This is one of my favorite recipes and quickly became a family favorite in our household. I made these first with the super bowl in mind but they are really perfect for any occasion. Most jalapeno poppers are in the low-carb realm thanks to the most of the ingredients all being low-carb. I am not a follower of the keto diet but I do believe in being mindful about food choices and these are a perfect appetizer, low carb dinner, or snack for any occasion. They are packed with tons of flavor, an extra cheesy filling and simple ingredients.
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What ingredients are in these jalapeno poppers?
-Jalapeño peppers; using fresh jalapeños is important because they give the extra crunch you want once these are cooked.
-Green onion; these are chopped extra small and give a nice extra flavor element to the poppers.
-Crispy bacon; I use thick cut bacon and make it before I prepare this recipe but could use some kind of pre-made crumbs if thats what you have.
-Cream cheese; I prefer the flavor of regular full fat cream cheese but the lower fat varieties could work well too.
-Mozzarella Cheese; I buy pre-shredded to speed up my prep-time.
-Sharp cheddar cheese; I also buy pre-shredded for these cheese as well because it cuts down on the cleaning and prep time.
-Garlic powder; I like to use organic garlic powder but whatever you have on hand words.
-Onion powder; I also like to use organic onion powder but again whatever onion powder you have works.
-Panko bread crumbs; these are optional but really take this tasty treat up a notch.
What materials or equipment is needed to make this this recipe?
Sharp knife; you need a sharp to slice your Jalapeno peppers evenly down the middle.
Cutting board; a cutting board is recommended so you do not damage your countertops or chip a plate by cutting on that.
Gloves; I highly recommend you wear gloves when dealing with the fresh Jalapenos.
Parchment paper; I use parchment paper in my air fryer for easy clean-up and to avoid having to clean it every time I use it. This is optional but if you choose to use it just cut or fold the parchment paper to fit your air fryer. You also want to wait until the air fryer is preheated to put the paper in or else it could get sucked up and cause a fire/burning situation.
Small bowl; this is used to mix all your ingredients together and any kind of bowl will work; depending on if you are doubling the recipe or not you may need to utilize a medium bowl instead.
How to make these air fryer jalapeño poppers?
One of the best things about this easy recipe is that it comes together in just 15 minutes of prep time and only uses a few items with little clean up needed. In my opinion the hardest part of this is coring the jalapeno halves and remembering to leave your cream cheese out for a bit so it is at room temperature when you’re ready to make the cream cheese filling.
First thing to do is cut the top off of each of your Jalapeno’s.
Next cut them in half length wise and use a spoon to remove seeds and the membranes of the pepper. Its important to use the spoon downward away from your face/eyes so any juice sprayed hits your counter and cutting board.
Next you’ll combine the remainder of the ingredients in a mixing bowl; softened cream cheese, chopped chives, shredded cheeses, pre-cooked bacon crumbles, onion powder and garlic powder.
This last step is optional depending on if you are really looking to make these keto jalapeno poppers or just general low-carb ones. I place each halve cream cheese mixture side down into panko bread crumbs. This gives them an extra golden brown crunch once cooked.
Is there anything I can substitute in these jalapeno poppers?
These are actually pretty easy to customize if you continue to follow the same amounts as listed in the recipe. You can change the cheese amounts to your liking, spices and even try a different type of bread crumb.
Easy Three Cheese Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
- -4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- -6 Jalapenos cut lengthwise and cored
- -2 slices cooked bacon, crispy 1/4th cup
- -1/4th cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- -1/4th cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- -½ tsp garlic powder
- -1/4th tsp onion powder
- -1/4th tsp salt
- -1/8th tsp pepper
- -2 green onions, diced
- -1/4th cup panko bread crumbs
Directions
- To prepare jalapenos, start by wearing gloves and removing the stems of each jalapeno. Cut the jalapeno in half lengthwise from the top to the bottom. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and white membrane as much as possible.
- Chop bacon into small pieces, a little larger than a pencil eraser.
- Mix cream cheese, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, onion powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, bacon, and green onions together.
- Use a spoon to fill each jalapeno halve to the edges with cream cheese mixture, pressing down to compact the mixture some.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees.
- Pour panko crumbs into a flat plate. Dip each jalapeno, cream cheese side down, into the breadcrumb mixture.
- Place jalapenos in a single layer into your air fryer.
- Cook jalapenos for 5-8 minutes at 375 degrees.
Let me know if you tried this recipe by commenting below! If you are looking to try some other simple recipes be sure to check out the good eats section of my site for tons of delicious foods!