Jalapeno Popper Chicken
ALL the good things are in this Jalapeno Popper Chicken! From the saucy, tender chicken to bacon, plenty of cheese, and a bit of a kick from the jalapeno, this tasty casserole is a family favorite and a 1-dish dinner!
Quickly cooking chicken breasts or thighs is the star of this easy dish, and y’all, let me tell you that this recipe is delish! It’s hot and bubbly, saucy, a tiny bit spicy, balcony, and oh-so-good! Plus, it’s the kind of dish you can assemble the night before and then just pop it in the oven when you get home.Â
If you love the flavor of jalapeno poppers, then you’ll LOVE this dish! I especially love that I can easily double or even triple this recipe to feed a crowd. It keeps hot nicely in the casserole dish, so it’s great for potlucks, family dinners, and everything in between.
Is Jalapeno Popper Chicken Spicy?
This easy chicken casserole isn’t that spicy. Sure, it’s got a few jalapenos in it, and it does have a bit of a kick, but most of the spice cooks out, and you’re left with a mild spice flavor that’s also tempered by the creamy sauce.
I suggest removing the seeds and inner membrane of the jalapenos before adding them to the dish. The seeds are tough to chew, and most of the heat is in the spice and inner ribs. If you remove that, jalapenos become much less spicy. However, if you would like to keep the spice of the jalapenos – leave the seeds in there… or discard just a portion for a more medium spice level.
If you’re worried about the spice level, taste a bit of the jalapeno. Not all jalapenos are spicy! I’ve gotten some from the store with hardly any heat at all.
If you want your chicken dish super spicy, add a serrano chili in addition to the jalapenos.
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- Cream cheese – At room temperature.
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Jalapeno peppers – Seeded and diced.
- Bacon – Cooked until crisp and crumbled.
- Cheddar cheese – Shredded.
- Green onions – Chopped. Optional but so tasty!
How To Make Jalapeno Popper Chicken
This dish is so easy to make. You just spread the sauce over the chicken and bake!
- Preheat your oven to 350-F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Lay the chicken into the casserole dish in a single layer. Season it with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of garlic powder.
- Stir the cream cheese, remaining garlic powder, and onion powder together in a bowl. Spread this mixture over the chicken.
- Top with half the chopped jalapenos and the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake until the chicken is done. Remove the foil and let the cheese brown a little.
- Sprinkle the top of the chicken with the crumbled bacon and chopped green onions. I like to add the reserved raw jalapenos to the top, too.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Substitutions
- You can use boneless and skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts.
- If you use bone-in chicken, you’ll need to adjust the cooking time to ensure the chicken is cooked through.
- Make sure your cream cheese is super-soft before trying to mix it. You can pop the cream cheese – minus the wrapper – into the microwave for 20 seconds to help it soften.
- If you don’t like spicy Jalapeno Popper Chicken, don’t add fresh jalapenos to the top of the dish when serving.
- You can prep this dish the night before. Just add another minute or two of cooking time if you’re taking it from the fridge to the oven.
- If your chicken breasts are super thick, you can butterfly them horizontally to ensure more even cooking.
- Turn the broiler on for the last minute or two to really get that cheese hot and bubbly.
- This makes enough for four hearty servings, so double it if you want leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
This is such a creamy, cheesy, delicious dish, so pair it with something to soak up all that yummy sauce. Plain noodles or rice are fine or lighten things up with this yummy Cauliflower Rice with Cilantro and Lime. Simple veg, like corn on the cob or green beans, will pair nicely with this dish.
Storage
Store any cooled leftover chicken popper casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I like packaging leftovers in lunch-sized portions to have a quick and tasty lunch the next day.
You can also freeze the leftovers. Package any cooled leftovers in freezer-safe plastic bags or containers and freeze for up to a month. Then, thaw and enjoy!
Jalapeno Popper Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- salt & pepper to taste
- 8 Oz cream cheese softened
- 1 Tsp garlic powder divided
- 1/2 Tsp onion powder
- 3 jalapeno peppers diced & seeds removed (or leave some if you want more heat)
- 6-8 slices cooked crispy bacon crumbled
- 1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese or more if you want it more cheesy
- chopped green onions optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer the chicken in a single layer in your baking dish. Season well with salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic powder.Â
- In another bowl, stir together the cream cheese, garlic powder, & onion powder. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the chicken.Â
- Top with the half the chopped jalapenos & shredded cheese.
- Cover with foil & bake for 35-40 minutes, until the chicken is done. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of cooking to brown the cheese a little.
- Sprinkle with the cooked bacon crumbles & chopped green onions. I like to sprinkle on a little extra chopped jalapeno too. I love the contrast of flavor between the cooked jalapeno & the fresh jalapeno.
