Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers

air fryer jalapeno poppers laid out on white parchment paper.

These Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers are one of those appetizers that are pretty quick and easy to make, and almost always a crowd favorite!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 7

Total Time 27

Servings poppers

Calories 678kcal

Author Shantala Shenoy Nayak

Equipment

Gourmia Air Fryer
Air Fryer Liner
Baking Tray

Ingredients

5 jalapeños about 4 inches long

For cheese filling

2 oz cream cheese
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
¼ teaspoon salt or to taste

For flour coating

¼ cup all purpose flour (maida)
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper powder

For egg coating (*eggless option in notes)

1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper powder

For bread crumb coating

½ cup bread crumbs or as needed

Instructions

Prep the Jalapeños

Take 5 mid sized jalapeños (each about 4 inches long).
Cut the jalapeños vertically into two, retaining the stem, and ensuring both halves are about equal in size.
Empty out the seeds from inside the jalapeno, to make a hollow space to fill the cheese filling.

Make cheese filling

In a small bowl, take 2 oz of cream cheese, and ½ cup of fresh grated cheddar cheese. I usually get a block of cheddar, and freshly grate the cheddar at home, because I like the taste of fresh grated cheddar best. But you can also use pre-shredded/grated cheddar cheese.
To it, add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, ½ teaspoon of red chilli powder & ¼ teaspoon of salt (or to taste).
Lightly heat this mix for a few seconds (5-10 seconds max) in the microwave, just so that the cheese melts a bit, and everything blends together easily. Then mix everything together.
When the cheese mix is ready, set it aside.

Make the flour mix / coating

In a plate, take ¼ cup all purpose flour / maida, and ⅛ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper.
Mix everything together, and set aside.

Make the egg mix / coating

In a bowl, crack open 1 egg, and to it add 1 tablespoon milk, and ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. (see notes for egg substitute)
Mix everything together, and set aside.

Get the bread crumbs ready

In a plate, take out ½ cup of breadcrumbs (or as needed).
I use Panko seasoned bread crumbs. But you can use regular unseasoned breadcrumbs too. If you are using unseasoned breadcrumbs, then just flavor it a bit with a pinch of salt & pepper, just like we did with other layers, so that every layer is seasoned.

Assemble the Jalapeño Poppers

Start with filling all the jalapeños with the cheese filling.
Then first coat the stuffed jalapeños with the flour mix, then dip it in the egg mix, and then finally coat it with breadcrumbs.
The best, most efficient & quick way to do this coating is by setting it up like an assembly line, and using one hand for dry coat (flour & breadcrumbs) and the other for wet coat (egg). Also best to do the jalapeño pieces without stem first, and then with stem; just easier to handle that way. [see video for a visual guide for filling and coating jalapeños]

Jalapeño Poppers in Air Fryer

Pre-heat air fryer at 400 deg F (~205 deg C).
Grease the base of the air fryer basket. Alternatively, you can use an air fryer liner, and grease it.
Place the stuffed & coated jalapeños in the basket, and finally just add in a few droplets of oil on top of the jalapeños. Don't spray the oil, as it might displace the breadcrumbs.
Air fry at 400 deg F (~205 deg C) for 7 minutes. This time can vary a bit based on your air fryer. So it's best to rely on visual cues. (see notes)
The Jalapeño Poppers are ready when the jalapeños are lightly roasted, the cheese is bubbling up, and a nice light golden crust has developed on top of the breadcrumbs.

Jalapeño Poppers in Oven

Pre-heat oven at 375 deg F (190 deg C).
Take a baking tray, and line it with parchment paper.
Place the stuffed & coated jalapeños in the tray, and finally just add in a few droplets of oil on top of the jalapeños. Don't spray the oil, as it might displace the breadcrumbs.
Bake at 375 deg F (190 deg C) for 20-25 minutes, till done.
The Jalapeño Poppers are ready when the jalapeños are lightly roasted, the cheese is bubbling up, and a nice light golden crust has developed on top of the breadcrumbs.

Serving Suggestion

Jalapeño Poppers work really well as appetizers. Serve them as is, or with a dip of your choice.

Video

Notes

You can go with whichever size of jalapeños you want. It's just best to keep them all of approximately the same size to cook them evenly.
The quantity of cheese filling in this recipe is best for 5 jalapeños that are about 4 inch long each. If your jalapeños are longer or shorter than that, then just adjust the filling accordingly.

Egg-less option

You can substitute 1 egg & 1 tablespoon milk with just ¼ cup of milk, and keep everything else the same, to make this recipe completely vegetarian.

Air Fryer notes

Air frying is easily the fastest method of making jalapeño poppers. But just know that when using this method, the cheese will start to bubble over really fast, at about the 5 minute mark, even while the jalapeños are yet to be done. So keep an eye on that, so that the cheese doesn't spill over and make a mess.
One way I counter this is by ensuring I don't overfill the cheese, and making sure to coat an especially thick layer of breadcrumbs to contain the cheese. I've found this to help a bit with overflow, especially when using the air fryer.

Please note: The nutrition values are best estimates provided as a courtesy. The exact values can vary depending on the exact ingredients or brands used. If you rely on them for your specific diet and/or health issues, please consult a registered dietician or nutritionist.

Nutrition