Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Jalapeno popper stuffed chicken Recipe
Celebrating the US and Canadian launch of my cookbook by turning a celebration meals favorite into dinner! That is jalapeño poppers, stuffed inside chicken. Heat, tacky, spicy. Fabulous, straightforward strategy to make chicken breast an entire lot extra thrilling.
I needed to share one thing celebratory to mark the event however it didn’t really feel smart to put up get together meals on a Wednesday. So as an alternative, I did the subsequent neatest thing – a recipe that turns a celebration meals favorite into dinner. 😂 Introducing: Jalapeño popper stuffed chicken!
To those that are unfamiliar with the fantastic world of jalapeño poppers, let me describe it to you. You mainly take a jalapeño, stuff it with a flavoured cream cheese, then both crumb and fry it or (for these making an attempt to take the excessive street), bake it. In brief – they’re spicy, tacky, heat little bundles of goodness. An all-rounder appetiser favorite and particularly in excessive demand on sport day!
So in the present day, we’re taking every part we love about jalapeño poppers and stuffing it inside chicken breast to show it into dinner. It’s like chicken breast with an oozy tacky sauce with slightly heat buzz from the jalapeño. SO GOOD!
Not that many substances!
The filling
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Jalapeños – You will want 2 entire jalapeños to get good jalapeño flavour within the filling and a heat buzz. The jalapeño is spicier when uncooked than it’s as soon as cooked on this dish. It’s because the spiciness within the jalapeño spreads all through the filling because it bakes which reduces the spiciness of the jalapeño itself.
For a non-spicy choice use inexperienced capsicum/bell pepper as an alternative. Do one of the best you possibly can to finely mince it like I do the jalapeño.
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Cream cheese – This acts because the binder and is our shortcut ingredient for the stuffing. We solely want 60g/2oz which is about 1/4 of a regular 250g/8oz block so you can also make this recipe 4 occasions! (You’ll need to 😊)
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Cheeses – Mozzarella for tacky ooze and parmesan for salt + flavour. Be happy to substitute the mozzarella for an additional kind of melty cheese.
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Garlic powder – For earthy garlic flavour. Substitute with recent garlic.
The seasoned chicken
Only a contact of paprika is all we use to flavour the chicken. We actually don’t want a lot as a result of the jalapeño popper filling does the heavy lifting on this dish!
Don’t fret concerning the stuffing and sealing half. Oozage is sweet. In actual fact, the melty bits with the crispy edges within the pan are one of the best half!
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Combine the filling substances collectively. It must be creamy and stuff-able.
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Lower a pocket in every chicken breast. I discover the best manner to do that is to press down on the breast with the palm of your hand to tighten the flesh so it’s simpler to chop. Then lower as if you might be slicing them into 2 skinny steaks, besides don’t lower throughout.
TIP: Depart the sleek edge intact, lower by the opposite edge. Appears neater and holds the filling in higher.
Did you stuff up the pocket? I’ve stuffed it up loads of occasions! Don’t fret, simply use toothpicks to seal tears on the bottom/floor/sides. And don’t fear about filling oozing out into the pan when it bakes. There’s at all times some ooze, it by no means stays in utterly, it’s only a query of how a lot oozes. When you have a a lot of ooze, simply scoop it up and put it in your chicken. (Additionally, I promise to attempt very onerous to not use the phrase “ooze” once more for the remainder of this put up!).
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Stuff the chicken breast with the filling. Push all of it the way in which in – I take advantage of my palms.
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Seal utilizing toothpicks as finest you possibly can. I normally use 3 per breast.
Bought filling bursting out by the seams? LUCKY YOU! Think about it when it’s all melty within the pan and crispy golden edges.
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Season the chicken breast with the paprika and salt. Sprinkle on both sides.
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Sear the chicken breast in an oven-proof skillet for two minutes on both sides till golden. They won’t color any extra within the oven so get a pleasant color on them.
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Bake for quarter-hour in an 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) oven or till the interior temperature is 67°C/155°F (that is simply totally cooked, which suggests optimum juiciness for breast).
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Relaxation for five minutes earlier than consuming. Resting is necessary because it permits the chicken juices to develop into reabsorbed into the meat fibres. In the event you don’t relaxation, the chicken juices will run out onto your plate whenever you lower into the meat, as an alternative of staying within the chicken flesh and ending up in your mouth!
The jalapeño stuffed chicken breast is pictured with a handful of rocket/arugula and cherry tomatoes tossed with my On a regular basis Salad Dressing. As a result of I used to be so caught up ensuring I captured the proper cheese ooze I forgot to organize sides for the picture!
If I had been extra ready, I most likely would have added cauliflower mash or mashed potato on the aspect together with easy garlic inexperienced beans. A seasoned butter rice would even be an excellent starch choice and for a lot of extra salad/vegetable sides, head right here and browse my vegetable!
However what do you assume? What would you serve it with? Bread for mopping, pasta, rice, beans? Love studying your concepts. – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 2 x 220g/7oz chicken breast, skinless, boneless
- 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or ordinary paprika)
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 60g/ 2 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese , shredded (or other cheese)
- 1/4 cup parmesan , finely shredded
- 2 jalapeños , deseeded and finely diced (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
- Cut pockets into each chicken breast (Note 2), taking care not to cut all the way through. Cut on the side with the fold in the meat, to keep the smooth side intact.
- Stuffing – Microwave the cream cheese for 30 seconds to soften. Mix together with remaining jalapeño popper stuffing ingredients.
- Stuff & seal – Stuff inside the chicken pockets, stuffing it all the way in! Then seal each chicken with 2 or 3 toothpicks. If some stuffing is oozing out, that’s a bonus – it’s the best part when it crisps in the pan! Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the paprika and salt.
- Sear – Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Place the breast smooth-side down, sear for 2 minutes until golden (it won't colour more in the oven). Flip and sear the other side for another 2 minutes.
- Bake 15 min – Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 67°C/155°F.
- Rest and serve – Remove the chicken to a plate and rest for 5 minutes, then serve!
Notes
1. Jalapeño – 2 jalapeños makes the filling mildly spicy, not blow-your-head-off. The spiciness of jalapeños is reduced when cooked in sauces. Essentially, the spiciness is spread throughout the filling which reduces the spiciness when you bite into a bit of jalapeño. You can reduce the jalapeño if you want, but 2 really does bring great jalapeño flavour to this dish.
Non spicy substitute – green capsicum/bell pepper, similar flavour without spiciness. Cut as needed so you can finely diced it, like the pictured jalapeños.
2. Cutting pockets – Leave the smooth edge of the chicken breast untouched, cut through the other side. Makes it look neater and holds the filling in better.
3. Storage – leftovers wil keep for 3 days in the fridge. Nutrition per chicken breast.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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