Our Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken is an easy weeknight chicken recipe that our whole family loves. Wrapped in bacon, stuffed with a mildly spicy cream cheese mixture, and baked to juicy perfection.
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Look, I’m getting sick of boring chicken.
I’m calling for a change.
No more overcooked, dry, bland chicken breasts.
We’re making jalapeno popper chicken breasts wrapped in bacon. Because we want flavor. And we want juicy chicken. And we definitely don’t want to hear the family say, “Chicken? Again?” in that tone that every home cook knows and dreads.
You’re going to love this one because it’s naturally low carb (no funky ingredients for the family to be suspicious of) and easy enough for a weeknight.
The bacon makes it feel a little indulgent and the cream cheese filling is so simple but packs in so much flavor while ensuring your chicken doesn’t get dry.
3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s way easier than it looks. The hardest part is cutting a pocket in the chicken breast, and even that takes about 30 seconds. The rest is just mixing, stuffing, and wrapping.
Classic flavor combo. Creamy cheese meets spicy jalapeños, all wrapped in crispy bacon. It’s comfort food that happens to be low carb.
No dry chicken here. The cream cheese filling keeps everything incredibly moist, and the bacon doesn’t hurt either. Use a meat thermometer to ensure it’s perfectly cooked.
I love using this meat thermometer for making sure the meat is fully cooked! Easy for beginners & absolutely worth the low cost. Just stick it in the thickest part of the meat to check for doneness. This thermometer is also magnetic so it’s easy to store right on the side of the fridge or oven for easy access! Get it on Amazon.
Swaps & Tips
For the jalapeños: Love spice? Use freshly minced jalapenos. Like it more mild? A jar of pickled/tamed jalapenos will give you flavor without a ton of heat.
Cheese swaps: The cheddar can easily be swapped for monterey jack if you want milder flavor, or pepper jack if you want more heat. Freshly shredded cheese will melt best, but pre-shredded will work in a pinch.
Bacon tips: Thin cut bacon is going to cook the most evenly. You can even crisp it up more under the broiler.
Make-ahead magic: You can stuff the chicken breasts and wrap them in bacon up to a day ahead. Just cover and refrigerate, then add an extra 5-ish minutes to the baking time since they’ll be cold from the fridge.
Storage
Fridge life: Keeps for 4-5 days covered – reheats beautifully in the microwave without getting weird or drying out.
Freezer situation: Honestly haven’t tried freezing these because they disappear too fast in our house, but cream cheese fillings can get a little watery when thawed.
Reheating: Microwave works great for leftovers, or you can reheat in a 350-degree air fryer for about 5 minutes if you want to re-crisp the bacon.
Serving Suggestions
Because this bacon wrapped chicken is full of goodness (cream cheese, mayo, and cheddar – three of my favorites), I like to keep things a little bit lighter for sides.
Try my keto coleslaw or a simple green salad topped with our green goddess dressing. Add some steamed veggies for a complete dinner.
And if you just can’t get enough spice, try my jalapeno popper stuffed peppers too!
More Low Carb Chicken Recipes:
Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 5-6 ounces each
- 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar
- ¼ cup minced jalapeno see notes
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 4 slices bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Use a sharp knife to cut a deep pocket into the side of each chicken breast. Set aside.
- Drizzle olive oil over the chicken breasts and sprinkle with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt on each side. Rub the spices into the chicken to coat.
- Add the cream cheese, cheddar, jalapeno, mayonnaise, garlic, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to a small bowl and stir well to combine.
- Spoon the mixture into the chicken breasts, stuffing it deep into the pocket you created.
- Cut each slice of bacon in half and lay 2 pieces over each chicken breast.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- If you’d like to crisp the bacon even more, place the dish under a broiler set to high for 1-2 minutes. Keep a close eye while it's under the broiler.
Ronette Hulse says
Very nice
Debbie says
I have extra sharp cheese block and I have fiesta shredded cheese which should I use?
Karly Campbell says
The recipe calls for cheddar, so I would use that. The fiesta cheese will work, but you’ll end up with a different flavor.
Cliff van Heusden says
Hello.. can I substitute Macon for Bacon as people I know are allergic to Pork? I so gonna try this recipe out tho..
Karly Campbell says
Hi Cliff! I’m afraid I don’t even know what macon is. If it cooks like bacon, it should be fine, but I really don’t know.
Amy says
Can I use cheddar cheese instead of cream cheese? My family does not like cream cheese.
Karly Campbell says
The filling likely won’t hold together as well with cheddar, but you can give it a try!
D. Sing says
Very excited to make this dish, thank you for all the awesome recipes! Question, would it be okay to stuff the chicken with bacon after it’s cooked instead of wrapping it around the chicken breast before putting the dish into the oven?
Karly Campbell says
Yes, I think you could add crumbled bacon to the filling. Should work great. 🙂
Dee Kevan says
Cooked this tonight, lined the baking dish with foil and turned it up at the edges so that if any of the filling came out then I could just pour it onto the serving plate…This dish was absolutely delicious, so full of flavours, served it with a salad…so filling and so yummy – Thank you for this recipe 🙂
Sherrill says
Is it supposed to be low-carb? The nutritional information says 595 Milligrams of carbohydrate is that right?
Karly Campbell says
That’s the sodium count. 🙂
Stephanie says
I have never left a comment on a recipe before, but boy was this good! It has so much flavor with the spices used on the chicken breast and then the stuffing really just takes it over the top. So delicious! This will become a consistent item on rotation for my family.
Karly Campbell says
So glad you enjoyed this one! 🙂
Guy Mccomas says
About to pop in the oven now cant wait to try hope they turn out look great imagine smells delicious cooking so cant wait to try
Shannon Holland says
Made this tonight… Delicious!!!
Angie says
I made this last night and my hubby and I were blown away at how amazing it tasted ; ) Thank you so much for sharing this. I became an instant fan of your page and will be looking to add more recipes to our dinner menu. One thing I will do differently is to cut the side of the chicken before adding the spices. I am an amateur so I’m sure there may of been a simpler way to not end up with the spices all over my hands! We’re having the stuffed bell peppers with the popper recipe also. He’s been wanting stuffed peppers for a while but I’ve never been a fan….but this…….oh yes! Thank again for rocking our low carb world! Hugs from Texas ; )
Karly Campbell says
Hi Angie!! I’ve been told by a few people that I do the seasoning/slicing part backwards. Haha – you might be on to something there…it’s just how I’ve always done it. So glad you enjoyed the recipe either way!
MRops says
Just made this for dinner with bacon wrapped Parmesan asparagus. It was amazing! Thank you for the recipe! I followed the recipe as written…no changes needed at all! But one tip…make your chicken pocket opening small and pipe in the filling using a baggie with the corner cut to avoid all the yummy filling ending up on your cookie sheet. Thankfully I used non stick foil so it was easy to scrape up what came out of the chicken and just put it on top. Will definitely put this in the regular meal rotation! Thanks again!!
Karly Campbell says
Great idea to pipe it in! 🙂
Louie says
Can this be wrapped in aluminum and cooked on open flame?
Karly Campbell says
I’ve only baked this in the oven.
Diann says
Made this tonight for dinner! Turned out Amazing! It was a hit!
Teri says
It can! I smoke mine open for an hour and the cover for another hour on the grill . Not over direct heat though. You want the heat to stay around 300 325.
Jackie says
Just made this delicious dish and my feedback was ‘tasted a bit like Nando’s’. I for one, am disgusted. Great dish though!
Anne says
Would definitely try this tonight for dinner
Catherine says
This looks delicious! I want to try it tonight but don’t have cream cheese at home. Any supplementation suggestions?
Karly Campbell says
No, I’m not sure what else would work well.
Maria says
I am very excited to make this for dinner tonight! What is the purpose of the mayonnaise though?
Karly Campbell says
It adds creaminess to the filling.
Michelle says
if you’re looking for a healthier ingredients, maybe use Greek yogurt. This is the first time I’m making it. Next time I’ve I am going to use Greek yogurt for sure!
Steffany says
Cooking has always been a favorite pastime of mine, and I have to say thank you for adding this recipe to my collection. The whole family enjoyed it, and it is hard finding something my daddy approved of
Jessica Lynn says
Trying this tonight! What do you reccomend as a side dish? Looks great.
Debra Wensauer says
New recipe for my husband and i as I work about 140 hours in 2 weeks. It was easy, quick, and so full of flavor! We love it would you happen to have any freezer recipes as well?
Karly Campbell says
I don’t specifically make recipes for the freezer, but I’ve heard from a lot of people that my stuffed chicken recipes freeze really well. 🙂
Angela says
This is easy to make, delicious and inexpensive. Thanks.