Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken
This Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken recipe is an easy weeknight dinner. Create a show-stopping chicken dish that the entire family will enjoy with just a handful of ingredients and in under an hour.
Tender chicken with slices of jalapenos, thick-cut bacon, cheddar cheese, and a cream cheese sauce in every bite will keep you coming back for more healthy chicken recipes. It is also naturally low carb, keto, and gluten free.
This happens to be one of my favorite meals because it looks gorgeous, tastes awesome, and it’s classy enough that you could serve it to dinner guests. It is so much better than plain boring chicken breasts.
Love jalapeno? Try my Keto Jalapeno Poppers and Roasted Jalapeno Salsa next!
Ingredients
- Bacon – We love to use thick cut bacon because it adds the most flavor, and the texture is just better.
- Chicken – For best results, you will want to use a thicker chicken breast. It results in juicy chicken, and it is easier to add the slices to the meat.
- Jalapenos – You can prep these to your preference. Leave the seeds in for more heat or remove for a milder flavor.
- Cheddar – Of course, cheddar cheese tastes great, but it’s also a great source of protein, calcium, and vitamin A.
- Cream Cheese – Start with cream cheese softened to room temperature to make the sauce. It will blend much better when softened. I prefer full fat cream cheese but light cream cheese also works.
- Butter – The buttery flavor in the sauce is utterly delicious.
- Cream – You don’t need a lot of cream to give the sauce a rich and flavorful result.
- Salt – A little bit of salt enhances the other flavors.
How To Make Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken
1️⃣ Cook the Bacon
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add the slices of bacon to a casserole dish or rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until it’s slightly crispy. Take the bacon out of the dish and cut it into 1-inch pieces.
2️⃣ Stuff the Chicken
Take a sharp knife and cut slits in each of the chicken breasts. Then prepare stacks of jalapeno slices, cheddar, and a piece of bacon. Place one stack into each of the slits.
3️⃣ Bake the Chicken
Place the pieces of chicken in the baking dish and put them in the oven. Bake the hasselback stuffed chicken breast for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked to 160 degrees F. Cooking times will vary based on the size of the pieces of chicken.
4️⃣ Make the Sauce & Serve
While the chicken is baking, prepare the cream cheese mixture. Stir the softened cream cheese, butter, cream, and salt with a whisk. Serve the cooked chicken with the cream cheese sauce and enjoy!
Storage
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It is best to keep the sauce separate until serving. Warm the chicken and sauce in the microwave and drizzle the sauce on top when ready to eat.
Tips
When adding slits to the chicken, be sure to keep them around the same size. The chicken is going to cook much more even.
Invest in a meat thermometer. This will prevent you from overbaking the chicken and ending up with a dry piece of meat. Pull it out of the oven when it reaches 160 degrees and let it rest for 5 minutes so that it can come up to temperature naturally.
Air fryer option. If you want to cook these in your air fryer go for it. They need to cook at 375 for 15-20 minutes.
Variations
- Herbs. Go ahead and sprinkle with parsley or oregano right before serving. It makes it pleasing to the eye and tastes great too.
- Spices. Kick up the flavor with garlic powder, onion powder, and a sprinkle of paprika.
- Cheese. Pepper Jack would add some extra spice, or you can go with something milder like mozzarella. You can also use shredded cheddar if that is what you have in the house.
- Kid-friendly. If you have children in the house that jalapeno peppers are too spicy for just leave them out of a few or swap for red bell peppers. My little ones loved this chicken with just the bacon and cheddar! Or add some zucchini instead, like in my original Hasselback chicken recipe.
- Sauce. To simplify just serve with ranch dressing or sour cream instead of the cream cheese sauce.
Another favorite variation of jalapeno poppers is this Jalapeno Popper Dip Recipe.
Common Questions
Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
While you can technically use chicken thighs, the results aren’t entirely the same. Thighs are fattier, and they don’t hold up to being sliced and filled with other ingredients. That is why I prefer boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.
If you do reach for thighs, you may need to slice and stuff them the more traditional butterfly method, so they don’t fall apart. Alternatively, you can use chicken thighs in my Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole.
What other flavors can I make Hasselback Chicken?
Chicken Cordon Bleu – Stuff the chicken with ham and Swiss cheese and then top with the sauce used in my Cordon Bleu Casserole after baking.
Bacon Ranch Hasselback Chicken – Stuff the chicken with bacon and cheddar and top with the sauce used in my Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole before baking.
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Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick cut bacon
- 6 chicken breasts (about 2 – 2.5 pounds)
- 2 jalapenos very thinly sliced
- 4 oz cheddar sliced
- salt & pepper
Sauce:
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 1 tbsp cream or half and half
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400. Place bacon in a casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes or until just slightly crisp. Remove and cut into one-inch strips.
- Cut slits in the chicken most of the way through, as shown in my photos. Make stacks with one piece each of jalapeno, cheddar, and bacon. Insert one stack into each slit.
- Place the chicken back into the dish you cooked the bacon in. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Return to the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the chicken is 160 on a meat thermometer.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Serve the chicken with the cream sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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Originally Published May 24, 2021. Revised and Republished February 5, 2026.
Love this!
I’m a chef and have made a similar dish so I know our family is going to love this recipe. It’s easy peasy