Do you love Jalapeño Poppers? This is a more substantial dish than the appetizer version that you already know and love! It incorporates chicken to make it a meal. Let’s get to it!

Soft an 8 oz block of cream cheese on the counter ahead of time or place in a microwave safe bowl and heat for about 20 seconds to soften. Chop jalapeños and add to the softened block and mix together. If using pickled peppers add a few tablespoons of juice from the jar to get more flavor throughout the finished product.

 If you like a little more heat, swap the pickled jalapeño slices for fresh ones! They have more heat and will make your dish spicy.

Mix the chopped up jalapeños into the cream cheese mixture. It does not look that great at this step but trust me, it is delicious in the end.

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray and place chicken pieces in the dish. Add salt and pepper. Top chicken with the cream cheese mixture and spread across the chicken pieces to cover them completely.

Top the chicken and cream cheese mixture with shredded cheese and then more jalapeños on top. This is best with shredded sharp cheddar, but unfortunately I am allergic to the color additive in it, so I and using a white cheddar and mozzarella mixture here. It is a great combination for this dish. Highly recommend.

Once the dish is topped with more fresh jalapeño pieces, it is ready for the oven. I used 1 small fresh jalapeño pepper per chicken breast for this recipe. It had a bit of heat but was totally bearable and not really spicy. This is how I like it because my stomach does not always do so well with really intense spice. 

Bake at 425 for about 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken reads at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Top with crumbled bacon.

Here is my YouTube video for this recipe using pickled jalapeños instead of fresh ones.

Jalapeño Popper Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time 20-25 minutes

Total Time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, thawed

One 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened to room temperature

4 fresh jalapeños, chopped

1/2 cup shredded cheese: mozzarella and white cheddar mixed

6 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven the 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×13 in baking dish.
2. Place chicken in baking dish and top with salt and pepper.
3. Chop jalapeños and combine with softened cream cheese.
4. Top each piece of chicken with the cream cheese mixture to cover them.
5. Add shredded cheese on top of each piece of chicken.
6. Add a few sliced jalapeños on top of the cheese.
7. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
8. Crumble crispy, cooked bacon over the top of the dish.
9. Serve!

Love,

Kyle