Grab that fork and dive in to this delicious and easy jalapeno popper chicken. A delicious jalapeno cream cheese chicken that is baked in the oven. This cheesy jalapeno chicken is a crowd-pleaser!
Baked jalapeno chicken is a recipe I throw together on nights I just need a quick weeknight dinner. You just toss in the oven, and let it handle the rest. Consider trying my brisket stuffed jalapenos for another pepper recipe.
This is a keto jalapeno popper chicken, and you can use Greek yogurt or cream cheese as the base to the loaded chicken breast.
Why This Recipe Is A Hit
Family Friendly – This is a family friendly meal, that even my 5 year old loves to gobble down!
You Control How Mild Or Hot The Dish Is – You control the heat in this recipe. The jalapeno peppers can be deseeded to tame the spice down, or you can leave seeds to ramp up the spice factor.
Quick Prep – It takes about 5 minutes to throw together and get it cooking in the oven. Then after that, serve with your favorite sides and enjoy a satisfying chicken.
Any Cut of Chicken – I made this a boneless chicken recipe, but you can easily swap with some bone-in chicken like chicken thighs if you would like. Just adjust the cook time as needed.
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken – I used a chicken breast, but you can use any cut of chicken. Tenderloins would be another great option or even thighs.
- Greek Yogurt – Reach for plain yogurt, or swap with cream cheese. I have used both, and they taste great.
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Salt and Pepper
- Shredded Cheese – I enjoy using a sharp cheddar cheese or even a pepper jack cheese.
- Bacon – Just cook your bacon, let cool, then chop. This adds so much flavor to the chicken.
- Jalapenos – Now you can use fresh jalapenos, or even buy jarred jalapeño peppers. The thing about jarred is make sure to buy what heat you want, they have mild, medium heat, and hot.
How to Make
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and greased baking dish. Then you will place your chicken in the pan, in a single layer. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Step 2: In a small bowl you will add in your Greek yogurt, garlic powder, onion powder and mix well. Stir in the shredded cheese, bacon, and jalapenos that are diced.
Step 3: Pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken, and toss in the oven to bake.
Step 4: At the end of cooking you will swap the oven to broil, and brown up the top of the chicken jalapeno popper casserole.
I love jalapeno stuffed chicken. But to be honest, I don’t always have time to slice, stuff, and bake. This is a great alternative without all the prep.
A tasty dinner recipe with jalapenos that carries bold and creamy flavors in each bite.
More Jalapeno Recipes: Honey Jalapeno Cornbread, Deep Fried Deviled Eggs with Bacon, Jalapeno Popper Pasta.
Expert Tips and Variations
- You can use jarred jalapeños or fresh for the recipe.
- Wearing gloves when working with fresh peppers is suggested if your skin is sensitive. The oil from the peppers can burn your skin, or cause irritation.
- You are welcome to use sour cream, cream cheese or half mayonnaise and half sour cream to replace Greek yogurt if you want.
- Broiling at the end is optional. I do this as it gives the chicken a nice golden color.
Storage of Leftovers
Refrigerate – If you have leftovers store in a covered dish in the fridge for around 3 days. Anything after that I recommend throwing away.
Freezing – Do you want to freeze some popper chicken? Go right ahead and freeze in proper dish.
Then freeze for 3-4 months. Thaw in fridge overnight. Or warm up in the oven covered in aluminum foil, or microwave.
Grab my Free Meal Planner Printable. It is a great way to plan out your meals for the week, to simplify dinner!
FAQs
Grab a meat thermometer and check the internal temperature. The chicken needs to be 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If your chicken is not done, return to oven, and wait till it is 165 degrees.
Want to use a bone in chicken? Go right ahead. The only difference is you will need to adjust how long you cook the chicken depending on the the size of the chicken. It will be done at 165 degrees.
Chicken is best if you allow it to rest 5-10 minutes once you are done cooking. It will help to lock in the juices, ensuring that you do not have a dry chicken.
For this jalapeno popper chicken breast it took around 25-30 minutes in the oven. But, it all depends on how small or thick the chicken is.
Raw chicken can store for 1-2 days in the refrigerator. Then you will want to cook it up. For cooked chicken it can last around 3-4 days.
What To Serve With Jalapeno Popper Chicken
I served the jalapeno popper chicken casserole with green beans, but sometimes I like broccoli for a change. Here are some other ideas for you!
- Green Beans
- Dinner Rolls
- Salad
- Veggie Salad
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Rice or Cauliflower Rice
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 Chicken Breasts
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 3 slices Bacon cooked and chopped
- 2 Jalapenos chopped (deseeded if desired)
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Then grease the pan and set aside. I used an 8×8 pan.
- Now place your raw chicken in an even layer in your pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl add your Greek yogurt, garlic powder, onion powder remaining salt and pepper you didn’t use to season chicken with, and mix well.
- Once well mixed, add in the cooked diced bacon, shredded cheese, and diced jalapeno.
- Pour over the chicken, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Check the temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer. You want it to read 155 degrees.
- When it reaches 155, switch over to the broil mode, and allow it to finish cooking the chicken to 165 degrees. Watch it closely so you don’t burn the top.
- When the chicken is 165 degrees, remove and allow to sit for 10 minutes, then serve up the jalapeno popper chicken with your favorite sides.
Notes
Nutrition
did you make this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Lisa says
Good