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Cheesy, spicy, and wrapped in bacon, this Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken has everything you love about jalapeno poppers stuffed inside a juicy chicken breast!
Check out my other stuffed chicken recipes like Spinach Stuffed Chicken and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Cheesy and Spicy – Stuffed with cream cheese, cheddar, and jalapenos, this recipe is perfect for jalapeno popper lovers.
- Easy To Make – Only about 10 minutes of prep time and then everything goes into the oven.
- A Fun Twist on Baked Chicken – Take your everyday chicken dinner and kick it up a few notches! This Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken is creamy and cheesy and perfectly wrapped in crispy bacon.
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – Small, about 6 ounces each, and similar sized for even cooking.
- Seasonings – Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder.
- Canola Oil
- Fresh Jalapenos – You can remove the membranes and seeds to reduce the amount of spice (or keep it in to make it extra spicy!)
- Green Onions
- Garlic Cloves – Minced.
- Cream Cheese – Softened.
- Smoked Cheddar Cheese – You can also use Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, or cheddar cheese.
- Bacon – Regular or thin cut (not thick cut). I like to use center-cut bacon for this recipe.
How To Make Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
With a very sharp knife, slice a pocket horizontally into the middle of each chicken breast, being careful to not go through.
Saute the jalapenos, green onion, and garlic over medium heat.
Mix the sauteed jalapenos, onion, and garlic with cream cheese and cheddar.
Fill the pocket of each chicken breast with ¼ of the cheese mixture.
Wrap the chicken breasts with 2-3 pieces of bacon.
Put the chicken on a foil or parchment paper lined sheet pan. Bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Let rest for 5 minutes and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken goes well with starchy sides like Seasoned Rice, Boiled Baby Potatoes, or Sweet Potato Wedges.
Round out the meal with veggies like Frozen Vegetables, Grilled Zucchini, or Air Fryer Broccoli.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave or air fryer.
Expert Tips
- Bacon – Make sure to use the regular or thin cut bacon and not the thick cut. If the bacon is thick cut, it will not cook thoroughly and will be rubbery. I like to use center cut bacon for wrapping because there is less fat.
- Extra Spicy – If you want it more spicy, you can leave the seeds and membrane in the jalapeno.
- Cheese – You could substitute the smoked cheddar with shredded monterey jack, pepper jack, or cheddar cheese.
- Chicken Breasts – Make sure your chicken pieces are evenly sized. If you need to even them out you can put the pieces in a plastic bag and lightly pound them out until they are a more even thickness. You don’t want to pound them too much, otherwise it breaks down the muscle fibers, making it hard to stuff them.
Chicken Recipes to Try Next
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Black Pepper Chicken
- Easy Baked BBQ Chicken
- Cheesy Baked Buffalo Chicken
- Apricot Chicken
- Spicy Chicken Pasta
Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, trimmed about 6 ounces each
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 medium jalapenos seeded and diced
- 3 green onions chopped fine
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces smoked cheddar cheese shredded
- 12 slices regular or thin cut bacon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper.
- With a very sharp knife, slice a pocket horizontally into the middle of each chicken breast, being careful to not go through. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside.
- Heat a small pan over medium heat. Add the oil and saute the jalapenos and green onion for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Place in a medium bowl with the cream cheese and smoked cheddar and mix until well combined.
- Fill the pocket of each chicken breast with ¼ of the cheese mixture. Making sure you can fully close the chicken back up.
- Use 2-3 pieces of bacon to lightly wrap each chicken breast completely. Make sure to tuck in the ends of the bacon so they won’t burn, and don’t wrap too tightly or the filling will be squeezed out by the bacon as it tightens while it cooks..
- Place on the prepared baking sheet, put in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the thickest part of the chicken breast registers 165℉ on a thermometer. If the bacon isn’t as crispy as you’d like it, you can pop them under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
