Air Fryer. These are large peppers. You could probably squeeze in another 3-4 poppers if you try hard enough. With small peppers, you could probably fit in 14-18 of them. If you plan on using a 3.6 quart air fryer, you will be able to fit in about 5-6 jalapeno peppers per batch.

Now, should you go as high as you can? I recommend leaving some gaps around peppers for air circulation. This way, peppers cook through better, and you get a better taste and texture. You will get better browning with less food on the rack, so keep that in mind.

At what temperature to air fry jalapeno poppers?

I am a huge fan of air frying at 400F. It makes food brown very nicely. I especially like air fried chicken wings, legs and thighs cooked at this temperature as it makes the skin extra crispy.

When it comes to jalapeno poppers, I find that the best cooking temperature is 375F. At this temperature, the poppers don't brown as fast as at 400F and the peppers have more time to cook through and soften up. This temperature allows for the tops and the bottoms to cook at the same rate and have the tops nicely browned by the time the peppers cook through.

How long to cook jalapeno poppers in an air fryer?

In my air fryer, it's about 12-16 minutes at 375F depending on the size of the peppers I use. If I want my large jalapeno popper crispier, I can go up to 17 minutes. Any longer and they will begin to dry out.

Keep in mind that different air fryers cook differently. Some air fryers cook at higher temperatures than they report, while others may have their racks positioned closer to their heating elements. This will affect cooking time. I highly recommend that you keep a close eye on your poppers the first time around to figure out how much time they need, then use it for future batches. That said, the majority of air fryers out there will cook very similar to mine.

Looking for more tasty air fryer recipes? Make sure to check these out:

Equipment used: Chefman 6.8 Quart Air Fryer.