Jalapeño poppers are a classic appetizer for a reason: tender peppers filled with creamy cheese and often wrapped in bacon deliver a burst of flavor in every bite. They’re irresistible, but stuffing and baking individual poppers can be time-consuming.
This Bacon Jalapeño Popper Chicken captures everything you love about the snack and turns it into a rich, silky sauce to pour over chicken. Best of all, it comes together quickly in the Instant Pot, so you get all the taste with far less fuss.
How I made it (full recipe at the end):
Like many great savory dishes, this one starts with an onion—diced and ready to build flavor.
Next are the jalapeños, which are typically medium heat. For this recipe most of the heat is removed by taking out the ribs and seeds, leaving the pepper’s fresh flavor without overwhelming spice. If you don’t use gloves while trimming, wash your hands thoroughly—capsaicin on your fingers can sting if you touch your eyes or mouth.
Trimmed jalapeños look like this, then slice them into thin sticks for the sauce. Reserve one pepper and slice it into rounds with seeds intact to use as a bright garnish.
Cut thick-cut bacon into small pieces, then slice chicken breasts into wide strips so they cook quickly and shred easily in the finished dish.
Begin in the Instant Pot on Sauté (More/High): melt butter, then add the bacon and cook about 10 minutes until it’s between chewy and crispy. Remove the bacon and let it drain on paper towels, leaving the rendered fat in the pot to build flavor.
With the bacon removed, add the diced onion and sliced jalapeños and sauté. As the vegetables sweat they release moisture that helps deglaze the browned bits on the bottom—scrape the pot frequently to lift those flavorful fond pieces into the mix.
Add garlic, sauté briefly, then add the chicken and cook until it’s just turning pink on the outside but still slightly raw inside. Pour in chicken broth, seal the Instant Pot, and pressure cook on high for 6 minutes, then quick release.
Once the pressure cycle finishes you’ll have a hearty, flavorful base. If you prefer a thicker sauce, remove about half the broth before adding the dairy; if you like a looser sauce to spoon over rice, leave the broth as is.
Stir in seasonings—seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and dried cilantro if you like—and a generous amount of shredded Mexican cheese blend along with Boursin or cream cheese. Mix until fully combined and creamy. Let the pot rest a few minutes to let the sauce thicken slightly.
Fold the reserved bacon back into the sauce, keeping a little aside for garnish. The bacon adds smoky saltiness and texture to the creamy jalapeño-cheese sauce.
Serve the chicken and sauce over rice, Spanish rice, or even with crusty bread or tortilla chips. Top with the reserved crispy bacon and the jalapeño rounds for a bright finishing touch.
The result is a comforting, bold dish that tastes like jalapeño poppers deconstructed into a luxurious, spoonable sauce—everyone will be reaching for seconds.
Enjoy the smoky bacon, mellowed jalapeño flavor, and creamy cheese in every bite—this Instant Pot Bacon Jalapeño Popper Chicken is easy, satisfying, and perfect for family dinners or gatherings.
Instant Pot Bacon Jalapeño Popper Chicken
If jalapeño poppers are your thing, this deconstructed, saucy version turns those flavors into a comforting chicken dish.
5 minutes
34 minutes
39 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) salted butter
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 5 large jalapeño peppers, divided (slice 4 lengthwise and remove ribs and seeds; slice 1 into disks with seeds for garnish)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 3 pounds chicken breasts, sliced into bite-size strands
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro (optional)
- 4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Two 5.2-ounce packages of Boursin or an 8-ounce brick of cream cheese, cut into chunks
Instructions
- Add butter to the Instant Pot and select Sauté on the More/High setting. Once melted, add bacon and sauté about 10 minutes until between chewy and crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Leave the bacon grease in the pot.
- Add onion and long-sliced jalapeños and sauté about 5 minutes, scraping the pot frequently to lift browned bits.
- Add garlic and sauté 2 more minutes. Add chicken and sauté about 3 minutes until pinkish-white but not fully cooked.
- Pour in the chicken broth, seal the lid, set the valve to sealing, and pressure cook on High for 6 minutes. Quick release when done.
- Stir in seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and dried cilantro if using. Add shredded cheese and Boursin or cream cheese and stir until fully melted and combined. Fold the cooked bacon back in, reserving some for garnish. Let rest 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Serve over rice or your preferred base. Top with reserved bacon and jalapeño disks for garnish.
Jeffrey’s Tips
Take care trimming jalapeños—if you don’t use gloves, wash hands well after removing seeds and ribs. Once cooked and mixed into the sauce, the jalapeños mellow considerably, so you can increase the quantity if you want more pepper flavor without much extra heat.
If you prefer a thicker sauce, remove about half the broth after pressure cooking and before adding the cheeses; add back liquid as needed to reach the desired consistency.