Some dishes and combinations are an acquired taste, while some others become an instant favorite from the very first time. And for me, these cheesy jalapeño poppers fell into the latter category. I knew I loved them from the very first time I tried them.So even though I have made small tweaks to the recipe since then, mostly to boost the flavors a bit, I stuck with all the same elements to make the poppers. As delicious roasted jalapeños filled with spiced cheddar & cream cheese and coated with crispy toasted breadcrumbs make for the perfect combination texturally! And now these cheesy jalapeño poppers are my go-to whenever I’m making vegetarian appetizers. I just replace the egg with milk whenever I have to make it vegetarian (see recipe notes) and keep everything else the same. Plus these work out really great for parties as well, as it’s simple enough to prep them ahead of time, pretty easy to scale the recipe, and they are almost always a guaranteed crowd favorite! Smaller batches work great in the air fryer, as making these jalapeño poppers in air fryer takes less than half the time they take in the oven. But for bigger batches, it’s best to use the oven, to get bigger batches ready at the same time with minimal monitoring.Try them, if you haven’t already!
Ingredients for Jalapeno Poppers
Ingredient notes
How to Make Jalapeño Poppers
Start with fresh jalapeños. Take 5 mid sized jalapeños (each about 4 inches long).
If you want to make more or less quantity than what I have shared, simply use the slider in the recipe card below to adjust the quantities based on your preference.
Step by Step Recipe
Prep the Jalapeños
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 jalapeño, 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 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 give it a quick mix.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.Mix everything together, and set aside.
Note: 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.
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]
Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
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.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.
Important air fryer note
Baked Jalapeño Poppers
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.
Air Fryer Recipes to try next..
⭐️ Air Fryer Sabudana Vada⭐️ Air Fryer Idli Bites⭐️ Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken⭐️ Air Fryer Chicken Wings As always, I hope you found this recipe useful. If you did, please let me know your rating ⭐️ and feedback 📲 in the comments below, or simply rate the recipe right on the recipe card. I’d really appreciate it. ❤️
📖 RECIPE
If you’d like FREE recipes and meal prep ideas delivered directly to your email inbox every Friday in one short email, then subscribe to the Foodie Friday list HERE, and never run out of ideas on what to cook over the weekend or prep for the week ahead. 🙂
