This Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese recipe brings some spice to the popular grilled cheese sandwich! This sandwich is fully cooked in 8 minutes to cheesy, spicy perfection, made in the air fryer, and perfect for a quick lunch!
If it isn’t obvious by now, I find grilled cheese to be my go to food for lunch. I have tried and loved so many grilled cheese recipes using my air fryer.
While my absolute favorite is very likely the pimento grilled cheese, this jalapeno popper grilled cheese is in the running for sure. And for good reason, they have similar characteristics and feel when you take a bite. So creamy, so cheesy, and begging to be made again and again.
I love how the cream cheese and cheddar come together for a super smooth cheesy center with the pop of the jalapeno in there! Just typing about this makes me want to go eat another!
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes:
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Bread- We used white sandwich bread. Use wheat or whatever variety of bread you prefer.
Cheese– You’ll need room temp cream cheese and some shredded cheddar. This combo is going to make for the creamiest grilled cheese!
Peppers– We use canned diced jalapenos. You only need a 1/4 cup for two sandwiches so you won’t need a giant can. We use tamed peppers to keep the heat at a mild level, but use what you like.
Other ingredients – Room temp butter, sour cream, and garlic powder are also used.
How to Make Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese in an Air Fryer:
- Butter the Bread – Spread softened butter on one side of each slice of bread.
- Prepare the Filling– Grab a small bowl and add in your cream cheese, sour cream, diced jalapenos, cheddar, and garlic powder. Stir this all together well until combined.
- Assemble the Sandwich– Arrange two slices of the bread butter down and top with the cheese mixture. Then put the remaining slices of bread on top with the butter side face up.
- Air Fry the Sandwich- Place your assembled sandwiches in the air fryer basket and air fry for 4 minutes at 360 degrees F. Flip them over and air fry for an additional 4 minutes.
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FAQ:
To soften cream cheese in the microwave, remove the cheese from it’s packaging and place it on a microwave safe plate. Microwave for 15-20 seconds or until the cheese is soft to the touch.
You have two easy options here. First, microwave it in 10 second intervals at low power flipping it every 10 seconds until it is soft. The other option is to place your butter on a plate and fill a cereal bowl with hot water. Let the water sit in the bowl for 1 minute and then dump out the water and put the bowl upside down over the butter. This will retain heat and evenly soften your butter in about 4 minutes.
Recipe Tips!
You can use mayonnaise instead of butter on the outside of a grilled cheese sandwich! I don’t usually recommend this because it is not traditional and it scares some people. The mayo makes for a nice crispy bread and you don’t have to wait for butter to soften.
Be sure your cream cheese is at room temperature, so that it mixes and melts properly. This takes about an hour for a full block and about 30 minutes for the amount in this recipe. You can cheat and pop it in the microwave for 15 or so seconds if you like!
The cheddar is best if you grate it yourself. It will melt better and blend better.
Finally, on the peppers, we used canned tamed jalapeno peppers for a more mild flavor. You can dice your own fresh ones for a bit more spice!
More Air Fryer Sandwich Recipes
Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 slices sandwich bread
- 2 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 3 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- ½ cup shredded cheddar
- ¼ cup diced jalapenos see notes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Spread the outside of each slice of bread with butter.
- Add the cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar, jalapenos, and garlic powder to a small bowl and stir well to combine.
- Arrange two slices of bread butter side down and top with the cheese mixture. Place the remaining slices of bread over the top, butter side up.
- Place the sandwiches in your air fryer basket and air fry at 360 degrees for 4 minutes. Flip the sandwiches over and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes or until bread is golden brown and toasted.
- Let set 1 minute before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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