Jalapeno Popper Chicken

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

I thoroughly enjoy jalapeno poppers from a local bar, but just so we are all on the same page, they come from a box in the freezer at most establishments, you either get cream cheese OR cheddar and they’re just “ok.”  I make jalapeno poppers baked in the oven but that is for another day!  Take that take out brought me to jalapeno poppers but it also took me to dinner, and while in my early 20’s some bar jalapeno poppers might have been dinner, it certainly isn’t gonna cut it now a days.  And so we have, jalapeno popper baked chicken, saving money, and calories one dinner at a time.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, butterflied, and pounded thin.  This turned into 4 portions for me.  Pounding them is imperative as they will cook evenly and it will insure your chicken is tender.  You can also use thin cut chicken cutlets and briefly pound them

2 jalapenos, cut in half and remove the seeds if you do not want super spicy poppers, If you want to bring the heat, leave the seeds in. 

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 oz. finely shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. paprika

Salt and Pepper

Barbecue Sauce (homemade or whatever your favorite bottle is fine)

Extra cheddar

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a bowl combine the cream cheese, shredded cheddar, garlic powder, and paprika in addition to salt and pepper.  Take the halved jalapenos and make a cream cheese combination football, place the football into the jalapenos and set aside. This amount should fill 4-5 halves abundantly.  Pound and portion your chicken and lay it out.  Salt and pepper the chicken and place one half of a jalapeno in each cutlet, and roll them tightly, place them seam side down in the baking dish and salt and pepper the tops of the chicken rolls.  Before you place them in the oven spread 1 tablespoon of barbecue sauce on top of each chicken roll up.  Place in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, add the extra cheddar cheese on top, eyeball it for about a tablespoon on each and put back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.  Use your handy dandy meat thermometer that I’m sure you’ve bought by now to see that the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees.  When they have reached 165 degrees remove them from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes before serving, and the filling, just like a jalapeno popper, will still be lava so be careful while you enjoy!

These were absolutely delicious! Hit the spot.  If you crave the crunch of a jalapeno popper add some panko breadcrumbs on top of the barbecue sauce and omit the extra cheese for the crunch.  I served mine with some guacamole, salsa and Greek yogurt (or sour cream), seemed appropriate as that’s what bars serve with jalapeno poppers and wouldn’t you know it, it worked perfectly together.