This bold Air Fryer Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken is a super flavorful upgrade to your ordinary chicken dinner. This crispy dish is gooey and cheesy with a little extra jalapeño kick.
Easy to prepare in the air fryer, this will become a tasty weeknight favorite. No air fryer? Don’t fret! This post includes oven directions too so nobody misses out on this delicious chicken meal.
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💚 Why You'll Love This Recipe
This air fryer jalapeno cream cheese stuffed chicken is a fantastic recipe when you need a flavorful and hearty dinner in just 30 minutes! With the heat of jalapenos and savory bacon, this satisfying chicken dinner will be a huge hit with your family.
Best of all, you likely have many of the ingredients in your kitchen already! Take the classic flavors of bold jalapeno poppers and turn them into a filling meal that's easy to prepare in the air fryer.
For another delicious chicken dish that features jalapeno, try these Oven Baked Chicken Thighs with Jalapeno Artichoke Topping! Or make Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs for an easy one-pan meal.
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- jalapeno peppers - these flavorful peppers provide the perfect amount of heat.
- cream cheese - makes the filling for your stuffed chicken creamy and gives it a delicious subtle tang.
- shredded cheddar - melty cheese goes perfectly with any kind of chicken.
- bacon - gives your jalapeno popper chicken an extra savory flavor that pairs well with the popper flavors.
- salt & pepper
- garlic powder & onion powder - a great combination of seasonings to form a flavorful base.
- chicken breast
- seasoned bread crumbs - create a crispy crust and pack in extra flavor from the seasoning.
🔪 Instructions
- Dice the jalapeno peppers as small as possible. For less kick, remove any seeds or membranes.
- Add diced jalapenos to a large bowl with cream cheese, shredded cheddar, chopped bacon, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Mix will and set aside.
- Carefully slice chicken breasts along the side to form a pocket (but not enough to fully butterfly the chicken breasts) then spoon in enough of the cream cheese filling to stuff the chicken.
- Add the bread crumbs to a dish and coat the stuffed chicken breasts and optionally season with additional salt and pepper.
- Air fry at 350 degrees F for 18 minutes (or until cooked through) then let sit for 5 minutes.
❔ FAQs
The best way to ensure chicken is fully cooked is to check that the internal temperature has reached at least 165 degrees F.
If you want to serve additional sauces with this jalapeno popper stuffed chicken, pair it with some ranch, blue cheese dressing, guacamole, sour cream, or mango salsa.
Absolutely! This will eliminate a step of prep since you won't have to dice your own jalapenos.
It has a pretty good kick from the jalapenos. You can lower the heat level by removing any jalapeno seeds or the inner white parts. Another substitution you can make is to use green chiles instead of jalapenos for a milder kick.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- To make this as baked stuffed chicken breast instead of air fried, prepare as instructed and bake for 20-25 minutes at 450 degrees F.
- If you like your chicken extra crispy, use Panko bread crumbs instead.
- A squeeze of fresh lime juice will bring a pop of sharp and acidic flavor for a whole other layer with your chicken.
- Garnish with jalapeno slices for extra heat and a beautiful presentation.
📌 You can also make this as baked stuffed chicken breast, which is just as easy as cooking your jalapeno popper stuffed chicken in the air fryer! This flavorful and comforting chicken dinner will become a new weeknight favorite.
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- Feel free to use any cheese or a blend of cheeses: sharp cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, or even a Mexican blend are great options for your jalapeno cream cheese stuffed chicken.
- Another way to pack this dish with bacon flavor is to wrap your chicken breasts in thin strips of bacon before air frying instead of pre-cooking and dicing it for the filling.
- Add some paprika to your bread crumbs for some extra warmth and color.
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Store your stuffed chicken breasts in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, pop it back in the air fryer or in the oven for a few minutes until everything is heated through. You can also microwave it, but it may alter the texture.
⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
One easy way to prepare ahead of time is to pre-cook and cut your bacon. You can also dice the jalapenos ahead of time. In fact, feel free to make the filling up to a day or so before cooking this dish and store covered in the fridge, then simply load into your chicken breasts and cook when it's time!
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
To keep with the jalapeno theme, serve your chicken with Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits. Make this quick and customizable Air Fryer Broccoli, or since your oven will be free, make a delicious Cornbread Casserole or some Oven Fried Crispy Green Bean Fries!
✔️ More Chicken Recipes You'll Love
- Best Chicken Grilled Cheese - Upgrade grilled cheese night by adding hearty chicken to your sandwiches.
- Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad - A bold and tasty salad that's loaded with protein and lots of nutritious ingredients.
- Baked Breaded Lemon Chicken - This simple but tasty chicken dinner is a must-have recipe for any home chef!
- Smothered Chicken Wings- You'll love this comforting and satisfying recipe from Stay Snatched!
Jalapeno Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
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📋 Recipe Card
Air Fryer Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 jalapeno peppers
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (1 package)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar
- 4 cooked bacon slices, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Instructions
- Clean the jalapeno peppers and dice small. Make sure to remove the seeds and the whitish membrane to which the seeds are attached if you want less kick.3 jalapeno peppers
- Add diced jalapeno, cream cheese, shredded cheddar, chopped bacon, and spices to a large bowl and mix together. Set aside.8 ounces cream cheese, softened, ½ cup shredded cheddar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 4 cooked bacon slices, chopped
- Slice the chicken breasts along the side of each breast to form a pocket in the middle. Don’t cut from end to end and don’t cut through so much as to butterfly the breast. Fill each chicken pocket with a portion of the cream cheese filling.4 chicken breasts
- Season each breast with additional salt and pepper (if desired). Add the bread crumbs to a shallow dish, place each breast on top of the crumbs and flip to fully coat the breast.1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Spray the top of the chicken with oil, the place the chicken in the air fryer basket with the pocket facing up. Press down slightly to form a flat bottom
- Cook at 350 degrees F for 18 minutes or until fully cooked. Then remove and let rest for 5 minutes.
Notes
- Oven directions: Prepare as directed, then bake in the oven at 450 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes.
- Substitute Panko breadcrumbs for an even crispier results.
- Leave in the jalapeno peppers' white membranes and/or the seeds for a spicier result.
- Add another layer of flavor by squeezing some lime juice over the chicken when serving.
- Garnish with some fresh or jarred jalapeno slices, if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Happy cooking!
Emily
This was amazing, I couldn't believe how quick it was to make! The kick from the jalapeno is so good!
Andrea
Wow! This chicken is bursting with so much flavor! I can't wait to surprise my family with this delicious meal.
Renee | The Good Hearted Woman
My husband loves this chicken! We serve it with a raspberry bbq sauce and it's delish. Thanks!
Angela
Wow! What a flavor combo. This was so easy to make and my family absolutely loved it. Thanks for the great recipe.
sonal
How fun is this! Never thought of doing jalapeno popper chicken breasts! Makes a great meal. Air fryer is the best gadget in the kitchen.