Description
Jalapeño Popper Chicken is a flavorful and creamy dish featuring seared chicken breasts smothered in a spicy jalapeño cheese sauce, topped with crispy bacon and green onions. This comforting recipe combines bold spices with rich cream cheese, sour cream, and cheddar for an indulgent twist on a classic favorite, perfect for a satisfying dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ chicken bouillon cube
- ¾ teaspoon oregano
- ¾ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¾ teaspoon parsley
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Chicken and Other Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter or bacon drippings
- 3-4 jalapeños, seeded and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Toppings
- 5 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped
- 3 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Prepare bacon: Cook bacon low and slow in a separate skillet until crispy on each side. Reserve 2 tablespoons of drippings to use instead of butter in the recipe if desired. Once cooled, roughly chop the bacon and set aside.
- Make the sauce mixture: In a medium measuring cup with a spout, combine chicken broth, hot sauce, chicken bouillon cube, oregano, mustard powder, parsley, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- Prepare chicken: Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create 2-3 thinner pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound to about ½ inch thickness.
- Season chicken: Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika evenly.
- Sear chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken pieces in batches for 4-5 minutes per side until a golden crust develops. Remove and set aside.
- Cook jalapeños and garlic: Turn off the heat and let the pan cool slightly. Add butter or reserved bacon drippings and set heat to medium. Add diced jalapeños and minced garlic, cooking and stirring continuously for 3 minutes.
- Add flour: Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until the raw flour smell dissipates, stirring constantly.
- Add sauce mixture: Gradually pour the sauce mixture in small splashes while stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 1 minute.
- Incorporate cream cheese and sour cream: Stir in cream cheese cubes and sour cream until melted and fully combined into a smooth sauce.
- Add cheddar cheese: Sprinkle in shredded cheddar cheese while stirring continuously until melted and well blended.
- Reheat chicken: Return chicken to the skillet and spoon sauce over the pieces. Let heat through for 2-3 minutes to meld flavors.
- Add toppings and serve: Top the chicken with chopped bacon and sliced green onions. Serve with rice, black beans, coleslaw, roasted potatoes, garlic bread, tortilla chips, corn salad, or roasted vegetables as desired.
Notes
- Use shredded cheese from a block for better melting and flavor. Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow Cheese is recommended. Cheddar Jack, Pepper Jack, or Monterey Jack are great alternatives.
- To reduce spice, completely remove the white membrane and seeds from jalapeños, as this is where much of the heat resides.
- This dish pairs well with corn salad, rice, black beans, coleslaw, tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa, roasted potatoes, potato wedges, roasted vegetables, or garlic bread.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gradually to prevent sauce separation.
- Nutritional information is an estimate per serving. The recipe yields 4 servings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
