Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole

4.15 from 7 votes

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole

This Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole features seasoned chicken shredded and mixed into a deliciously rich mixture of crispy bacon, cream cheese, hot sauce, and spicy jalapeños before being topped with shredded cheese and baked to bubbling browned perfection. It's the ideal casserole for family dinners and can be made in just over 1 hour!

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken jalapeno popper casserole, jalapeno popper casserole, jalapeno popper casserole recipe, jalapeno popper chicken casserole, jalapeno popper chicken casserole low carb, jalapeno popper chicken casserole recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 564kcal

Author: Sara Nelson

Ingredients

20 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
6 slices bacon roughly chopped
2 jalapeños finely chopped
12 ounces cream cheese cubed
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons hot sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheet with foil. Place baking rack atop lined baking sheet.
In a mixing bowl, toss chicken thighs in salt and pepper. Transfer seasoned chicken to prepared baking rack. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a pan over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and place on paper towel-lined plate to remove excess grease. Do not discard bacon grease.
In pan of bacon grease over medium heat, add chopped jalapeños and cook until softened and edges are browned, about 3 minutes. To pan, add cubed cream cheese, mayonnaise, and hot sauce and cook until cream cheese has softened and all ingredients are well-combined, about 5 minutes.
Once chicken has finished cooking, remove baking sheet from oven. Do not turn oven off. Transfer chicken to mixing bowl and shred using two forks. Mix in crumbled bacon and cream cheese mixture.
Transfer mixture to 8x8 baking pan and, using a rubber spatula, spread into an even layer. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and shredded cheddar atop mixture. Transfer baking pan to middle rack of oven and bake for 10 minutes before turning oven broiler on and broiling for 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from oven and allow casserole to cool slightly before cutting into pieces.

Notes

Preparing In Advance To Bake Later: Follow the directions in the recipe until it’s time to bake, then refrigerate for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to eat, follow the baking instructions in the recipe and enjoy!

Refrigerator Storage: Store the cooked dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, pop it in the microwave until heated throughout or in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

Freezer Storage: Store the cooked and cooled casserole in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition