This Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad is a flavorful low-carb meal option that puts a fun spin on traditional jalapeño poppers.
This salad is so easy to whip together and is perfect for meal prepping.
Make it ahead of time and include it in your lunch menu for weekdays when you’re in a hurry.
How to store your low carb jalapeño popper chicken salad
If you wind up with leftovers and need to save a batch of this salad, be sure to keep it stored in an airtight container. Refrigerate it and enjoy within 2-3 days for peak freshness!
Jalapeño salad FAQs
Can I use turkey instead of chicken? Sure! If you prefer turkey, feel free to use it in place of chicken in this recipe. Be sure to monitor the turkey while cooking, as it may need more or less time to come to temperature (165 degrees Fahrenheit).
Can I use chicken thighs? Yes, and this is actually the substitution for chicken breast that I’d recommend. The cooking instructions are the same for chicken thighs as they are for chicken breasts.
Can I omit the jalapeños in this recipe? Absolutely! If you do not like spicy dishes, you can altogether omit the jalapeños in this chicken salad. If you are looking for a dish that is mildly spicy, simply reduce the amount of jalapeños.
How to make this Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad
Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line baking tray with parchment paper. Cook chicken breast until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, about 15-18 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and carefully cut into smaller pieces before transferring to a large plate or bowl and place in refrigerator to chill. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees.
Cook bacon in oven (15-20 minutes at 425 degrees, depending on thickness of bacon) or on stovetop until crispy. Transfer cooked bacon to paper towel-lined plated to remove excess grease.
Turn on oven broiler and place jalapeños atop baking sheet, transfer baking sheet to oven directly below broiler, and broil until lightly charred, about 3-5 minutes. Remove jalapeños from oven and allow to cool slightly before de-stemming and roughly chopping. De-seed jalapeños based on your spice preferences. Transfer chopped jalapeños to large mixing bowl.
Cut cooked chicken breast into cubes, crumble the crispy baked bacon into bits, and add all remaining ingredients (I would suggest adding only 1 tbsp hot sauce at this time, taste testing, and then, if you’d like, adding additional 1 tbsp, based on your desired spice preferences) and mix until well-combined.
Mix mixture until well-combined. Cover bowl with lid or foil and transfer to refrigerator to chill for 1 hour before serving.
Serve salad chilled and enjoy!
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Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast
- 8 slices ~8 oz bacon
- 3 jalapeños
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1/2 cup 120g mayonnaise (or sour cream for egg-free)
- 1-2 tbsp 15mL-30mL hot sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place raw chicken breast atop parchment paper and transfer baking sheet to oven. Cook chicken breast until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, about 15-18 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and carefully cut into smaller pieces before transferring to a large plate or bowl and place in refrigerator to chill. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees.
- Cook bacon in oven until crispy, about 15-20 minutes depending on thickness of bacon. Transfer cooked bacon to paper towel-lined plated to remove excess grease. Set aside.
- Turn on oven broiler and place jalapeños atop baking sheet, transfer baking sheet to oven directly below broiler, and broil until lightly charred, about 3-5 minutes. Remove jalapeños from oven and allow to cool slightly before de-stemming and roughly chopping. De-seed jalapeños based on your spice preferences. Transfer chopped jalapeños to large mixing bowl.
- Remove cooked chicken from refrigerator and, using a sharp knife, cube cooked chicken breast. Crumble cooked bacon. Transfer chicken and bacon to mixing bowl of chopped jalapeños.
- To same mixing bowl, add all remaining ingredients (I would suggest adding only 1 tbsp hot sauce at this time, taste testing, and then, if you’d like, adding additional 1 tbsp, based on your desired spice preferences) and mix until well-combined. Cover bowl with lid or foil and transfer to refrigerator to chill for 1 hour before serving.
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