My friends, air fryer bacon wrapped dates hit all your favorite snack-y notes. In one bite you’ll experience: crispy and salty from the bacon, sweet and sticky from the dates, gooey cheesy goodness, and a tangy bite from a slice of pickled jalapeno hidden inside. Want more? How about the convenience of air fryer cooking?
Which type of date is the best for stuffing?
There are two types of dates commonly sold in the US: the noor deglet and the medjool.
Noor deglet dates are smaller, lighter in color and popular for baking. They have a honey like taste and a drier texture which makes them less messy to cut and perfect for a date nut bread.
Medjools are deep golden brown and oblong with crinkly skin. When you sink your teeth in a caramel like medjool date, it’s like taking a bite from Mother Nature’s candy bar.
The size of the medjool makes it popular for stuffing. It’s also widely available. Look in the fresh produce section of your grocery store.
If possible, buy whole dates and remove the pits yourself. Just cut a small slit and pull out the oblong pit.
About the cheese
If you don’t have any Parmigiano-Reggiano available, use any hard cheese on hand. You’ll want something strong flavored to stand up to the dates and the bacon.
Manchego or a very sharp, aged Cheddar are good substitutions.
Is it safe to cook bacon in the air fryer?
Yes, it’s safe but…just like cooking bacon in the oven, you’ll want to be mindful of the temperature and keep an eye on things to make sure the bacon and its drippings don’t burn.
I haven’t had any difficulty cooking bacon in my Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fryer Oven when I use the tray to catch the drippings. On the other hand I haven’t tried to cook an entire pound of bacon, either. Another style of air fryer would present a different challenge
And…it does make a mess. Plus, you can’t cook as much bacon as you can in a conventional oven. The air fryer will need a thorough cleaning before using it again to avoid smoking or flavor crossover.
My Ninja Foodi makes cleaning simple with a removable crumb tray and a flip down back panel to easily reach all the places grease likes to collect. For a small amount of bacon or other fatty food it’s not a problem. Otherwise I choose another method of cooking in order to avoid the clean up.
Long story short: it’s safe to cook bacon in the air fryer as long as you don’t overcrowd the basket and you mind the temperature and time. You’ll have to decide if the clean up is worth the convenience of using the appliance.
I’m having a blast making air fryer tapas. Look for more recipes coming soon.
Equipment
- round wooden toothpicks or short skewers
Ingredients
- 16 pitted medjool dates
- 8 slices thick cut bacon (1/2 piece per date)
- 16 pickled jalpeno slices
- 4 ounces parmigiano reggiano cheese (or similar) broken into bite sized chunks
Instructions
- Cover the toothpicks with water and let soak for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Pit the dates, then stuff each with a piece of parmesan cheese and a jalapeno pickle slice. Cut the filling to fit as necessary. Close the date around the filling with a gentle squeeze.
- Wrap a half slice of bacon around each date. Secure with a toothpick.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F/200°C on the air fry setting.
- Arrange the dates in the basket or tray that comes with your air fryer and cook for 10 minutes or until the bacon is cooked to your satisfaction. Turn the dates halfway through the cooking time.
- Allow to rest for 5 – 10 minutes after removing from the oven to avoid mouth burns.
Notes
Nutrition
Bacon wrapped dates are sure to be a hit at your house, too!
More crowd pleasing appetizers featuring bacon:
Cool dish! Anything with a jalapeno slice gets my attention. Don’t have an air fryer, but I have a convection oven (which basically is like a big air fryer) so I’ll bet I can adapt this recipe. Thanks!
I’m sure you will be able to adapt it without problem. Thanks for dropping by!