Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

If you like jalapenos and cream cheese, you are going to love these jalapeno popper stuffed chicken breasts. They are actually pretty simple to make and taste amazing with their slightly spicy creamy filling.

Make chicken breasts even better by stuffing them with a mixture of seasoned cream cheese and pickled jalapenos. They turn out juicy and full of flavor every time.

My Aunt Jenny is the one who got us started stuffing chicken breasts. Her spinach and feta stuffed chicken recipe became an instant favorite that we still make regularly.

As much as we love that recipe, it was way past time we switched up the filling. That is the wonderful thing about finding great recipes. You can make little tweaks to keep them fun and interesting.

Because the filling has cream cheese to hold it together, my brain naturally went to jalapenos. During the summer, we eat some sort of jalapeno poppers almost every week.

We have enjoyed jalapenos stuffed with buffalo chicken dip. Shrimp and bacon jalapeno poppers are a favorite, and so are cream cheese and sausage jalapenos.

All of that to say, it was about time we put some jalapenos and cream cheese in chicken breasts. The combination is every bit as good as it sounds.

Easy Substitutions and Alterations

Using pickled jalapenos keeps the prep to a minimum, and the spice level is consistent (and usually not too hot). However, you can use diced fresh jalapenos if you would like.

We like adding some cheddar cheese to our poppers and it would be great in this filling too. Just add a small handful of shredded cheese to the mix if you want.

The bacon is technically optional but encouraged. It adds a nice smokiness to the mix.

Equipment Notes

A decent knife and a large skillet that can go from the stove to the oven are the only special equipment you need.  There are several different types of skillets that can perform this function.

Cast iron, stainless steel, or most skillets that have a metal handle rather than a plastic one will do.  You’ll want the pan to be oven safe to 450°F.

If you aren’t sure, you can always look up your specific pan on the internet to see how high it is oven safe to. In a pinch, you can always transfer the chicken breasts from a skillet to a baking dish, but it is much easier to no have to do that!

Otherwise, just invest in a big cast iron skillet.  They don’t cost too much, and you can use it for so many things, from frying to baking and even on the grill.

How do you stuff a chicken breast?

We like to start with large chicken breasts. It gives you plenty of room to make a slit and add tasty fillings.

Place them on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut a horizontal slit through the thickest part of the breast. You want to cut it most of the way through, but not through the whole thing.

Then, put a couple of Tablespoons of the stuffing mixture in the center of each chicken breast. It’s super simple and only takes a few minutes once you get started.

For more dinner ideas, check out my full collection of chicken recipes.