Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
My family can’t get enough of this Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole! It is the perfect weeknight meal—easy to make in under an hour and packed with bold flavors. Tender, seasoned chicken is mixed with a creamy cheese blend, topped with spicy jalapeños, crispy bacon, and a melty cheese layer, then baked to golden perfection. Absolutely delicious!
If you love jalapeno poppers as appetizers you’re going to love that we’ve made them into a main dish! All the flavors you love in your favorite party snack for dinner!
Jalapeno Popper Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lb Boneless Chicken Breast cut into bite size cubes
- 1 tsp Garlic Salt
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 8 oz Cream Cheese softened
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
- 6-7 Jalapeño Peppers
- 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Cooked Crumbled Bacon
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375° and spray a 9×13 baking pan or casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Dice chicken into bite size pieces, and place in a large bowl. Add in garlic salt and smoked paprika, stir to evenly coat the chicken.
- In a large skillet add 1 tbsp of olive oil or spray the pan, add the chicken and cook on a medium high heat until cooked through and golden brown on the outside.
- Once the chicken is cooked through remove it from the skillet and spread it across the bottom of your prepared baking pan.
- Place the cream cheese, chicken broth and heavy cream, in a medium bowl. Stir until well mixed and smooth. Pour evenly across the chicken in the baking dish.
- Chop the jalapenos into small pieces, long strips or circles. Remove the seeds for more mild flavor, keep the seeds for more spice.
- Lay the chopped jalapenos all over top the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese evenly across the top.
- Sprinkle the bacon pieces evenly across the top of the cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
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Ingredient Notes for Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole
All the ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious dinner! Check out the printable recipe card for details on the amounts.
- Chicken – For this casserole you need bite size chunks of chicken. You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken tenderloins or boneless skinless chicken thighs. For a short cut you can start with cooked chicken or a rotisserie chicken.
- Garlic Salt– This adds a ton of flavor to this dish. If you don’t have garlic salt you can use a combination of salt and garlic powder.
- Smoked Paprika– This adds delicious flavor and a bit of smoky taste to this casserole. If you prefer plain paprika you can use it instead.
- Cream Cheese – I like to use full fat cream cheese but you can use low fat cream cheese if you prefer. Make sure that it is softened to room temperature before you get started so it is easy to use.
- Heavy Cream– This makes the sauce nice and creamy. If you prefer lower fat you can use half and half but your sauce will not be as thick.
- Chicken Broth– You can use your favorite chicken broth, homemade chicken stock or even bullion. If you prefer you can also use a vegetable broth.
- Jalapeño Peppers– You’ll want to use nice fresh jalapeno peppers for this recipe. You can adjust how many depending on how spicy your peppers are and how much spice you want in the recipe. You can dice the peppers into small pieces, cut the peppers into strips, or cut them in rounds.
- Cheddar Cheese – You’ll need shredded cheese to top this casserole. We like cheddar the best but you can use another variety if you’d like. Monterey jack, pepper jack, or Mexican or taco blend make great options. You can shred it yourself or use pre-shredded cheese. Freshly shredded cheese melts better than pre-shredded but either work fine.
- Bacon– You can use your favorite kind of bacon for this recipe. You can cook and crumble regular bacon or thick cut bacon. For a shortcut you can use pre-cooked microwave bacon, or even bacon bits.
- Olive Oil– For cooking the chicken I prefer to use olive oil. You can use any other cooking oil or non stick cooking spray
How to Make This Easy Casserole Recipe
Here’s the easy step by step instructions for making this easy dinner.
. Preheat your oven to 375° and spray a 9×13 baking pan or casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Dice chicken into bite size pieces, and place in a large bowl. Add in garlic salt and smoked paprika, stir to evenly coat the chicken.
In a large skillet add 1 tbsp of olive oil or spray the pan, add the chicken and cook on a medium high heat until cooked through and golden brown on the outside.
Once the chicken is cooked through remove it from the skillet and spread it across the bottom of your prepared baking pan.
Place the cream cheese, chicken broth and heavy cream, in a medium bowl. Stir until well mixed and smooth. Pour evenly across the chicken in the baking dish.
Chop the jalapenos into small pieces, long strips or circles. Remove the seeds for more mild flavor, keep the seeds for more spice.
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Lay the chopped jalapenos all over top the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese evenly across the top.
Sprinkle the crumbled bacon pieces evenly across the top of the cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Serve and enjoy!
FAQ & Tips For This Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
Here are some tips and tricks to make sure you get the best possible result when you make this recipe!
How to store leftover jalapeno popper chicken casserole-
This casserole can be stored refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Tips for using jalapenos-
You want to use fresh jalapenos that are 3-4 inches long and a nice shiny dark green color. To protect your skin while chopping them it is a good idea to use rubber gloves. Make sure to wash your hands immediately after chopping the peppers to avoid getting oils in your eyes. For less spice remove the seeds and the white pith of the peppers. For more spice leave in the seeds. Some jalapenos are more mild and some spicier so you can taste yours and use more or less to achieve the heat level you like.
How to serve this casserole-
As is this casserole is low carb and keto. If you want to keep it low carb you can serve it with a side of your favorite vegetable or over cauliflower rice.
If you’re not low carb you can serve it over rice, quinoa or even roasted or baked potatoes. Or you can serve it alongside your favorite side dishes and veggies.
Shortcuts for making this dish-
This dish comes together quickly and there are a few tricks to make it even quicker. You can use rotisserie or pre cooked shredded chicken so you don’t have to cook the chicken. You can use microwaveable bacon to make cooking the bacon quick and easy.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes! This is a great casserole to make ahead of time to pop in the oven for an easy and delicious dinner in no time. Just assemble the casserole and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. You can keep it made and in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before cooking. The cook time will be longer since it is cold. Bake it at 375 for about 30 minutes
This was the delicious! I cooked frozen chicken thighs in the instant pot, in place of pan frying the chicken. Also used Anaheim peppers instead of the jalapenos. Kids and adults loved it!