Air fryer bacon wrapped jalapenos are some of the best appetizers or snacks you can have. They’re easy to make, but above all, they have such a delicious kick that it’s hard to stop at just one. All you need to make this yummy treat are fresh jalapeños, some bacon, and another ingredient that you probably have in your fridge.

I recommend reading this entire post before you begin preparing the recipe. However, if all you want is the list of ingredients with full directions, please either click on the jump-to-recipe button above or scroll to the bottom of this post.

Ingredients

If you’ve never made these delicious spicy treats, you’ll be blown away by how easy they are to make. They only have 3 essential ingredients. 

It’s amazing what you can do with a slice of bacon and a handful of jalapeño peppers. Here’s exactly what you’ll need:

• Jalapeno peppers
• Cheese cut into strips (mozzarella, cheddar cheese, or jack cheese)
• Bacon slices cut in half

That’s it! Just 3 ingredients!

You can also use a cream cheese filling. Just be careful about not overfilling the jalapeños, or the cream cheese will all wind up in the bottom of your air fryer basket.

Other things you might want to add are chopped green onions, cilantro, garlic powder or any fresh herbs. Don’t be afraid to experiment to make these air fryer jalapeno poppers to suit your taste.

Directions

Spray cooking oil into the bottom of your air fryer to prevent sticking. Some of the cheese is still likely to ooze out and stick a little bit. Preheat the air fryer to 375˚ F.

First, cut the jalapeños in half lengthwise. With a small paring knife, scoop out the seeds if you want to tone down the heat. 

Secondly, cut the cheese into enough strips to fill the pepper halves. Press the cheese inside the peppers. If you’re using cream cheese or a cream cheese mixture, spoon it into the peppers. Now cut the slices of bacon in half. Wrap the bacon around each cheese-stuffed pepper.

The end of the bacon should stick to itself. However, if it doesn’t you may secure it with a toothpick.

Place poppers into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Now they’re ready to cook.

Air fry for 18 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and brown. Check on it a couple of minutes before before that, but mine took the full 18 minutes.

Keep in mind that the type of air fryer make a difference with the cooking time. My air fryer cooks pretty hot. When I use my toaster oven that has a convection setting, it takes about 3 minutes longer.

Note: If you use thick-cut bacon, you’ll want to leave them in the air fryer a minute or two longer. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. Or you can semi-cook the bacon before you wrap the peppers.

Why Air Frying

When people ask me why I like to use an air fryer, my answer is pretty much always the same: It’s easy and fast with great results. Plus cleanup is a breeze. All I have to do is wash out the basket and tray, which only takes a couple of minutes. Whether you air fry crab cakes or making succulent air fried barbecue chicken, you’ll appreciate the ease and quickness of this cooking process.

More Bacon-Wrapped Deliciousness

One thing I’ve noticed is that wrapping almost anything in bacon makes it better. We enjoy this bacon-wrapped chicken, either for a snack or as the main dish. Another appetizer that will bring rave reviews are these bacon-wrapped potato wedges.

Please feel free to share!