All the spicy and cheesy deliciousness of a classic jalapeno popper stuffed inside a juicy chicken breast hasselback style. It's truly the perfect easy weeknight dinner idea the entire family will fall in love with!
Preheat your oven to 375 F. and grease a baking sheet or casserole dish.
Start by combining all the cream cheese mixture ingredients together in a bowl (cream cheese, shredded cheese, green onion, Tajin, and fresh garlic). Stir until fully combined.
Prep and cook your bacon and slice your jalapenos into thin rounds. Remove the seeds if you want them to be less spicy. Set it aside.
Pat your chicken dry with a paper towel. Cut parallel slices crosswise into your chicken breast with a sharp knife without fully cutting through the chicken. Do this every 1-1.5 inches or so. This works best with a thicker chicken breast and you should get about 5-6 slices into each piece.
Coat al your chicken breast pieces with olive oil and then in the Tajin spice rub (or use a smoky BBQ rub). Be sure to season between the cuts as well.
Take a dollop of the cream cheese mixture and spread it in between each slice (about 1-2 tsp.). Then add in a slice of cooked bacon the same width as the chicken and a few slices of jalapeno. Repeat this into each slice on every chicken breast.
Place the hasselback chicken breats into a baking dish and bake until the internal temperature of each piece is 165 F. This can take between 35-40 min or so depending on how thick each one is. Place foil over the top if you feel like it is browning too much before it's fully cooked.
Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorie sides and enjoy!
Notes
Want to use your air fryer? Cook your chicken at 350 F. and check for doneness after 15 -20 min or so. Time may vary depending on your air fryer.