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My family loves jalapeño poppers. I knew they were going to love this Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole Recipe. If you use precooked chicken, you can easily get this dinner on the table in just 30 minutes.

Close up image of a 9x13 pan of jalapeno popper chicken casserole.
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Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole Recipe:

Jalapeño Popper Chicken casserole is seriously the best therefore, everyone loves it! The creamy sauce has just the right amount of heat but it’s still mild enough for the entire family.

Although jalapeño peppers are throughout the Jalapeño Popper Chicken casserole, the kids still ask for seconds!

From the shredded chicken, jalapeños, cream cheese and bacon this recipe is so easy to make. Dinner can be done in about 30 minutes which is one of the reasons why I love this easy recipe.

We love making casseroles! Casseroles make my life so much easy as they are full of flavor and all the ingredients go into one pan!

You may also love King Ranch Chicken Casserole.

Close up image of a 9x13 pan of jalapeno popper chicken casserole.

Let’s get started with this quick and easy casserole!

Make sure you have a nice 9×13 casserole dish. Or if you want to make clean up a breeze, try using one of these foil pans.

They are great because you just throw them away when you are done. We use them often. They help out on those crazy busy nights and are perfect for bringing over for a party!

You can prepare the chicken ahead of time, and then add to this casserole when you are ready to eat. If you want to prepare this casserole the night before, you will save you even more time!

Close up image of ingredients for the Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole.

Ingredients for Jalapeño Chicken Casserole:

  • cooked chicken, diced
  • cream cheese
  • bowtie pasta
  • Monterrey jack cheese
  • cheddar cheese
  • chicken broth
  • milk
  • fresh jalapeños – We like to use fresh jalapenos in this recipe.
  • bread crumbs
  • bacon
Close up image of a serving of the Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole. Also a 9x13 pan of jalapeno popper chicken casserole with two forks.

How to make Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole:

  • First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Next, boil the pasta until al dente, to make sure it isn’t mushy.
  • Then in a pan, melt the cream cheese and chicken broth and milk.
  • After these ingredients are melted and combined, add in the Monterey jack cheese and stir to melt.
  • After that add in the pasta and the diced jalapeños to the cream cheese mixture. Save a few of the diced jalapeños for the top of the casserole!
  • Then add chicken and pour the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish. Finally, top the casserole with the bread crumbs.
  • Cover the casserole and bake for 20 minutes. After this cook time, take the cover off. 
  • Then top the casserole with the cheddar cheese, remaining jalapeños and diced up bacon. 
  • Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve this chicken dish with a side salad for an easy dinner idea.
Close up image of jalapeno popper chicken in process.

Jalapeno Chicken Casserole:

This Jalapeño Chicken Casserole is so yummy! It has that perfect blend of cheese and spice.

This Jalapeno casserole is a bit spicy, but not too much that you can’t handle it. Our kids devoured it and they all came back for seconds.

You could even freeze it or make it the night before so you just have to toss it in the oven. The options are endless!

Either way, I think you will agree that this dinner is delicious.

How to freeze:

The Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole freezes great! When I make I like to make a few casseroles that I can freeze for an upcoming busy night.

You can also refrigerate up to 3-4 days in an air tight container or freeze up to a month.

Also you an easily freeze individual size portions of this recipe so that they can easily be heated up for lunch.

It makes it so easy to reheat when the food is already in an individual container. We grab one and out the door we go!

Close up image of a 9x13 pan of Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole with a brown spoon.

Easy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Casserole Variations: 

Use a Rotisserie chicken – Using precooked chicken breasts makes this recipe so easy to prepare. I have used rotisserie chicken to make this dinner evene asier.

Use Chicken Thighs – Cooked chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts is also a great substitution.

Mix in Garlic Powder – This is one of those delicious recipes that you can easily swap out some of the ingredients. We do this a lot for what we already have or can get on sale. Garlic powder is great in this recipe.

Make it keto friendly – If you are following the keto diet, you can remove the pasta. The recipe will still be so delicious!

Substitute JalapenosEveryone loves the jalapeño flavor so this casserole dish is a hit. If you do not like jalapeno peppers, you can substitute with a can of green chilies for a different flavor.

Change the Cheese – Feel free to use whatever cheese you have. I have tried a variety of cheese and they all tasted amazing.

Add in Sour cream – Sour cream is a great addition.

Close up image of a serving of the Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole. Also a 9x13 pan of jalapeno popper chicken casserole with two forks.

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Jalapeño Popper Chicken Caseerole

4.88 from 58 votes
You are going to love this Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole. It is delicious and can me ready in no time!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Calories 644

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked chicken (diced into 1 inch pieces)
  • 8 oz cream cheese (diced into small pieces)
  • 16 oz bowtie pasta
  • 2 cups monterrey jack cheese
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 ½ cup milk
  • 1 jalapeño (deseeded and diced)
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 6 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9X13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Cook the pasta to al dente based on the package instructions.
  • In a a large sauce pan, heat the cream cheese, chicken broth and milk. Stir and heat until the cream cheese is fully melted.
  • Add in the Monterey Jack cheese and stir to melt.
  • Then stir in the pasta and the diced jalapeños (save a few of the diced jalapeños for the top).
  • Mix in the cooked diced chicken and pour into a 9×13 baking dish. Top the casserole with bread crumbs. Cover the casserole dish with foil.
  • Bake covered for 20 minutes.
  • Uncover the casserole and top with the shredded cheddar cheese, remaining diced jalapeños and crumbled bacon.
  • Cover uncovered for 5 more minutes to melt the cheese. Serve warm and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

You can sauté the bread crumbs with 1 Tbsp of butter in a small sauce pan to brown the bread crumb slightly before topping the casserole with them.  

Nutrition Facts

Serving 8ounces, Calories 644kcal, Carbohydrates 50g, Protein 35g, Fat 33g, Saturated Fat 17g, Trans Fat 1g, Cholesterol 116mg, Sodium 629mg, Potassium 422mg, Fiber 2g, Sugar 5g, Vitamin A 847IU, Vitamin C 4mg, Calcium 420mg, Iron 2mg

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If you love cheesy jalapeño poppers, you are going to love Jalapeño popper chicken casserole recipe. Use precooked chicken and have dinner in 30 minutes. This is a great jalapeño popper chicken casserole with pasta that is easy to make and packed with flavor too! #eatingonadime #jalapeñorecipes #casseroles #chickenrecipes #jalapeñopopperrecipes

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families!

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  1. I made this with rotisserie chicken and substituted chicken broth for water and it was amazing! The entire family loved it!

  2. 5 stars
    I think I would add a touch of hot sauce and maybe a little more jalapeno. We like spicy at my house !

  3. Made this as Cook 1 Eat 2 for leftover fried chicken (2 breasts worth of meat), also subbed green chilies for jalapenoes due to we don’t do that spicy, added sauted mushrooms and corn for a 1 dish casserole. Yummy!

  4. Looks great but 1 jalapena wouldn’t do it for me … also wondering if fried onion bits might be nice addition/ replacement for bread crumbs. Misprint #9 “Cover uncovered”

  5. Hey Laurie – You can definitely add more jalapeños based on how spicy you like your food and yes, I think the fried onions would be delicious on top of this casserole recipe.

  6. Yes, you can easily freezer this before baking. If you are baking it from frozen, I would add approximately 20 minutes to the cook time to make sure it’s cooked all the way through.

  7. If you freeze it before you bake it, cover it and you can bake it from frozen just add 20 minutes to the cook time.
    You can also freeze your leftovers. Put it in a freezer pan (I use a foil pan), cover it and freeze. Then defrost it out and bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes to reheat it back up. I hope you enjoy it!

  8. 5 stars
    This was so easy to make with ingredients I always have on hand, and both kids and adults loved it!

  9. 5 stars
    Carrie- made this and everyone loved it. I added more jalapeños as we like it spicier, but the sauce and touch of bacon really made this yummy. Thanks much.

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