These easy Air Fryer Armadillo Eggs are such a fun and delicious low-carb appetizer! Jalapeno peppers are stuffed with a cream cheese mixture, covered in seasoned sausage meat, and wrapped in bacon. Then, they are cooked to crispy perfection in your air fryer. These are sure to be a hit at your next party or gathering!
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Looking for more easy appetizer recipes? Check out my Cold Spinach Dip, Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms, Gluten-Free Taco Dip, and my Smoked Queso Dip.
A Hearty Appetizer
This bacon-wrapped appetizer was inspired by my Smoked Jalapeno Poppers, also wrapped in crispy bacon.
I'm a big fan of jalapeño peppers, and I love finding new ways to cook them. I had a surplus of jalapeños in my greenhouse this year, so I've been trying out new recipes.
The air fryer version comes together faster than the smoked version - no need to manage a smoker for hours, and the bacon still gets fully crisp on all sides in the basket.
Love this recipe? Try my Smoked Shotgun Shells recipe next!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.
- Versatile - serve as a spicy appetizer, a main course, or a side dish.
- Can be made ahead and reheated later.
- Comes together with simple, easy-to-find ingredients and cooks fast in the air fryer.
- Low-carb, and easily made keto by swapping in a sugar substitute for the brown sugar.
- A crowd-pleaser for parties - this is the appetizer that disappears first when I have people over.
"Absolutely fantastic and delicious recipe! I didn't change a thing other than cooking them for 15 minutes longer because I like my bacon crispy and they came out perfect. Thank you!"
- EvaJ
What are armadillo eggs?
Armadillo eggs are a delicious appetizer that likely originated in Texas. Spicy jalapenos are stuffed with a cheese mixture, covered in sausage meat, and wrapped in bacon.
When the armadillo eggs are cut in half, they resemble an egg. The cheesy center resembles the yolk, and the bacon resembles the armadillo's tough outer shell.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Jalapeño peppers. I used medium to large size jalapeno peppers.
- Cream cheese. I used full-fat cream cheese, but you can use reduced-fat cream cheese if you'd rather.
- Cheddar cheese. I used white cheddar cheese, but you can use any kind of cheese that you'd like. Pepper jack works well in place of white cheddar if you want the heat built into the filling itself instead of relying on the jalapeño alone. Swap it 1:1 with the cheddar in the cream cheese mixture - the melt consistency is nearly identical, so it won't change how the filling holds together when you stuff the peppers.
- Pork rub seasoning. This homemade pork rub contains brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, dry mustard powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Pork sausage. I used uncooked sausage. Any ground sausage will work, including Italian sausage or breakfast sausage.
- Bacon slices. I used regular-cut slices of bacon. Thick-cut bacon would also work, but it might take longer to cook.
- Red pepper flakes. This adds a little extra heat to this dish.
- Barbecue sauce, optional. This adds another layer of flavor.
See the printable recipe card for quantities.
How to make Air Fryer Armadillo Eggs
First, prepare homemade sweet BBQ rub. Mix brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, dry mustard powder, kosher salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl. You will have 2 tablespoons of rub.
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the bbq rub. Mix well.
In another bowl, mix together the sausage meat and the remaining 1 tablespoon of sweet rub.
Divide meat into 6 balls. Form each ball into a patty.
Next, put on gloves. Slice jalapeno peppers in half, and remove the seeds and inner membrane.
Stuff the jalapeno pepper to the top with cheese mixture. Press the filling in with the back of the spoon.
Put two jalapeno halves together. Wrap a sausage patty around each stuffed jalapeno. Form it into an egg shape.
Next, wrap a slice of bacon around the outside of the meat and secure it with toothpicks if needed.
Add another strip of bacon so that the entire egg is completely covered in bacon.
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Place the armadillo eggs into the preheated basket of an air fryer in a single layer.
Air fry for 25 minutes, flipping over at the halfway mark.
The armadillo eggs are cooked when the bacon is crispy on the outside. Also, the internal temperature of the sausage needs to be 160 degrees F when measured with a digital meat thermometer. If they are not quite done, air fry for another 2-3 minutes.
Brush with BBQ sauce if desired, and air fry for 1 minute more. Serve immediately.
Variations
- Spicy: For extra spicy armadillo eggs, take the seeds and add them to the cheese mixture. You could also add chili powder or cayenne pepper to the cheese mixture.
- Deluxe: Serve bacon-wrapped jalapenos with sour cream.
Storage
These armadillo eggs are best eaten immediately after cooking.
However, if you have leftovers, place them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the air fryer until warm and crisp.
To freeze, place on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze them for about 2 hours. Once frozen, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, transfer them to a plastic bag or container, and place them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight.
Jeri's Top tips
- Thick-cut bacon will take longer to cook than regular bacon.
- Make sure there is space between the armadillo eggs in the air fryer basket.
- If you want extra heat, add some of the jalapeno seeds to the cream cheese mixture.
- The total cook time will depend on the size of your armadillo eggs. Larger eggs will take longer to cook than smaller eggs.
Troubleshooting
- Bacon isn't crisping up. This usually means the eggs are too close together in the basket - bacon needs airflow on all sides to crisp instead of steam. Leave real space between each one, even if it means cooking in two batches.
- Sausage is undercooked in the center but bacon looks done. Pull one and check with a digital meat thermometer - 160°F internal is the actual finish line, not visual bacon color. If you're consistently hitting this, your eggs may be larger than a standard batch; add 2-3 minutes and retest rather than guessing.
- Cheese is leaking out. This happens if the jalapeño isn't packed tight enough before wrapping - press the cream cheese mixture in firmly with the back of the spoon so it holds together under the sausage layer.
FAQs
The dish is called an armadillo egg because it resembles an armadillo's egg.
Armadillo eggs are made with jalapeno peppers, cream cheese filling, sausage, and bacon.
Yes, you can freeze armadillo eggs. Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze them for about 2 hours. Once frozen, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, transfer them to a plastic bag or container, and place them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
There are about 345 kcal in one armadillo egg.
400°F. That's hot enough to render the bacon crispy without drying out the sausage before the center cooks through.
25 minutes total, flipped once at the halfway point. Add 2-3 more minutes if the bacon isn't fully crisp yet - check with a meat thermometer rather than going by time alone, since larger eggs take longer.
What to eat with armadillo eggs?
Some of my favorite dishes to eat with these armadillo eggs are Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Smoked Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, Air Fryer Squash, Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms, and Air Fryer Zucchini Rounds.
I also like to serve them with Instant Pot Rice, Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower, and a green salad.
Printable Recipe
Easy Air Fryer Armadillo Eggs
Ingredients
- 6 jalapeno peppers
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 tablespoons sweet pork rub seasoning divided
- 1 pound pork sausage
- 16 bacon slices regular cut
- red pepper flakes optional
- barbecue sauce optional
Sweet Pork Rub Ingredients
- 1⅓ teaspoon brown sugar
- ⅔ teaspoon paprika
- ⅓ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅓ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅓ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ⅓ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare homemade sweet bbq rub. Mix brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, dry mustard powder, kosher salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl. You will have 2 tablespoon of rub.
- Slice jalapeno peppers in half, remove the seeds and inner membrane.
- Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and 1 tablespoon of bbq rub. Mix. Stuff jalapeno to the top. Press filling in with the back of a spoon.
- Mix together sausage and 1 tablespoon of sweet rub. Divide meat into 6 balls. Form each ball into a patty. Wrap the patty around each stuffed jalapeno. Form it into an egg shape.
- Wrap two slices of bacon around the outside of the meat and secure with toothpicks if needed.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400℉
- Air fry for 25 minutes, flipping over halfway. The internal temp of the sausage needs to be 160℉.
- Brush with BBQ sauce if desired and air fry for 1 more minute. Serve immediately.
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Notes
- Thick-cut bacon will take longer to cook than regular bacon.
- Make sure there is space between the armadillo eggs in the air fryer basket.
- If you want extra heat, add some of the jalapeno seeds to the cream cheese mixture.
- The total cook time will depend on the size of your armadillo eggs. Larger eggs will take longer to cook than smaller eggs.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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EvaJ says
Absolutely fantastic and delicious recipe! I didn’t change a thing other than cooking them for 15 minutes longer because I like my bacon crispy and they came out perfect. Thank you!
Jeri Walker says
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you loved them! Thanks for trying the recipe and taking the time to come back and leave a review! 🙂