Jalapeno Popper Chicken is an easy keto meal that whips up in about 35 minutes. Creamy and delicious, and the whole family loves it!
Raise your hand if you need more easy in your life. Oh, I see you. And you, And you. And me. All of us can use more easy in our lives.
And nothing beats this keto jalapeño popper chicken for an easy and family friendly meal.
Right now, so many of us are stuck at home juggling jobs, kids, school, and our health. It’s not an easy time for anyone. So creating easy keto dinner recipes is always top of my priority list.
But those easy dinners have to taste great, too! It’s no good creating healthy meals if no one wants to eat them. I guarantee you that this Jalapeno Popper Chicken will appeal to everyone.
A match made in heaven
We all know how much keto dieters love their jalapeno poppers. I mean, what’s not to love?
Jalapeños? Good. Cheese? Good. Bacon? Gooooood!
They’re a classic appetizer that is easily made low carb, and are always so full of flavor. So it’s no wonder that they’re a beloved keto snack.
It’s also easy to take those same flavors and use them in other delicious ways, to make them into a full keto meal. Soup, meatloaf, meatballs – so many great ideas. One of my most popular recipes is Jalapeno Popper Pizza. It’s delicious!
And those popper flavors really shine when they are combined with chicken. Smother some chicken thighs in a cream cheese sauce, add cheese, jalapeños, and bacon, and it’s a match made in keto heaven.
I created this recipe when I was all out of ideas for an easy family meal and my kids went wild for it. Jalapeno popper chicken for the win!
How to make Keto Jalapeno Popper Chicken
Another easy keto dinner recipe to add to your collection. Be sure to watch the video to see just how easy it it!
Here are my best tips for getting it right:
- Chop the bacon before cooking it, as it gets more evenly crisp this way.
- Drain most of the grease from the pan but keep about 1 tablespoon for cooking the chicken.
- You can use any chicken here but I like boneless skinless thighs the best.
- They don’t have to be fully cooked through, as the whole dish will end up in the oven for the final cooking. But you want them nicely browned on both sides.
- Make sure your cream cheese is really soft before making the sauce. I like to pop mine in the microwave for 15 seconds or so first. It makes the sauce more creamy and smooth.
- Spread the sauce evenly over the chicken, then top with jalapeño, cheddar, and the crisp bacon.
- Pop it in the oven and 20 minutes later, you’re ready to eat!
Ready to make some delicious Keto Jalapeno Popper Chicken?
More easy keto chicken recipes
- Keto Chicken Broccoli Casserole
- Creamy Keto Chicken and Mushrooms
- Keto Chicken Enchilada Skillet
- Keto Chicken Parmesan
- Creamy Keto Chicken and Asparagus
- Keto Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Jalapeno Popper Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 3 to 4 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 small jalapeno peppers minced
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- In a large skillet over medium, cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove to a plate and remove all but 1 tablespoon of the grease.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and cook until nicely browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Remove from heat and transfer the thighs to a glass or ceramic baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, whipping cream, and garlic. Spread over the chicken in the dish.
- Sprinkle with the jalapeno and cheddar cheese, then sprinkle with the chopped bacon. Bake about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through.
Kristen Jacobson says
This recipe was amazing! I diluted the cream cheese mixture with a little chicken stock. That was the only change I made. Kids even loved it! Thank you! Definitely on my menu rotation!
Libby says
Can you use breast and how many would you use? My family won’t eat thighs.
Carolyn says
Sure but I would probably cut them down to size a bit. Maybe 3 breasts cut in half, depending on how big they are?
Angela Crafton says
I love this! Hard to stop eating! I doubled the cream cheese sauce just because I love alot of sauce on everything…. wonderful recipe thank you!!