These easy 30-minute Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken breasts are creamy, spicy, and so flavorful! Stuffed with cream cheese, bacon bits, jalapeños, and cheddar, this cheesy stuffed chicken is seared on the stovetop until perfectly golden before finishing off in the oven.
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Key Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: skin on would work fine, but you definitely want it to be boneless to make it possible to butterfly.
- Cream cheese: a key ingredient in jalapño poppers! The cream cheese mellows out the spicy peppers. Bring it to room temperature before using to make it easier to mic.
- Jalapeños: I finely dice the jalapeños after deseeding them. You can leave the seeds in for an extra kick, if you'd like.
- Cheddar Cheese: I like the extra cheesy flavor, but you could leave it out, if you'd like.
- Bacon: the crispy bacon bits add a delicious salty and smoky flavor to this stuffed chicken! You can leave it out, but it is so good!
- Cayenne: for a little extra kick, I season each chicken breast with cayenne pepper. You can leave this out for a milder flavor.
How to make Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken
- Cook the bacon bits in a skillet until crispy and fully cooked. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.
- Butterfly each chicken breast by slicing horizontally 90% of the way through. Be careful to not slice all the way through (don't stress if it isn't perfect or if you get a small hole).
3. Combine the filling ingredients, including the bacon, cream cheese, cheddar, jalapeños, and garlic powder.
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4. Stuff each chicken breast evenly with the cream cheese jalapeño filling. Be careful not to overstuff! You should be able to just about close each chicken breast completely. Season each chicken breast all over with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
5. Sear each chicken breast in an oven-safe skillet on the stovetop until lightly browned all over. Pop the skillet in the oven to finish cooking. The chicken is done when it is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear (don't be shy to use a meat thermometer!). Serve immediately.
Prep ahead tips
The cream cheese and jalapeño filling can be made up to the day before and stored in an airtight container. You can go ahead and butterfly and stuff the chicken at this point, if you'd like!
What to serve with Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken
- Roasted vegetables, such as roasted broccolini
- Grilled corn on the cob
- Roasted, mashed, or smashed potatoes
Expert Tips
- Since the chicken breasts have been butterflied open, they are not super thick, therefore they don't need too long to finish cooking in the oven!
- No need for toothpicks, it’s okay if it melts out a little, but you can use them if you want, just remember to remove them before eating.
- If your house is like mine, bacon bits always get nibbled on immediately, which is why I tend to cook off an extra strip or two. (A very important "expert" tip😉)
More chicken recipes to try
I hope you give this Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken with bacon a try! As soon as my husband tried it he told me it would be his new requested birthday dinner meal... I'd call that a winner and I hope you love it this much too!
📖 Recipe
Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 slices of bacon chopped
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 jalapenos seeded and finely diced
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne
- 2 tablespoon Avocado oil or other neutral oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat a medium skillet on medium heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
- Meanwhile, butterfly the chicken breast by slicing the breast lenthwise about 90% of the way, being careful to not cut all the way through.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, jalapenos, cheddar cheese, and garlic powder. Carefully and evenly scoop the filling into each chicken breast and fold the breasts over the filling to close them. Season each breast on the outside with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- Heat a large skillet (I like to use non-stick or cast iron) on medium high heat. Add the oil and then each chicken breast. Cook until golden brown all over, or about 3 minutes each side.. Transfer the chicken to the oven to finish cooking and reach an internal temperature of 165, about 5-10 more minutes.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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