Air Fryer Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers

Air Fryer Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers have bacon, green onion, and cheddar cheese mixed in with the cream cheese to make a rich and creamy filling for mini peppers.

One of the reasons I love making these cheese stuffed mini appetizers for parties is that they’re so easy to make. I mix up extra filling and keep it in a bowl in the refrigerator so I can easily fill more peppers, if necessary.

Why You’ll Love It

• Make these for a party or for appetizers anytime. They make great snacks for a game night or when you’re having friends over, because they can easily be picked up to eat.
• Using the air fryer to make these appetizers is definitely the way to go, because it takes less time than in the oven and you can keep making fresh batches so they’re always hot when eaten.

grace says: I made these for movie night at my friends house. Everyone wanted the recipe!

ron says: These have the perfect combination of flavors. They make me think of healthier nachos.

Ingredients You’ll Need

These mini pepper cream cheese appetizers are easy to make, with just a few simple ingredients.

• Mini peppers – The peppers we use for this are mini sweet peppers, with no heat to them. You will want to remove the seeds and ribs, but that’s not due to heat, like with jalapenos. If you prefer more heat, you’ll want to use jalapenos instead – then you can vary the heat based on how many seeds and ribs you leave in.
• Cream cheese – It’s best to use a full fat cream cheese. Philadelphia cream cheese is great. You can even use a variation, like garlic and herb or garden vegetable.
• Cheddar cheese – Shredded cheese helps bind together the cream cheese filling so it doesn’t just pour right out of the peppers. You can use yellow or white cheddar, or Monterey Jack or Mozzarella.
• Bacon – Just 2 slices is all that’s needed. Cook it to well done so it’s easy to crumble.
• Green onion – You could also use chives. I don’t like to use raw white onion because the flavor is overwhelming to the filling.
• Seasonings – Dried oregano, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper

Helpful Tips

• You can store the cream cheese mixture in the refrigerator for a day or two, in case you’re prepping ahead for something.
• Fill the peppers just below the edge, don’t overfill. The excess will end up bubbling over into the air fryer basket.
• The pepper is still a little bit crunchy and it holds up well when you pick up a pepper after 6-8 minutes. If you want the peppers to be completely cooked through, you can continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes.

How to Make Air Fryer Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers

Step 1: Prep the peppers

Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and ribs. I like to leave the green stem on the peppers, but it’s just for show. You can remove the stem if you want.

Step 2: Mix up the filling

In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, crumbled bacon and green onions. Stir it all together until it’s well combined.

You can store the cream cheese mixture for up to a day before using it, in case you’re prepping ahead for something.

Step 3: Fill the peppers

Fill each pepper half with the cream cheese filling. I like to put in enough just to the top of the pepper, but don’t overfill. The excess will end up bubbling over into the air fryer basket.

Step 4: Air fry

Place the peppers spaced out in the air fryer basket. Cook at 400°F(205°C) for 6-8 minutes, until lightly browned on top.

At this point, the pepper is still a little bit crunchy and it holds up well when you pick up a pepper. If you want the peppers to be completely cooked through, you can continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes. But they will be hard to pick up.

Questions About the Recipe

More Air Fryer Appetizers To Try:

• Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
• Crispy Air Fryer Potato Skins
• Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Tater Tots

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