Creamy, rich, and packed with flavor, this Jalapeño Popper Chicken is an easy, budget-friendly meal the whole family will adore. Succulent chicken thighs topped with cream cheese, jalapeños, cheddar and bacon – it’s a surefire win for everyone at your table.
Every time I think life is going to slow down a bit, I find myself just as busy as ever. 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 threw this Jalapeño Popper Chicken together one day when I was short on time, and it was an instant hit with the whole family. Getting three grumpy teens to all agree on one meal? Priceless!
If you love jalapeño poppers, be sure to try my Keto Jalapeño Popper Pizza next!
Why you will love it
★★★★★
Yvette says: “I made this last night for dinner, followed the recipe exactly, and it was soooooo delicious. It is going to be a regular on our dinner menu. This is why I own so many of your cookbooks! Your recipes are all tried and true.“
Ingredient Notes
- Bacon: Thin sliced bacon tends to crisp up a little better.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: Some readers used chicken breast instead. If you do use chicken breasts, cut them into thinner pieces.
- Cream cheese: Use full fat cream cheese.
- Heavy whipping cream: This adds
- Garlic: I prefer using fresh garlic, but you can also use garlic powder.
- Jalapeño peppers: If you want something less spicy, you can use poblano or anaheim peppers. If you like more spice, keep the seeds in the jalapeños.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: You can shred your own or use pre-shredded cheese.
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Jalapeño Popper Chicken
- Cook the bacon: In a large skillet over medium, cook the chopped bacon until crisp.
- Brown the chicken: Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and cook until nicely browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the thighs to a glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, whipping cream, and garlic. Spread over the chicken in the dish.
- Assemble: Sprinkle with the jalapeno and cheddar cheese, then sprinkle with the chopped bacon.
- Bake the casserole: Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve and enjoy!
Carolyn’s Tips for Success
I like to 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 one tablespoon for browning the chicken.
Browning the chicken before baking brings out more flavor. If you just add the sauce and toppings to raw chicken, the casserole ends up more watery as well.
Make sure the 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
More Keto Chicken Recipes to Love
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 6 medium (6) chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- Salt and pepper
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp (45.65 g) heavy whipping cream
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 small jalapeno peppers, minced
- 1 cup (113 g) shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- In a large skillet over medium, cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove to a plate and remove all but 1 tbsp 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Made this last night for dinner. Very YUMMY!!!!
This is excellent. I will make it often.
husband is not keto…..made this tonight and he loved it! I made it with breast! so delicious.
One of my all time favorite keto recipes. It’s so easy to pull together on a weekend and it’s just delicious. I love that it’s so filling and satisfying as well for only a few carbs per serving. I’ve tried this recipe exactly as is and also with a minor adjustment when I didn’t have any jalapeños and it was terrific either way. It’s pretty foolproof. Thank you for such an awesome recipe! 😊
Had non-keto company for dinner last night and decided to try this because it was quick and easy. Huge hit even with the teenager that went back for seconds. I am selfish and want keto recipes for me that everyone will like.
My whole family loves this dish! I make it from beginning to end in my Ninja 3 in 1 – so good and simple. And EASY!! Yes, I need more easy! Thanks Carolyn!
Super tasty, Carolyn! I did not have enough chicken, so I added some chopped kielbasa to make up the difference. WOW:-)
Hello Carolyn,
I need to try this!
How do you take such amazing pictures? Would you mind telling what equipment do you use? Do you use a backdrop?
I’m trying to take product pictures but I can’t seem to get it right.
Thank you!!!
Oh boy. I have a LOT of photography equipment. I have multiple back boards that I use as tabletops and backdrops. It’s all set up in my north-facing dining room window (now converted to my studio). I use a Canon 5D DSLR with a 24 to 70mm adjustable lens for most photos, but I also have a 100mm macro lens for super close up and a 35mm for top down photos. I own several Canon 6Ds and they are great cameras too (less expensive than the 5D).
I also own multiple tripods for stable shooting. I did use a big umbrella light a few times in the dead of winter, but I am not very used to working with artificial light.
I can’t believe I haven’t tried the recipe before. It is easy and creamy and spicy. I used chicken breasts and I was worried they might be dry, but they came out juicy. I used 2 serrano peppers with the seeds and it gave a nice level of spice.
will be making this again.
So glad you liked it!
Definitely a new favorite. So much flavor and so easy can’t go wrong with jalapeño popper chicken!
Thanks for another great recipe! We modified to use chicken breasts, more peppers, and our signature seasoning blend, and we loved it!! This recipe came in my email right on time for another interesting Keto dinner. We ate large leafy salads and half a breast each.
I wanted a popper side dish to go with the dry rub ribs, so didn’t want to add chicken to this. Instead I “browned” cauliflower rice in the bacon grease and followed the rest of the recipe as written. Turned out wonderful and I’ll make it this way when I want a side dish AND with the chicken for a entree in the future.
Interesting!
Thanks Carolyn, another home run recipe!! The entire family adores this one.
Can I use chicken breasts?
Please read the blog post! 🙂
I’ve made this multiple times and it never disappoints. Thank you for this awesome recipe.
This is my family’s favourite recipe ever! My son, who has now moved away from home, always asks me to make this when we visit. Easy and delicious.