Jalapeño popper chicken casserole recipe – So quick and easy. Everyone will love this delicious chicken casserole recipe! Shredded chicken, stuffed with Jalapeño peppers, heavy cream, and cream cheese, topped with cheddar, savory bacon, and ready to eat in 30mn. A great baked chicken casserole recipe for lunch or dinner. Gluten-free, and low carb / keto diet friendly. Enjoy!
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Ingredients list for the Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole recipe
- 2 lbs (900g) boneless, skinless, chicken breast cooked and shredded (about 3-4 chicken breasts)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (125ml) heavy cream or milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken stock
- 1/2 pound (125g) jalapeño peppers (about 5-6 peppers)
- 4 oz (125g) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 cup crumbled crispy bacon
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Jalapeno popper chicken casserole
This quick chicken casserole recipe combines the best of both worlds: Jalapeño poppers AND chicken casserole for a total weeknight winner. The chicken casserole is very easy and tastes amazing! If you do not have pre-cooked chicken, use rotisserie chicken instead!
How to make this chicken casserole recipe
This baked chicken casserole is very easy to make. Preheat your oven and season shredded chicken with garlic powder, paprika, and pepper in a casserole dish. Whisk together heavy cream, cream cheese, and chicken stock and pour over the chicken. Add strips of jalapeño peppers and cheddar cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes and sprinkle with bacon, then return to the oven until fully cooked.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Directions
How to make the jalapeño popper chicken casserole:
1. Preheat your oven to 375˚F (190ºC). Lay the shredded chicken breast in a casserole dish (already cooked). Season the chicken with garlic powder, paprika, and pepper.
2. Whisk together heavy cream, cream cheese, and chicken stock. Spread the mixture evenly over the shredded chicken.
3. Wash the jalapeño peppers and cut the tops off. Remove the seeds and stems if you want it milder, or leave some if you want it more spicy. Cut the peppers into strips and lay them on the cream cheese.
4. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top.
5. Bake the chicken casserole for 20 minutes or until bubbly and hot. Remove from oven 5 minutes before cooking is complete and sprinkle with bacon; then return for the remaining cooking time.
6. Remove front the oven, garnish the jalapeño popper chicken casserole with fresh chopped parsley, and serve immediately. Enjoy! ❤️
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Tips for the chicken casserole recipe
- As some of our readers advised, you can dice the Jalapeño instead of just slicing them lengthwise.
- This jalapeño popper chicken casserole recipe is naturally gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-friendly.
- If bacon is not your thing (seriously?) but you still want a crisp, crunchy topping, sprinkle your chicken casserole with crushed pork rind. For those not on a Keto diet, breadcrumbs or Panko are great options.
What to serve with this easy chicken casserole?
Serve your chicken casserole warm on a bed of cauliflower rice, with a side salad, sautéed spinach, or veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or these super delicious garlic butter sautéed green beans. For non-Keto, try with a side of veggies or a baked potato.
Can this chicken casserole be frozen?
Sure! You can freeze the chicken casserole before or after baking. To bake after freezing, thaw overnight in your refrigerator, then follow up with the recipe. To freeze after baking: let the chicken casserole chill, then store in portion in airtight containers. Thaw overnight, then reheat in the oven, covered, at 350ºF (180ºC).
How to keep chicken casserole leftovers
You can keep the chicken casserole leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Reheat covered with foil and your oven at 350ºF (180ºC) for 20 minutes.
More chicken casserole recipes
- 25 Best Easy Chicken Casserole Recipes
- Fajita Chicken Casserole
- French Onion Chicken Casserole
- Spinach Chicken Casserole with Cream Cheese and Mozzarella
- Broccoli Chicken Casserole with Cream Cheese and Mozzarella
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Leave a Reply
Heatherlee
2024-02-04 19:00:21
I have a lot of food allergies, even dairy. Its hard to find easy and tasy meal. But I was able to substitute the dairy for all non dairy options and still had a tasty meal.
Leslie
2023-10-05 16:55:02
Omg this recipe is AMAZING!!! I made it exactly as written except I left out the chicken stock since people mentioned it’s soupy. I had half and half (instead of full cream) on hand, thus my other reason for leaving it out. I put black beans on the bottom of my casserole dish and diced my peppers instead of slicing them. Finished product is meal-prepped and ready for working the weekend! Made about eight generous servings for me.
Robyn
2023-08-17 08:47:28
This was awesome! I replaced the heavy cream with oat milk. Can't wait to make it again.
Beth
2023-08-01 13:36:38
I like how people review their own recipe on someone else's recipe. This is great as written!
Heather
2023-07-23 00:49:07
My family loves this dish! I do add extra seasonings to the chicken as I find it a bit bland; garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne, chili powder, cumin. Additionally, I like to add just a bit extra cream sauce. Delicious!
Kathy Fatti
2022-06-21 19:08:12
I mixed the cream cheese, heavy cream mixture with the cheddar cheese and paprika. I put that mixture on the bottom of a Pyrex casserole dish (smaller than a 9x13). I fried a few slices of bacon and then fried the sliced jalapeños. After removing the jalapeño’s, I fried the rest of the bacon. I put the jalapeños on top of the chicken mixture and topped it with panko bread crumbs then drizzled melted butter over the top. Baked as directed. Delicious!
Sarah Lo
2022-04-27 18:29:07
Definitely a favorite of mine and make it once every two weeks. So glad a dear friend turned me into this site. I have made many things and all easy and delicious. Unfortunately, I’m the only one that likes it super spicy so I try to put more jalapeños on one end of the casserole than the other. However, sometimes they dig in before I can tell them so their mouths are burning while I’m secretly adding more jalapeños to my serving. And yeah I found a nice HOT jar of crispy jalapeños and they are amazing. I’ve even mixed those with fresh. I like texture. Also foe those who live with others who don’t care about carbs, the sweetness of a Spanish rice pares perfectly with the heat of the casserole…
Sara S
2021-12-08 19:23:11
This continues to be one of our favorites & an easy, go-to dinner. I have tweaked it a bit for our tastes, using diced green chiles instead of jalapeños since we like the flavor of green chile better. I also add 1/2 tsp of onion powder & tonight I added a little cumin too. To make it easier I use rotisserie chicken from our freezer & mix the sauce, add the shredded chicken & chiles to the bowl of sauce & mix it all up. Transfer 1/2 to your greased baking dish, top with 1/2 cheese, put in remaining chicken mix, top with remaining cheese. Sometimes if I have some leftover little keto tortilla chip shards I will stir those in too so that it is more like King Ranch Chicken.
Kelley
2021-11-08 18:28:14
This recipe is delish! I think next time I will make a little more of the cream cheese mixture and stir the chicken and peppers into it so you get more sauce in every bite. For those who has issues with the sauce being too thin, use heavy cream and really whisk it, almost like you’re making whipped cream. Mine came out perfect!
Carly
2021-10-29 14:12:49
This was so good! I’m new to cooking so this was pretty easy for me. I actually liked the jalapeños with a little crunch. Great dish for someone new in the kitchen.
Carlea
2021-10-03 08:22:09
This had a great flavor. I added more cream cheese because my mixture ended up a little runny. If I do it again, I will roast the peppers a little before and would chop them up as others have recommended. It was delicious with a crisp green salad with avocado and tomato.
Lindsay
2021-09-12 21:39:14
This recipe is SO good! So excited to have leftovers for lunch this week 😋. After seeing the other comments about crunchy peppers, I opted for my jar of sliced jalapeños I had in the fridge. I just laid down a nice even layer. I also used about twice as much cheddar, so that the top was covered. This was beyond good, thank you so much for this yummy recipe!
Alicia
2021-06-10 13:03:10
I made this casserole last night and it was delicious! I did add extra cream cheese and extra cheddar cheese. I also largely diced the jalapeños and sautéed them in the bacon grease before I added them to the casserole. Another thing I added that made a huge difference in flavor was cooked chorizo. I added the chorizo to the cream cheese mixture and it was FIRE! I sprinkled some fresh diced tomatoes and green onion on top and it was so so good. Will make again!
Carmen Lewis
2021-05-28 20:32:53
I've made this a few times now and it's always delicious. This time I chopped the jalapenos and cooked them in 1-2 tbspn of the bacon grease as someone previously mentioned. It was delicious.
Stephanie
2021-05-13 17:48:39
This recipe is easy to make, for me that's a plus. This recipe has a lot of flavor, giving the jalapenos give it that extra punch that sets this meal off. I give this recipe two thumbs up.
New Mexican green chili but they call me 🔥
2021-03-29 13:05:31
I substituted the jalapeños for chopped New Mexican green chilies. I guess any kind of green chili would do if you can’t get your hands on in New Mexican green chili.😂 I’ve also done it with whole roasted green chilies, cut in half lengthwise which was delicious. The jalapeños are crispy unless they’re roasted beforehand. I added a little less heavy cream and topped it with avocado after baking.
Brittaney
2021-03-18 20:43:58
I have made this recipe three times now the first time I just sliced the jalapenos and cooked it for the 20 minutes and the pepper still came out crunchy. The second time I made it I follow the suggestions and I dice the jalapenos but they still came out crunchy. The third time I made it I dice the jalapenos and sauteed them so then they were soft once they were done baking. But each time I've made it it always comes out soupy. I love this recipe I just wish it wasn't so soupy
Linda
2021-02-26 15:13:30
Delicious! I diced jalapeños and used half and half since I don’t have heavy cream. So good I wanted to lick the plate.
Angie
2021-01-28 17:10:24
This is both easy and delicious. At first I followed directions. Then I modified it by cutting the Jalapenos as other suggested. I also did a double layer of cheese and sauce to make it "cheesier". Turned out perfect! Thank you for the suggestion.
Loretta
2021-01-18 17:29:03
Oh my was this ever awesome!!! I put leftover rice mixed with cilantro on the bottom and avocado on top for serving, it’s def a keeper recipe. I also sliced up the jalapeño into smaller pieces.
Briana
2020-12-28 18:30:48
This recipe is amazing! I chopped the jalapeno instead of doing strips. It was delicious over rice.