Jalapeño Poppers are a classic appetizer that are wildly popular! These are wrapped in bacon and crisped to perfection in the Air Fryer.
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Don't have an Air Fryer? No worries, you can bake these in the oven instead (see tips for instructions).
The inspiration for these was my beautiful jalapeño peppers that I grew in my garden. Jalapeño peppers are super easy to grow and even just one plant will yield quite a few peppers! There's something to be said for cooking things with ingredients that you grew yourself, am I right!?
I take traditional jalapeño poppers and wrap them in bacon, then bake 'em till the bacon is crispy. I cannot tell you how much flavor the bacon gives the peppers and filling, SO good!
Perfect for your next game day, BBQ or get together, they are always a huge hit! You can serve them up with Ranch Dressing or a number of other dressings that you like. These are also great all on their own!
What's in Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
- Jalapeño peppers
- Cream cheese
- Uncured bacon
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Garlic powder
- Optional: Ranch Dressing for dipping
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Keto Jalapeño Poppers
Cut each jalapeño pepper in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and ribs. Try not to touch the seeds ribs too much and be sure to wash your hands before moving on!
Add the cream cheese, shredded cheddar and garlic powder to a bowl and mix until well combined.
Fill each jalapeño pepper half with the filling, I use a mini silicone spatula to make it easier.
Depending on the size of your peppers, take ½-3/4 of a slice of bacon and wrap it around each pepper. Start from the bottom so you can tuck in the ends.
Wrap them fairly tight and be sure you have plenty of bacon wrapped around and ending under the pepper. This will prevent the bacon from shrinking up and exposing the filling, which could ooze out.
Set them on a wire racks, I put 6 on each and bake @ 370F for 15 minutes. Increase the temperature to 400F and bake for another 3-4 minutes or until the bacon is crisp.
Serve while they are still warm, with optional ranch dressing to dip them in.
Leftover jalapeno poppers will keep perfectly in an air tight container in the fridge for several days.
Also be sure to try these Keto Sausage Balls, they make the perfect appetizer for your next party!
Are Jalapeno Poppers Keto?
Absolutely, between the bacon and cream cheese, they are loaded with healthy fats too! There's less than on carb per medium size jalapeno so they make an excellent Keto appetizer or side dish.
How to Check the Hotness of Jalapenos
If you're like some people, you want that perfect blend of heat but want to enjoy the flavor of the pepper also. So how can you pick out the perfect jalapenos at the store? There's is a fairly easy way to spot the best jalapenos just from looking at the skin.
As a jalapeno ages, it will begin to get white little lines running down the length of pepper.
This is an indication the pepper has been under stress. The more the stress has been under, due to frequently not being watered properly or just due to its age, the more white lines it will have and the hotter it will be.
You'll want to look for a smooth green skin on each pepper for that perfect balance of heat and pepper flavor.
Tips for the Best Keto Air Fryer Jalapeno Peppers
Preparing the Jalapeño Peppers
If you want the stems in tact (completely optional) on each half, start by cutting the stem down the center, and run your knife all the way down the middle of the pepper. Alternatively, you can cut the stem down or off, just be sure not to cut the end off the pepper itself, of your filling will ooze our all over your air fryer.
Gently run your knife around the ribs to remove them, along with the seeds and discard them. Any ribs you cannot get with your knife, you can use a spoon to scrape out. Just be careful not to tear through the pepper.
Anytime you are working with jalapeño peppers or any hot pepper, always wash your hands and the knife as soon as you are done. The last thing you want is to rub your eye with jalapeño juice on your hands!
The Filling for Stuffed Jalapenos
I used full fat cream cheese, shredded cheddar and garlic powder in the filling. On Keto, you always want to use full fat cheese, cream and cream cheese as these are healthy fats and make up a portion of our macros.
You can substitute the cheddar cheese with any other cheese that melts well, like Colby or Monterey Jack, or even a mix of them. Many stores sell a Mexican cheddar mix, you can use that if you like.
For the bacon, be sure to use a regular/thin slice for these. I also try to buy uncured bacon, with no nitrates/nitrites and preferably no or very low sugar. Always read the labels, you'd be surprised what is on some bacon packaging!
What is the Best Air Fryer?
I used my Power Air Fryer Oven (with the racks) to make mine, but you can use any air fryer you have. What I love about the Air Fryer Oven is that you never have to flip anything you bake, because the air circulates around everything perfectly!
It has 3 racks that will fit a good amount of food on them! But it also comes with skewers, fry basket (great for nuts) and a rotisserie rack that rotates!
I also use these silicone mitts for removing the racks while they're hot. They're nice and slim, so you can easily fit your hand in there to retrieve the racks. I absolutely love them!
If you have another type of air fryer, you can certainly use what you have. Just be sure to follow the instructions per the manufacturer and the cooking temp/time should be the same.
Can I Make Keto Jalapeno Poppers in the Oven Instead?
Definitely! But I recommending baking them on a baking sheet that has a wire rack. This will help allow air to circulate around so the bacon can crisp up. Bake them in a preheat 400F oven, for about 22-25 minutes or until the bacon is crisp.
Sauces for Serving with Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
You can serve these with many different dipping sauces that you like including:
The jalapeño poppers will go nicely with just about any dressing you choose. If you have no dressing on hand, or the ingredients to make it, no worries, these are actually just fine all on their own. Or you can serve with a dollop of sour cream on the side.
If I have some on hand, I like to garnish with some fresh chopped cilantro. If you don't have any, don't go out of your way to get some, really.
How do I Reheat Jalapeno Peppers
When you get ready to reheat them, you can put them back into the Air Fryer or on a baking sheet in the oven and gently reheat them for several minutes @350F.
More Keto Jalapeño Pepper Recipes
- Jalapeño Popper Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese
- Jalapeño Popper Egg Salad
- Jalapeño Popper Chicken Soup
- Cheddar Jalapeño "Cornbread"
- Jalapeño Popper Chicken Dip
- Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Popper Chicken
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Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
INGREDIENTS
- 6 jalapeño peppers
- 4 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
- 12 slices of uncured bacon, not thick cut
- ⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Optional: Ranch Dressing for dipping
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut each jalapeño pepper in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and ribs. Be sure to wash your hands before moving on!
- Add the cream cheese, shredded cheddar and garlic powder to a bowl and mix until well combined.
- Fill each jalapeño pepper half with the filling, I use a mini silicone spatula to make it easier.
- Depending on the size of your peppers, take ½-3/4 of a slice of bacon and wrap it around each pepper. Start from the bottom so you can tuck in the ends. Wrap them fairly tight and be sure you have plenty of bacon wrapped around and ending under the pepper. This will prevent the bacon from shrinking up and exposing the filling, which could ooze out.
- Set them on a wire racks of your air fryer, I put 6 on each and bake @ 370F for 15 minutes. Increase the temperature to 400F and bake for another 3-4 minutes or until the bacon is crisp.
- Serve while they are still warm, with optional ranch dressing to dip them in.
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*Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol- Swerve/Erythritol, Allulose, or Monk Fruit.
NOTE: Recipes using Swerve/Erythritol can be substituted 1:1 with a Monk fruit/Allulose blend.
Winniebear
I have a new Instant Pot Vortex Plus and air frying 370F/13min was perfect! They crisped up and there was no need to add more time at a higher temp. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Everyone loved these, especially with ranch dressing for dipping.
Keto Cooking Christian
YAY! I am so happy you guys enjoyed them. They are my favorite appetizer for sure.
Candace
Hi, is it 125 cal per jalapeño?
Keto Cooking Christian
Yes, the serving size is two halves or one whole jalapeno.
Shelley H
Hello, i have a 1.6 gt air fryer. The temp only goes up to 200c, what would i have to put the temp at, how many at once and how long would i have to cook them for ?
Thanks,
Shelley
Keto Cooking Christian
It should be around 187c, according to the conversion charts and you'd follow the rest of the recipe as noted.
melissa
Thanks for the recipe. I love these spicy poppers. I used to make them in the oven. But now I have an air fryer. I would like to know the nutritional differences of oven vs. air fryer for these poppers. Can you share? Thanks!
Keto Cooking Christian
It would be the same, unless you add any extra ingredients.