Name: Air Fryer Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Pasta Shells
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 38 min
Ingredients: 1 pound shredded chipotle chicken ((or any chicken leftovers)); 1 pound pepper jack cheese; 1 box jumbo pasta shells (cooked)

Crunchy, spicy and cheesy snack that's sure to please a crowd! These chipotle chicken and cheese filled pasta shells are air fried until they're crispy and gooey.

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cheese oozing out of chipotle chicken stuffed pasta shells

Air Fryer Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Pasta is the perfect 3 ingredient game day appetizer that is easy to make, serves a crowd, and is full of flavor.

Table of Contents

This air fryer pasta recipe combines the best of both worlds – Mexican and Italian.

Once the air fryer pasta chips went viral on TikTok, we knew we could turn these up even more. After making Air Fryer Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells the options became endless.

Even though stuffed shells are an amazing appetizer idea, you could easily make these any night of the week because from start to finish, they are ready in less than 45 minutes. Believe it or not, these are also a really good freezer meal.

Serve alongside celery and carrots, with a ramekin of blue cheese dressing for an easy game day spread.

air fryer chicken stuffed pasta shells collage.

AIR FRYER CHIPOTLE CHICKEN STUFFED PASTA INGREDIENTS

You may have these three ingredients for this easy air fryer recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this delicious recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients. See recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.

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Pasta: Use the jumbo shells.
Cheese: We are using pepperjack, but you could also use cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, or a Mexican blend.
Meat: The boneless skinless chicken breast is marinated in our Chipotle Marinade, so good! You could also use chicken thighs as well or any leftover taco chicken, like our chipotle burrito chicken.
Dip: Make a sour cream dip, ranch dip or blue cheese dip.

ingredients needed to make stuffed chicken shells in the air fryer

air fried chipotle chicken stuffed shells in the air fryer basket, holding one with a set of tongs

MORE GAME DAY APPETIZERS

Try these chipotle chicken stuffed pasta shells with these other tasty game day appetizers:

Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip – goes great with bread, chips, and even apples
Pizza Dough Garlic Knots – Dip these in your marinara! YUM!
Carnitas Stuffed Pasta Shells – a new twist when you are tired of plain tacos

stuffed chicken shells on a wood round next to a white bowl filled with dip — Dip stuffed shells in the cilantro lime sour cream.

Essential

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES

Prepare your work surface and gather these kitchen tools and supplies before you begin this delicious, easy-to-make recipe so you don’t waste extra time trying to find things you need. Links are affiliate links and we may earn a commission if you purchase through the link.

air fryer: Our air fryer is actually an older model, but if we were to buy a new one we’d buy this Ninja air fryer with 2 baskets.
cutting board
sharp knife
utensils
bowls

a stack of three crispy chipotle chicken stuffed shells after being cooked in the air fryer

INSTRUCTIONS

Follow the full instructions and kitchen tips and quick tips for the best way to make this recipe. Don’t forget to check the prep time and cook time in the recipe card below before you begin.

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COOK PASTA: Fill a large pot with water and some salt, bring to a boil. Cook pasta shells according to the instructions on the package. The shells should be fully cooked, not al dente. Drain pasta and rinse with cool water.

KITCHEN TIP

Rinsing the pasta shells with cool water stops the cooking process. Be sure to separate them so they don’t stick together.

FILL PASTA: Cup each pasta shell in your hand, filled it with a tablespoon of leftover marinated shredded chipotle chicken or any leftover chicken. Add a stick of pepperjack (or the type of cheese you chose to use).

COVER PASTA: Cover the filled shell another piece of pasta, so it fits like a “lid”.

KITCHEN TIP

If you don’t have a block of cheese and would rather use shredded cheese you can. Just be sure the top shell still fits well around the bottom one.

PREP THE AIR FRYER: Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with non stick cooking spray.

ADD SHELLS: Place each chicken stuffed shell into the basket, making sure that there is space in between and they aren’t touching.

KITCHEN TIP

You can place parchment paper liners in the bottom of your basket which makes clean up easy and you don’t have to worry about anything sticking.

SPRAY SHELLS: Once you have all of the shells assembled and they are in the basket, spray the tops and sides you can see with non stick cooking spray. You could also use a brush to apply the olive oil if you don’t have the spray kind.

AIR FRY PASTA: Cook for 13 minutes at 400 degrees. No need to toss or turn the shells or shake the basket.

cooked chipotle chicken stuffed pasta shells in air fryer

MAKE CILANTRO SOUR CREAM: While you wait on the stuffed shells to cook, make a batch of our Cilantro Lime Sour Cream as a dipping sauce. Ranch may also be a good dipping option.

SERVE: Remove the shells from the basket and keep warm while you finish making the other batches.

KITCHEN TIP

Turn your oven on the lowest setting to keep the shells warm. Place them on a pan in a single layer so they don’t stick together and get soggy.

STORAGE TIPS

Storing your food properly is important to prevent spoiling or food poisoning.

Refrigerate: Store air fryer chipotle chicken stuffed pasta in an airtight container or ziploc bag and refrigerate or store on the counter for up to 3 days if you can’t eat it the next day.

Freeze: We do not recommend freezing the cooked taco pasta.

a stack of air fried chipotle chicken stuffed shells

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click the questions to see the answer.

Can you deep fry chipotle chicken stuffed shells instead of using the air fryer?

Yes! You can deep fry these instead of using the air fryer. Deep fry at 350°F for a few minutes until golden brown. Make sure you oil is clean and preheated prior to dropping the shells in.

Can you make air fryer stuffed pasta without cooking the pasta first?

Unfortunately, no. The shells should be fully cooked before adding them to the air fryer.

chipotle

5 from 5 votes

Air Fryer Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Pasta Shells

Author Andrea + Stef

Course Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine American, Italian, Mexican

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 13

Total Time 38

24 shells

Crunchy, spicy and cheesy snack that's sure to please a crowd! These chipotle chicken and cheese filled pasta shells are air fried until they're crispy and gooey.

Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

▢ 1 pound shredded chipotle chicken (or any chicken leftovers)
▢ 1 pound pepper jack cheese
▢ 1 box jumbo pasta shells cooked

Instructions

Boil pasta shells according to package instructions.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of shredded chipotle marinated chicken (or any leftover chicken) to a shell. Top with a stick of pepperjack cheese. Cover with another cooked pasta shell.
Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Put filled shells into air fryer so they aren't touching. Spray the top of pasta shells with cooking spray or brush with oil.
Air fry at 400°F for 13 minutes. Do not turn over while cooking
Remove from air fryer and serve with salsa, guacamole and sour cream.

Notes

This recipe works best with Crock Pot Chipotle Chicken.
Pasta shells will begin to stick together after you drain them. Rinse well with cold water and separate them before they become stuck together.

Nutrition

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Air Fryer Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Pasta

AIR FRYER CHIPOTLE CHICKEN STUFFED PASTA INGREDIENTS