Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
With tender chicken, crispy bacon, and spicy jalapeños in a creamy, cheesy sauce, this easy Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole is one of the best casseroles ever. It is rich, filling, and the perfect comfort food.
Love peppers? Make sure to try my easy recipes for Low Carb Jalapeno Popper Dip, Bacon Jalapeño Poppers, and Keto Chile Relleno Casserole.
Before You Get Started
Here are a few tips to help your casserole turn out perfectly:
- Spiciness: You can vary the spice level. Use fewer jalapenos and remove the seeds for a milder dish. Use more and leave the seeds in for extra spicy.
- Soft cream cheese: The sauce mixes up easily with softened cream cheese.
- Any type of cooked chicken works: Use leftover chicken, store-bought rotisserie chicken, chopped chicken, shredded chicken, sliced grilled chicken, etc.
How To Make Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
1️⃣ Make the Sauce
In a large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, diced jalapeño peppers, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
👉 Tip: For a milder flavor, saute the jalapeno peppers in a little butter in a frying pan before adding them.
Raw Jalapenos vs Cooked Jalapenos: I’m not a big fan of very spicy food, the hottest I can do it medium heat. I like a little kick but not having my mouth hurt. Cooked jalapenos are milder than raw jalapenos. We really like Roasted Jalapenos.
👉 Tip: See that pic above? You can just stop here and eat that creamy mixture with a spoon if you want. Or use it as a dip. It is awesome just as is.
2️⃣ Add the Chicken
Fold in the chicken. I prefer chicken breasts in this recipe, but you can also use chicken tenderloins, boneless skinless chicken thighs, or rotisserie chicken. Mix until combined and smooth.
3️⃣ Add to a Casserole Dish
Spread the chicken mixture in a 9×13 baking dish. Add some more bacon, shredded cheese, and sliced jalapeños on top.
👉 Have raw chicken? Cook it in a cast-iron skillet. Remove and chop or shred. Make the sauce in the large skillet, add the chicken, and then pop it in the oven to brown the topping.
4️⃣ Bake the Casserole
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. When it’s bubbly and hot, it’s ready to serve. Garnish with more jalapenos, if desired.
Variations
- More Creamy Sauce – If you like your casseroles saucier mix in 1/2 cup of chicken broth, half and half, or heavy cream to the cream cheese mixture.
- Poblanos – We love poblano peppers. If you are looking to use mild peppers in this recipe, they are perfect.
- Onions – If you enjoy onions, you can add some onion powder or stir in sliced green onions.
Storage & Freezing
Refrigerator Storage (3-4 days) – Store any leftovers of the jalapeño popper chicken casserole in the refrigerator in an airtight container or cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil.
Freezer Storage (2 months) – You can freeze the casserole before or after baking. Simply wrap tightly with plastic wrap and pop in the freezer.
Serving After Freezing – Let thaw overnight in the fridge. Bake until hot when ready to serve.
Common Questions
How to Cook Chicken for Casseroles
To cook the chicken for this jalapeno popper chicken casserole, I put it in a 9 x 13 casserole dish, cover it with foil, and bake it at 350 degrees until it is 160 degrees on a meat thermometer. Ideally, use a leave-in thermometer and check it often. These were huge chicken breasts. You may need to adjust the time depending on the size of your chicken.
The main trick for chicken casseroles is not using dry chicken. Make sure to take the chicken out of the oven once it reaches 157 degrees and let it rest to go up to 160. That way, your chicken casserole will not be dry!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus get great new recipes from us every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Joy Filled Eats
Video
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
Casserole Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken breasts cooked and chopped
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
- 1/2 cup bacon crumbles
- 1/2 cup jalapeno or poblano pepper seeded and diced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Topping Ingredients
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar
- 1/4 cup crumbled bacon
- 1 thinly sliced and seeded jalapeno optional
Instructions
- Combine the casserole ingredients (except the chicken) in a large bowl. Mix until smooth.
- Fold in the cooked chicken.
- Put into a greased casserole dish. Top with the reserved cheddar, bacon, and sliced jalapenos (if using).
- Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until bubbly and hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Like what you see? Follow me on Facebook and Instagram! Love this recipe? Leave a comment & a 5-star rating right here! Make sure you don’t miss new recipes by getting email updates!
Originally Published December 2, 2016. Revised and Republished on December 10, 2025.
This casserole is delicious! I like to add cooked broccoli to it, to sneak a few more veggies in, and that also makes it a one dish meal! My family really likes it!! Thanks for the tasty recipes, Taryn!
GREAT RECIPE!!! Similar to another recipe I cook, I thought I would pass it along….it has Ritz Crackers crushed on top, I’m going to try the next time! I made frozen Carrots, Broccoli & Cauliflower mix, as well as Garlic Butter! Not Keto I’m sure 😊 but OMG, GREAT!!! Other reviews comment about adding into casserole, good ideal, will try that, as well!! Very versatile casserole!!- THANK YOU!!
I LOVE this recipe!!!!!! I add onions and pre-cook chicken then chop it up!
Did you shred the chicken?
No, I just cut it into bite-sized pieces. You can shred it if you prefer.
OMG I cooked this but I put some broccoli in it and it was sooo delicious!! Thanks so much for such a great recipe!!
I’m thinking about adding a couple of eggs to this recipe, to fluff it up and add a little more substance. Would that work out? And would it affect the freezablitly?
I’ve never put eggs in any of my casseroles so honestly, I’m not sure. Eggs are used in ricotta based lasagna filling so I think it would work.
This is so amazing. I have made it 3 times now. It’s a cinch to make and delicious.
This was very tasty. I used a little less jalapenos because I didn’t want it too hot. Next time I’ll use the full amount. I even got my very picky husband to try this for dinner tonight and he gave a thumbs up!!
My family loves eating this wrapped in a tortilla! (Low carb tortilla for myself)
And we add the bacon to our wraps cause we are all about crispy crispy bacon! 🙂
Happy Forks recipe analyzer has this at 4.64 g of carbs per serving
Most recipe calculators vary a bit. If you prefer to use that one that is fine by me. I try to provide nutrition data as a courtesy. User-generated databases can be very off. MFP was defaulting garlic powder to be over 100 grams of carbs per tsp.
OMG! Just Freakin’ awesome!!! I was afraid of so much jalapeno so I cooked most of them separately … they go quite mild when cooked, I just poured them all over the top when done. Such a flavour profile!! Very Satisfying, you don’t need much, even tho you have to stop yourself from eating more!! lol. I used frozen chicken breasts and they turned out so juicy & tender!! & used the same dish.
Do you think I can use jalapeños form a jar?
Yes, canned jalapenos should work.
Has anyone tried this in a slow cooker with raw chicken?
I’ve done some of my other casseroles in the crock pot. I just cook the chicken, cut or shred it, drain the excess liquid, and then add it back to the crock pot with the other ingredients until they are hot and the cheese is melted. Just putting it all in at once makes the sauce too watery.
I’d be willing to bet it would cook perfectly with raw breast, like cooking crack chicken, and just shred the chicken up ,after the fact, and blend everything at the same time.
If you try it lmk! I prefer casseroles with thicker sauce. Sometimes the cooking liquid thins it out too much.
Finally! A Keto friendly recipe with the flavors my family loves! We will be having this over and over and…
Yum! This looks divine. I love a good casserole dish and I love this kick that this one has! This one is going on my next meal plan!