This Hasselback Jalapeno Popper Chicken is SO GOOD – all you need is light cream cheese, cheddar and jalapeno peppers!
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Ingredients in this dish
Can we just talk for a second about the pure GENIUS that is hasselback chicken?!
Like, you get a TON of flavours packed into what used to be a boring old chicken breast, and there's none of that complicated stuffing and cutting open of the chicken – just little slits that you fill with cheese and peppers and all kinds of deliciousness. Super easy, no mess, no fuss.
Here's what you need to make it:
- 4 chicken breasts
- olive oil and seasoning
- light cream cheese
- cheddar cheese
- jalapenos
How to make this recipe
I think jalapeno poppers are my fave appetizer of all time – like, think about it. Jalapenos, cream cheese and cheddar. I couldn't think of a better combination.
I whipped up a simple batch of this 3-ingredient stuffing, cut some width-wise slits across each chicken breast and then went to town. Here's how to make this amazing chicken:
- Make cuts across the top of each chicken breast for stuffing, then drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and paprika.
- Microwave cream cheese in a large bowl, then stir in cheddar and finely diced jalapenos.
- Stuff each slit in the chicken breast with jalapeno-cheese mixture, then bake for 30 minutes. Serve with your fave sides and enjoy!
Ingredient substitutions
There are a couple of substitutions you can make to this chicken! Here are my suggestions.
Cream cheese – If you don't have cream cheese, you can use 1/2 cup sour cream or 1/2 cup Greek yogurt instead. Do not microwave it – just add the cheese and jalapenos and you're good to go! Just a note though: this will make the stuffing a bit runnier and not as solid as the cream cheese stuffing, but it will still be delicious!
Cheddar – I highly recommend the cheddar to get that authentic jalapeno popper taste, but you can technically use any type of cheese here. Grating cheese from a block will result in a creamier filling, whereas the pre-shredded stuff may not be as ooey gooey, but it's up to your personal preference.
Jalapenos – You can actually use bell peppers instead if you find jalapenos too spicy, or you can use pickled jalapenos, banana peppers or poblano/anaheim peppers.
How to reduce the spice
This chicken really is not that spicy, but the trick is to remove the seeds from your jalapenos! You just have to make sure you remove the seeds from the jalapenos entirely, along with the white pithy areas.
I wish I had thought to show this on the video below, but you basically want to slice the jalapenos lengthwise and then cut around the piths and the seeds of the pepper to remove all the seeds. Jalapenos are actually quite mild when you get rid of all the seeds, it's surprising!
If you're still unsure if it will be too spicy for you, you can use pickled jalapenos which tend to be more on the mild side, or you can use half jalapenos and half green peppers to still get the peppery taste without the heat.
What to serve with stuffed chicken
This chicken goes with just about any side dish! Here are my recommendations:
- Tater tots or frozen fries
- Roasted potatoes
- Side salad
- Roasted/steamed broccoli
- Veggies and dip
Storing and reheating
You can store any leftover chicken in the fridge up to 5 days. Reheat the chicken in an oven for 10-15 minutes, or you can pop it back into the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Make sure to sprinkle some water overtop before reheating so the chicken doesn't dry out – this is my special trick to get rid of that leftover chicken taste! I prefer to store and reheat in glass bowls because this way you can just reheat right from the container.
Can you freeze it?
Yes you can! You can freeze in a Ziploc freezer bag or in a glass container with a lid for up to 3 months. You can't reheat from frozen, so you will need to let the chicken defrost in the fridge overnight and then reheat using the above methods.
More stuffed chicken recipes
Meal prep tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this recipe into leftovers
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months
Hasselback Jalapeno Popper Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp each paprika & salt
- 1/2 (8oz) block light cream cheese
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 4 jalapenos, finely diced make sure to remove the seeds!
Optional sides
- Salad
- Roasted baby potatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Slice into chicken widthwise making cuts deep enough to fill with cheese mixture (see video for details). Drizzle olive oil overtop and rub with paprika and salt.
- In a large bowl, microwave cream cheese on high for 45 seconds (make sure to cover dish otherwise it will make a mess of your microwave!) Remove from microwave then stir in cheddar cheese and jalapenos.
- Stuff each little slit in the chicken breast with jalapeno-cheese mixture. Bake in oven for 30-32 minutes until chicken is fully cooked. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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