Stuffed Chicken Breast with Cheese and Jalapeño

This recipe for Stuffed Chicken Breast with Cheese is also packed with jalapeno, bacon, and cheddar. All inside a perfectly well-seasoned chicken breast and topped with more cheese. It is easier to make than it might seem, and every bite is bursting with flavor.

Ingredients

This recipe really gives you bang for your buck in the flavor department. And it is made with things that I typically keep on hand anyway. Give or take the jalapeno, but I could always use a can of diced peppers or some hot sauce or salsa if I was in a pinch.

You will notice nothing really out of the ordinary. These should all be easy to find and use ingredients. You will want to get your hands on some butcher twine if you don't have it. It really is the best way to hold the chicken together, though you could use toothpicks if you had to.

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.

Method

First mix up the filling.

Then, split the chicken breasts open, being careful not to cut all the way through, and flatten them between two pieces of parchment paper with a tenderizer.

Season both sides of the tenderized chicken and fill with a couple of tablespoons of the filling mixture. Then roll and tie up each chicken breast.

When the chicken has cooked fully and a thermometer reads 165˚F, remove the chicken from the oven and remove the ties. Top the chicken with some more cheddar cheese and place it under the broiler to melt and crisp the cheese.

The crispy crunchy cheese on top just makes it the best! And the filling is perfectly balanced with sweetness from the cream cheese and spice from the jalapeno.

Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a review or comment! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

Continue to Content

📖 Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Cheese and Jalapeño

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This recipe for Stuffed Chicken Breast with Cheese is also packed with jalapeno, bacon, and cheddar & bursting with flavor in every bite!

Print

Ingredients

• 4 ounces Cream Cheese, room temp
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 2 Jalapeño Peppers, seeded and diced
• ½ cup Bacon Bits
• 4 large Chicken Breasts, split half way
• Kosher Salt
• Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
• Sweet Smoked Paprika
• Kitchen Twine or Tooth Picks
• Olive oil, for drizzling before cooking

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar, jalapeños, and bacon bits, and press everything together with a spatula to make a cohesive mixture. Set aside until needed.
3. Split the chicken breasts in half lengthwise, being careful not to cut all the way through. You can open them up and pound them out slightly with a meat mallet, between two pieces of plastic wrap if you like, but it is not necessary.
4. Season the inside and outside, basically all sides, of the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.
5. With the slit, you cut in the chicken open, and place 2-3 tablespoons of the cheese mixture onto the chicken.
6. Close the chicken up by folding the chicken over itself and tie each breast up with some kitchen twine or use a couple of toothpicks to hold the chicken closed.
7. Place the chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet if you want easy clean up and drizzle some olive oil over the top.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reads at least 165˚F.
9. Top with a bit more cheddar cheese and turn the oven to broil. Place the chicken under the broiler until the cheese melts and becomes crisp.
10. Let rest for 5 minutes, and serve.

Notes

Notes & Tips

When splitting open the chicken breasts, work in smooth short strokes. This will help ensure you don't cut all the way through. You want to keep the backside intact.

If you do split a hole in the chicken, don't get too worried. Just press it closed after wrapping and tying up the chicken. Some cheese may leak out, but not much. It will all be ok.

If your cream cheese isn't at room temp, pop it in the microwave in 15-second increments until spreadable.

Tenderizing the chicken between two pieces of parchment keeps your kitchen and workspace clean, making sure chicken bits don't go flying. Season on the plastic too, then wrap it up and throw it away.

Substitutions

I love classic cheddar for this mixture, but white cheddar or extra sharp would also hold up well.

While this recipe is so basic, there really aren't any swaps to be made, there are a few other great combos.

Try, blue cheese in place of the cheddar, and drop the jalapeno. Or just drop the jalapeno if you don't like spicy, cheddar bacon is perfect on its own.

Ham and Swiss would give this recipe a Chicken Cordon Bleu flavor if you like that. Gruyere would be a great swiss choice.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Norpro Meat Pounder
• 
  TJ.MOREE Butchers Twine, 3Ply 100m/328 1mmThick Feet Food Safe Cotton Cooking Meat Rope String Bakers Twine Fit to Parcel Sausage and Decorate Crafts (White)
• 
  SMARTAKE 200 Pcs Parchment Paper Baking Sheets, 12x16 Inches Non-Stick Precut Baking Parchment, Perfect for Baking Grilling Air Fryer Steaming Bread Cup Cake Cookie and More (Unbleached)
• 
  Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet (3 Pack)
• 
  Lavatools PT12 Javelin Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer for Kitchen, Food Cooking, Grill, BBQ, Smoker, Candy, Home Brewing, Coffee, and Oil Deep Frying

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 513Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 159mgSodium: 689mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 50g

This is an estimated caloric value, actual numbers may differ based on the ingredients used.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram