Description
Jalapeño Popper Chicken is a creamy, spicy skillet dish featuring tender seared chicken breasts smothered in a flavorful sauce made with jalapeños, cream cheese, cheddar, and crispy bacon. Inspired by the classic jalapeño popper appetizer, this recipe combines bold flavors and comforting textures for a satisfying dinner that pairs well with rice, roasted vegetables, or garlic bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- 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 Seasoning
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce Base and Toppings
- 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
- 5 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped
- 3 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Cook Bacon: Cook the bacon slowly in a separate skillet over low heat until crispy on each side. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings to use later in the recipe if desired. Once cooked and cooled, roughly chop the bacon.
- Prepare Sauce Mixture: In a medium measuring cup or bowl with a spout, combine chicken broth, hot sauce, chicken bouillon cube, oregano, mustard powder, parsley, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- Slice and Pound Chicken: Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create 2-3 thinner pieces. Cover with saran wrap and use the textured side of a meat mallet to pound the chicken to approximately ½ inch thickness.
- Season Chicken: Season both sides of the chicken slices with salt, pepper, and paprika evenly.
- Sear Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes on each side, until a golden crust forms. Remove and set aside.
- Cook Jalapeños and Garlic: Turn off the heat and allow the pan to cool briefly. Add butter (or reserved bacon drippings), then turn the heat back to medium. Add diced jalapeños and minced garlic, cooking for about 3 minutes while stirring continuously.
- Add Flour: Sprinkle flour into the skillet and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes until the raw flour smell is gone and the mixture thickens slightly.
- Add Sauce Mixture: Slowly add the prepared sauce liquid in small splashes, stirring continually. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 1 minute.
- Incorporate Cream Cheese and Dairy: Stir in the cream cheese cubes and sour cream until melted and fully combined into the sauce. Then sprinkle in the shredded cheddar cheese, stirring until smooth and creamy.
- Return Chicken to Sauce: Place the seared chicken back into the skillet, spoon sauce over the chicken, and allow to heat through for 2-3 minutes on low heat.
- Garnish and Serve: Top the dish with the chopped bacon and sliced green onions. Serve alongside your choice of rice, black beans, coleslaw, roasted potatoes, garlic bread, tortilla chips, corn salad, or roasted vegetables.
Notes
- For milder heat, reduce the amount of jalapeños or remove all seeds before dicing.
- Using bacon drippings instead of butter adds extra smoky flavor to the sauce.
- Ensure chicken is pounded evenly for uniform cooking and tenderness.
- This recipe is great for meal prepping and reheats well.
- Substitute cream cheese with a dairy-free alternative to make it lactose-free if needed.
