Recently I’ve been on a bit of a jalapeno binge!
The last time that I went to the grocery store I picked up a couple packages of jalapeno peppers since I love them so much. I didn’t have a specific plan for them, but I knew I could use them for something.
One of my favourite appetizers is jalapeno poppers. I decided that since I had some chicken breasts on hand I would make some jalapeno popper chicken breasts!
These chicken breasts are not as difficult to make as they look. Seriously trust me on this!
The little bit of effort that it takes to stuff these chicken breasts is totally worth it.
I adapted the filling from my jalapeno poppers appetizer recipe since it works out so well.
These chicken breasts are stuffed with seasoned cream cheese filled jalapenos, and then are coated in a bread crumb mixture and baked in the oven.
No frying needed for this recipe! 🙂
If you’re planning on making these for a combination of spice lovers and non-spice lovers, I would recommend making a few chicken breasts that are only stuffed with the cream cheese filling.
This way everyone can enjoy the tasty chicken breasts without having a fiery mouth! Lol
You can do this by putting the cream cheese and a piping bag or you can just stuff it in there using a butter knife – whatever works best for you. 🙂
If you feel like adding a little more sinfulness to these jalapeno Popper chicken breasts, you might want to sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top! It certainly not necessary, but it would make for a good addition if you’d like!
This is quickly becoming one of our favourite recipes and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Breasts
- Yield: 5 Servings 1x
Ingredients
- 5 chicken breasts, boneles skinless
Filling: - 1 cup cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 5 jalapenos, stem cut off, sliced down 1 side lengthwise and seeds removed
Coating - 3/4 cup of bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Line a baking pan (cookie sheet) with aluminum foil and place a metal baking rack on top. Spray with cooking spray.
- Combine ingredients under the “Filling” section ingredients, expect jalapenos. Make sure the cream cheese mixture is very well combined.
- Using a spoon or butter knife, fill each jalapeno with cream cheese.
- Using a very sharp knife, cut a “pocket” into the large end of each chicken breast. The hole should be large enough to push the stuffed jalapeno inside.
- Push a stuffed jalapeno into each chicken breast and secure the opening shut using toothpicks. I find that it works best to push the jalapenos into the chicken stem end first. This way you won't lose as much filling out the end while they're cooking.
- Combine all the ingredients in the “Coating” section of the ingredients list.
- One at a time, coat each chicken breast on all sides and then place onto the prepared baking sheet and metal rack.
- Sprinkle any excess coating on the tops of the chicken and press down so it sticks.
- (optional) I like to give the tops a little spray will cooking spray before they go into the oven.
- Put the chicken into the oven and bake for about 45 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken has finished cooking. Internal temperature should be 165°F (74°C).
- Serve with a side of rice and veggies and enjoy!
