Jalapeño Cream Cheese
Stuffed Chicken
Butterflied chicken breasts packed with a spicy, creamy jalapeño cream cheese filling, topped with sharp cheddar and crispy turkey bacon, then baked until golden and cooked through. It looks restaurant-quality when sliced, takes 30 minutes, and delivers serious flavor with every bite.
- Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Filling
- 4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
- 2 jalapeños, diced (seeded for mild, seeds in for hot)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp cumin
- — salt & pepper, to taste
- Topping
- ⅓ cup 2% cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 slices turkey bacon, diced
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1
Preheat & make the filling
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, diced jalapeños, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
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2
Butterfly the chicken
Place each chicken breast on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice horizontally through the center of each breast, stopping about ½ inch from the other side — like opening a book. Open flat. Season both sides of each butterflied breast with cumin, garlic powder, garlic salt, and black pepper.
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3
Fill & fold
Spread a generous amount of the cream cheese filling over one half of each butterflied breast. Fold the other half back over to close, pressing gently to seal. Place in a lightly sprayed baking dish.
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4
Top & bake
Sprinkle the shredded cheddar evenly over each stuffed breast. Scatter the diced turkey bacon over the top. Bake uncovered at 375°F for 22–25 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, the cheese is melted, and the turkey bacon is crispy.
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5
Rest & serve
Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing — this keeps the filling inside and the juices in the meat. Slice on a diagonal to show off the creamy jalapeño filling inside and serve immediately.
- Oven beats slow cooker here: Baking keeps the cream cheese filling thick and intact and gives you crispy turkey bacon on top — the slow cooker would melt the filling into the cooking liquid and leave you with soggy bacon.
- Heat level: Seeding the jalapeños gives you flavor with very little heat. Leaving the seeds in makes it genuinely spicy. One seeded, one with seeds is a good middle ground if you're unsure.
- Secure with toothpicks: If the chicken keeps opening up before it goes in the oven, press a toothpick through each side to hold it shut during baking. Remove before serving.
- Slice on the diagonal: Cutting each breast on an angle reveals the creamy filling inside — this is what makes it look restaurant-quality on the plate.
- Serving ideas: This is fantastic alongside our Roasted Radishes, a simple green salad, or over cauliflower rice to catch any filling that melts out during baking.