Name: Jalapeño Popper Chicken | Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 8 oz cream cheese, softened; 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese; 4 jalapeños; 4 pieces of bacon

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe· 5 from 1 review

Jalapeño Popper Chicken is a delicious keto-friendly and low carb dinner recipe. Chicken is layered with cream cheese, diced jalapeños, cheese, and bacon to make this easy weeknight recipe!

white oval casserole dish with jalapeño popper chicken

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I’ve been experimenting with low carb recipes lately and this Jalapeño Popper Chicken was an instant winner. Inspired by my favorite jalapeño poppers and jalapeño popper eggroll recipes, it has all the same flavor in a hearty, filling meal.

Why I love this recipe

I love how much flavor you can get in this dish without a ton of ingredients. It is filling without carbs and reheats great for leftovers.

Best of all, it’s easy to prep so it’s perfect for those busy weeknights!

Eating low carb? Be sure to also try our Homemade Pimento Cheese, Baked Avocado & Eggs with Bacon and Cheese Recipe, and Cheesy Bacon Egg Muffins recipes! or find all of our low carb recipes here.

Ingredients

What’s not to love in this dish? Chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, jalapeños, and of course bacon! You really can’t go wrong.

Step by step

This is a very easy dish to assemble and pop in the oven.

Preheat the oven and place chicken breasts in the baking dish.
Spread cream cheese over the chicken.
Deseed and dice the jalapeño and sprinkle over the cream cheese.
Top with cheddar cheese and bake for 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon and coarsely chop it.
Sprinkle the bacon over the chicken and bake an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

cream cheese spread over chicken in baking dish

Can you adjust the spice?

Jalapeños lose a bit of their kick when cooked so this dish is not super spicy. You can adjust the heat up or down depending on your preference.

To tone is down: If you’re cooking for the family and the kids are not fans of the spice you can easily leave the jalapeño bits off a few chicken breasts, which is what I do for my kids. It’s still delicious without it!

To increase the heat: Leave the jalapeño seeds in the mix as you are dicing the pepper to increase the spiciness. You can also top the chicken with additional chopped jalapeño as well.

pieces of jalapeño popper chicken on a white plate

Tips and variations

Choose chicken breasts on the thinner side to ensure they cook through. You can also pound them thinner or cut them in half to get a more uniform thickness.
Wear gloves if possible when chopping your jalapeño, you don’t want to get any of the juices in your eyes or face. If you don’t have gloves, wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
You can use canned jalapeños in a pinch, just drain them before use.

Storage

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.

Reheat leftovers in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also reheat this dish in the air fryer for 10 minutes at 360 degrees.

If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!