I've had jalapeño poppers on my brain lately. Anyone else become obsessed with the TV show The Good Place? Jianyu the silent monk, aka Jason Mendoza from Jacksonville, FL, (Duuuuuuvaaaaalll!) has many cravings for jalapeño poppers throughout the show. I remember loving these little poppers years ago, but now they don't appear on too many take-out menus. Since I've been loving stuffing chicken breast with various ingredients these days, I thought I would try a jalapeño popper stuffed chicken!
The Stuffed Chicken Breast Series: An Easy, Gourmet Treat
But before I get into that, I'd like to welcome you to my Stuffed Chicken Breast Series. Yes, I'm going all in with stuffed chicken breast recipes. Some months ago, I posted an Easy Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu which is my mom's recipe and I've always loved it. So awesome. Now, I want to dedicate some time and attention to more stuffed chicken breast recipes and techniques.
For example, there are methods to choose from. The first is butterfly, stuff & fold, like my cordon bleu. Next option, slice down the top of breast to make a pocket, stuff crumpled tin foil into the pocket, sear it, then add the filling into the pocket. This seems like it will work if you have a creamier filling. Lastly, there is the rolling method: butterfly the breast, pound it thin, lay out/spread your filling onto the chicken, then roll the breast. For this type of technique your filling should lay flat and not be bulky. There are so many exciting combinations and methods to try! Also, yes, there are many more variations on how best to stuff your boneless chicken breast. These are simply a jumping off point!
Just six ingredients needed for this jalapeño popper stuffed chicken
This is so easy to make with a small list of ingredients that lead to big flavors. No toothpicks to contend with. All you have to do is mix cheese and peppers together, cut a pocket in the chicken, stuff the mix in the chicken and wrap it in bippety, boppity bacon! If you are a Jim Gaffigan fan you will appreciate that reference.
I prepared six chicken breasts for this recipe and could have easily cut the chicken pieces in half and that would have been enough for one portion. This entree pairs well with a nice salad or a side of veggies. It is a bit indulgent so pairing it with a lighter side dish is the way to go!
I hope you give this one a try! The presentation is very impressive and it'll be a sure-fire hit with jalapeño popper fans!
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Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken Wrapped in Bacon
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 portions 1x
Description
All the awesomeness of jalapeño poppers stuffed in a chicken breast and wrapped in bacon. Totally cheesy in the best possible way.
Ingredients
- 6 boneless breasts of chicken
- 1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
- ½ cup finely diced green poblano peppers (1-2 peppers depending on size)
- 1 small to medium jalapeño, finely diced
- 2 cups shredded sharp orange cheddar cheese
- 18 slices of bacon (3 per piece - see note #1)
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley, optional garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Don’t forget to watch the video which shows all the step-by-step instructions.
- Put one 8-ounce package of cream cheese (softened) in a mixing bowl.
- Finely dice the green poblano pepper and jalapeño. I usually cut them half, pull out the seeds and white stuff, cut into thin strips, then dice down into smaller bits. Add the finely diced peppers to the cream cheese bowl. Use more jalapeño if you want it spicier. My amounts are for a milder flavor.
- Add the shredded sharp orange cheddar cheese to the cream cheese and pepper mixture. You can buy the already-shredded stuff or shred it yourself.
- Mix together the cheeses and peppers. I found it was much easier to put on a pair of gloves and mix with my hands. Make sure everything is well combined.
- The boneless chicken breasts. Make a cut on the top of the chicken breast (lengthwise), then cut into each side - within the cut you made - to create a full pocket for the jalapeño popper filling. Gently work your knife within the pocket to expand it enough for the filling. My video shows this well. Repeat the process for all the chicken breasts. Be careful not to cut through the chicken and make a hole through the bottom or sides.
- Spoon the jalapeno popper filling into the pockets you’ve created in the chicken breasts. Press down on the mixture to make sure the pocket is filled completely.
- Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts. Don’t worry – when you turn them over to season the filling will not fall out.
- Wrap the chicken with strips of bacon. You can use regular or thick sliced. I tried it both ways – either way is fine. Depending on the size of your chicken this will take 2-3 slices per chicken breast. Mine were large so it took 3 slices.
- Place the stuffed and wrapped chicken breasts directly on a sheet pan. I prepared this recipe with and without parchment paper. I found the version I made WITHOUT parchment paper came out better. The bacon cooked better on the bottom without the parchment paper.
- Cook in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Move the oven rack up at the end (last 5 minutes) and BROIL on high to crisp the bacon. Keep your eye on it you don’t want to burn the bacon!
- While the chicken is cooking if you are using the optional parsley garnish you should go ahead and finely chop that now.
- Serve the chicken whole on a platter or cut the pieces in half and garnish with parsley. Serving with a salad or veggies is perfect!
Notes
- The number of slices of bacon needed to wrap the chicken may vary depending on the size of the chicken breast you buy. The chicken breasts I bought were huge – all they had at the store that day. So I used three slices. Seems like a lot, but if you are serving this entrée with side dishes or salad, you can cut the chicken pieces in half (before serving) which will work as one portion for most people if you’re using larger chicken breasts.
- I found it made no difference using regular bacon or thick sliced. I tried it both ways. Both worked.
- When I tested the recipe I didn’t line the sheet pans with parchment paper. When I filmed it, I used parchment paper. My recommendation is do NOT use parchment paper. I found the bacon cooked better on the bottom without the parchment paper.
- I found it was necessary to move the oven racks up and broil for the last five minutes to crisp the bacon a little.
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