Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Bacon-wrapped jalapeno popper stuffed chicken breasts are tender, juicy, and literally popping with flavor! And they have all the goodness of creamy, spicy jalapeno poppers stuffed inside chicken breasts and wrapped in crispy bacon. 

José Update:

Speaking of jalapeños, do you remember José, Jose Jalapeño On Zee Deck?

Believe it or not, José is alive, well, and producing peppers as I write this post. So he’s sitting out on our deck for the third summer in a row?!?!

If you have been following along on Instagram, you already knew that José is alive. Still, he was near death a couple of times while I was recuperating from my Melanoma surgery this past winter.

José spends the winter months in a special spot by the basement door. After my surgery, I couldn’t bend my leg for about a month, which meant I couldn’t get down the basement stairs to check on José. David did his best to care for him, but he had enough chores to do, and José was left alone for days without water.

Miraculously, José made it through the long winter, nearly dehydrated but still producing jalapenos. When spring came, I picked all of the tiny peppers off, gave him some fresh potting soil and a healthy dose of plant food, then sat him outside on the deck after the fear of frost. Slowly but surely, his yellow, wrinkled leaves began to green up, and pretty soon, blooms began to form.

José provides me with jalapenos, so naturally, I want to use them in recipes. I took inspiration from my Jalapeno Poppers and Jalapeno Popper Taquitos recipes to make these Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken Breasts. I stuffed the ingredients from these two recipes inside chicken breasts and wrapped them in bacon. These chicken breasts are tender, juicy, and literally popping with flavor.

Ingredients Needed

• Chicken: you will need about 2 ½ pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts or four breasts.
• For the Filling:
  • Cheeses: Softened cream cheese and shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
  • Spices: cumin, onion powder, garlic powder
  • Lime: zest and juice are both used for added flavor.
  • Jalapenos:  Seeded and minced jalapeno peppers. Removing the veins and seeds reduces the amount of heat.
• Bacon: For best results, use a regular cut hardwood smoked bacon. Thick slices are harder to wrap and do not keep their shape as well.
• Cilantro: fresh chopped for garnish adds brightness (optional).

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How To Make Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, add cream cheese, cheddar, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, lime zest, lime juice, and jalapenos. Start by mixing with a fork and then press with the back of a spoon until thoroughly combined.
3. Butterfly the chicken: Cut a pocket horizontally three-quarters of the way through the thickest side of each chicken breast.
4. Fill each chicken breast with ¼ of the jalapeno cheese mixture.
5. Wrap 3 strips of bacon around each fillet place into a 9 x 12 baking dish.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until bacon starts to crisp up and the chicken is fully cooked.

Tips for Wrapping Bacon

I found the best way to do this was to lay three strips of bacon out onto a flat surface. Then, place the stuffed chicken breast on top and wrap the strips around the chicken. You can use toothpicks to secure it, but I didn’t find that the breasts really needed them.

This plant is insane! It must be the fresh mountain air on the deck all summer that helps him get him through the hard winters in the basement. 

Enjoy this chicken recipe!