Description
A creamy and spicy Jalapeño Popper Chicken recipe featuring tender chicken breasts smothered in a rich jalapeño cheese sauce topped with crispy bacon and green onions. Perfect for a flavorful dinner served with your favorite sides.
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
- 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 jalapenos, 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
- Cook bacon: Cook the bacon low and slow in a separate skillet until crispy on each side. Reserve 2 tablespoons of drippings to use instead of butter if desired. Once cooled, roughly chop the bacon strips.
- Prepare sauce mixture: Combine chicken broth, hot sauce, chicken bouillon cube, oregano, mustard powder, parsley, onion powder, and garlic powder in a medium measuring cup with a spout. Set aside.
- Prepare chicken breasts: Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create 2-3 thinner slices. Cover with plastic wrap and use the textured side of a meat mallet to pound to ½ inch thick. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Sear chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken slices in batches for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden crust forms. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Cook jalapeños and garlic: Turn off heat and let the pan cool slightly. Add butter or reserved bacon drippings and set heat to medium. Add diced jalapeños and minced garlic; cook for 3 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Make roux: Sprinkle flour over jalapeño mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until raw flour smell dissipates.
- Add sauce: Gradually add the prepared sauce mixture in small splashes while stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 1 minute.
- Add cream cheese and sour cream: Stir in cream cheese cubes and sour cream until melted and fully combined.
- Add cheddar cheese: Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese into sauce, stirring continuously until cheese melts.
- Combine chicken and sauce: Return chicken to skillet and spoon sauce over the top. Heat through for 2-3 minutes.
- Add toppings and serve: Garnish with chopped bacon and sliced green onions. Serve with suggested sides like rice, black beans, coleslaw, roasted potatoes, or garlic bread.
Notes
- Use freshly shredded cheese from a block for the best melt and flavor; Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow Cheese is recommended. Cheddar Jack, Pepper Jack, or Monterey Jack are good substitutes.
- To reduce spice, remove the entire white membrane from jalapeños along with the seeds as that's where most of the heat is concentrated.
- Serving suggestions include corn salad, rice, black beans, coleslaw, tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa, roasted potatoes, potato wedges, roasted vegetables, and garlic bread.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat slowly to prevent sauce from breaking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
