Hasselback Chicken (Jalapeno Popper Style)

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No more boring chicken dinners: This baked jalapeno popper hasselback chicken recipe is packed with flavor and a fun way to switch up chicken meals! Everyone will enjoy this jalapeno popper chicken breast, because it combines all the flavors of jalapeño poppers into one main chicken dish. Layers of creamy cheese, bacon, and sliced jalapenos… there’s so much to love!

What Is Hasselback Chicken?

Hasselback chicken breast is a fun twist on stuffed chicken! It involves deep cuts in the chicken with filling stuffed between the slices.

This cooking method originated with hasselback potatoes at the Hasselbacken Restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden, but it works with a variety of other foods, including chicken.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for jalapeno popper chicken, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Chicken Breasts – I find that boneless skinless chicken breasts work best for hasselbacking, but you could try boneless skinless chicken thighs as well.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper – For seasoning the chicken.
• Cream Cheese – Either full-fat or light would work. Allow it to sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to soften.
• Cheddar Cheese – I used cheddar cheese because I think it’s best for melting, but you could also use mozzarella, Colby jack, or your favorite melting cheese.
• Bacon – My favorite methods for cooking bacon for this hasselback chicken recipe are bacon in the oven or air fryer bacon! But you can use the stove top, too, if you prefer. Just make sure it’s cooked, otherwise it will be floppy if you start with it raw.
• Jalapeno – Use a fresh one and cut into thin slices. The seeds are the spiciest part, so leave them in if you like heat or remove them if you want a milder result. If you don’t like jalapenos, you can cut bell peppers into pieces and use those instead.
• Fresh Chives – Chives are optional, but I think they add a fresh flavor to the cream cheese.

How To Make Hasselback Chicken

This section shows how to make the best hasselback chicken, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Prep. Preheat the oven. Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in a stoneware baking dish.
2. Season. Add salt and pepper to both sides of the chicken.
3. Slice. Use a sharp knife to cut 6 slits in the top of each chicken breast in the short direction. Cut most of the way through, but not all the way to the bottom.
4. Stuff with cheese. In a medium or small bowl, mash together the cream cheese and shredded cheddar. Stuff the cheese mixture into the slits.

5. Add bacon and jalapenos. Slice the bacon into 3 sections each. Stuff the bacon slices into each slit, 6 small pieces per chicken breast. Stuff the jalapeno slices into each slit, 6 slices per chicken breast.

TIP: Add more heat if you want.

As written, this chicken is pretty mild with 1 jalapeno piece per chicken slice. Even my young kids ate it. If you like more heat, you can use 2 or 3 jalapenos instead of just one, and place more jalapenos between each slice before baking.

6. Bake. Cook hasselback chicken in the oven, until the chicken internal temperature reaches at least 163 degrees F. (For best results, use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken, not the filling area.) You can cook to 165 degrees F to be extra safe, but I prefer to take it out a little early and let it reach 165 degrees F while resting.
7. Rest. Remove from the oven and let the jalapeno popper chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. (This allows the internal temperature to rise to fully cooked, and also ensures that the chicken stays juicy.)
8. Garnish. Add a sprinkle of fresh chives right before serving, if desired.

Variations For Hasselback Chicken Recipes

Instead of the jalapeno popper chicken stuffing, try making chicken hasselback with different fillings:

• Hasselback Chicken Caprese – Slice tomatoes and mozzarella very thinly, and cut the pieces to a width slightly wider than the thickness of your chicken breast. Stuff a piece of mozzarella, a tomato slice, and a whole basil leaf into each slit in the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar before baking.
• Creamy Spinach – Make the filling like my spinach stuffed chicken recipe, then stuff that into the slits.
• Cheesy Asparagus – Stuff provolone or mozzarella cheese into the slits. Cut thin, small asparagus spears into 6 pieces and put a piece in each chicken slit. Or, check out my asparagus stuffed chicken recipe.
• Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu – Stuff the slits with slices of ham, Swiss cheese, and a touch of Dijon mustard.
• Ranch Hasselback Chicken – Add ranch seasoning to the cream cheese mixture to make a bacon, ranch, and cheese filling.

Storage Instructions

• Store: Place leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Meal prep: You can prep hasselback chicken recipes ahead of time. Assemble them ahead and store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days, then bake right before serving.
• Reheat: Warm up in the oven at 350 degrees F, or in the microwave.
• Freeze: You can freeze jalapeno popper chicken, before or after baking, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking or reheating as usual. For other hasselback chicken recipes, it will depend on the filling and whether it freezes well.

What To Serve With Hasselback Chicken

This jalapeno popper chicken is a filling meal, so it just needs a simple side! Here are a few side dishes to try with it:

• Easy Veggies – Since this chicken is filling on its own, try pairing it alongside a lighter healthy side dish like roasted broccolini, roasted vegetables, sauteed broccoli, or cauliflower rice.
• Potatoes – The easiest way to tone down a spicy dish is to serve it with a side of potatoes. Try this dish over roasted potatoes, your favorite mashed potatoes (or mashed cauliflower), or baked sweet potatoes.
• Simple Salads – Caprese salad, spring mix salad, or a classic wedge salad would all compliment this hasselback chicken recipe.

More Cheesy Chicken Recipes

Looking for more ways to shake up plain chicken? Try some of my favorites:

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

Bacon Ranch Chicken

Chicken Florentine

Baked Buffalo Chicken

5 from 9 votes

Hasselback Chicken (Jalapeno Popper Style)

Jalapeno popper hasselback chicken is an easy, flavorful dinner with just 5 simple ingredients, including bacon, cream cheese, and jalapenos.

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Total: 40 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

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• 4 8-oz Boneless skinless chicken breasts ▢
• 1 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper ▢
• 6 oz Cream cheese (softened) ▢
• 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese (shredded) ▢
• 8 slices Cooked bacon ▢
• 1 medium Jalapeno (sliced thinly, 1/8 inch thick) ▢
• 1 tbsp Fresh chives (optional; chopped) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).

2. Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in a stoneware dish. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

3. Cut 6 slits in the top of each chicken breast in the short direction, about 1/2 inch (1.27 cm) apart, cutting about 3/4 of the way down but not all the way through to the bottom.

4. In a medium bowl, mash together the cream cheese and shredded cheddar. Stuff the cheese mixture into the slits.

5. Stack the cooked bacon slices and make 2 cuts to cut each slice into 3 pieces, which would be approximately the width of the chicken breasts. (If you don’t have any cooked, you can cook bacon in the oven like this while you prep the chicken.) Stuff the bacon slices into each slit, 6 small pieces per chicken breast.

6. Stuff the jalapeno slices into each slit, 6 slices per chicken breast.

7. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches at least 163 degrees F (71 degrees C). (Note: The baking time will vary depending on the size of your baking dish. If the chicken pieces are not touching each other, they will be done faster.)

8. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Internal temperature will continue to rise a few degrees — use a meat thermometer to ensure it has reached 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) before serving.

9. Sprinkle with fresh chives right before serving, if desired.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 hasselback chicken breast

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 475

Fat 30.4g

Protein 44.2g

Total Carbs 3.1g

Net Carbs 3g

Fiber 0.1g

Sugar 1.8g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keywords: hasselback chicken

Calories: 475 kcal

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