Creamy Jalapeño Chicken
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This Creamy Jalapeño Chicken is cooked in a cast iron skillet and is ready in 45 minutes or less. Serve this creamy chicken over brown rice or pasta for the most delicious dinner!
Let’s enjoy more delicious skillet meals, like a simple Sausage and Gnocchi Skillet or this Parmesan Chicken Orzo Skillet!
Jalapeño Chicken
Chicken is one of those proteins that we just can’t get enough of, and I’m constantly looking for new ways to cook it. So adding my favorite veggie (yup, jalapeños!) to a creamy sauce was a clear no-brainer.
This idea originated from a local restaurant, and I feel like I did it justice. The restaurant served it over rice and some sort of corn, which was delicious. My Mexican Street Corn Salad would be an excellent side, and I’ll definitely be making that to pair with this recipe next time for sure.
Try our Creamy Cajun Chicken next!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – This recipe calls for two pounds of chicken breasts. If the breasts are thick, you’ll need to butterfly them and cut them in half for easier cooking.
- Seasonings – You’ll need flour (to coat the chicken) and seasonings (like cumin, chili powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper).
- Jalapeño – The key ingredient for this dish is jalapeño. I used two medium jalapeños (with or without seeds).
- Cheese – A combo of cream cheese plus cheddar cheese makes the sauce ultra creamy.
How to make Creamy Jalapeño Chicken
Step 1
Prep chicken. If the chicken breasts are thick, butterfly them and slice in half. (I used three breasts and so I ended up with six portions.)
Step 2
Coat chicken. Combine the flour and seasonings in a dish, and coat the chicken. Save the remaining seasoning for the sauce!
Step 3
Sear chicken. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat. Add some avocado oil and then half of the chicken. Cook on both sides until the chicken is near done (about 150-155 degrees F). Remove chicken to a clean plate.
This chicken can easily be grilled as well. Just make the sauce in your skillet and you’ll have a delicious dinner!
Step 4
Start sauce. Add butter to the pan and scrape up the bits from cooking the chicken. Then add the onions and jalapeños and cook until softened. Add the pimentos and the remaining seasonings and flour (after coating the chicken). Stir for a minute or so.
Step 5
Add liquids. Then add the chicken broth and the milk and cook until the sauce starts to thicken, approximately three minutes.
Step 6
Add cheese. Turn the heat down add the shredded cheddar cheese and the cream cheese, and stir until melted.
Step 7
Add chicken back. Add the chicken back to the sauce and simmer until chicken is cooked through.
Step 8
Serve. Serve the chicken and creamy jalapeño sauce over some rice or pasta. Sprinkle with some chopped cilantro (optional).
Recipe Tips
- Set the chicken out for 30 minutes before cooking it.
- Cook the chicken over medium heat. Be careful to avoid over-cooking the chicken and turn the heat down after getting a good sear on the outsides. The chicken should be between 160-165 degrees F when done, so take it off a little before that. It should do some carry-over cooking.
- Save the flour/seasoning mixture (after using for the chicken) to add to the sauce. It will help thicken and flavor the sauce.
- Add the cheese at the very end. When the sauce is starting to thicken, then add the cheese – the cheddar cheese and the cream cheese.
- Serve this chicken over rice (I used brown rice here) or pasta!
Reheating
Heat up the leftovers in your microwave. You might reheat at 50% power to avoid drying the chicken out.
Other ways to prepare chicken
- Grill it – like Grilled Chicken Skewers or Smoked Spatchcock Chicken
- Bake it – Crispy Whole Roasted Chicken or Classic Chicken Parmesan
- Make it in soups – Green Chili Chicken Soup or Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Enjoy it in salads – Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad or Crunchy Curry Chicken Salad
xoxo ~Sue
Creamy Jalapeño Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 pounds chicken breast – butterflied and cut in half
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 medium yellow onion – diced
- 2 medium jalapeños – diced (with or without seeds)
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- 4 oz. pimentos – drained
- 1/2 cup 2% milk
- 1/2 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
- 4 oz. cream cheese – full-fat or light
- 1 cup cheddar cheese – freshly shredded
For serving:
- rice of your choice
- chopped cilantro and extra sliced jalapeños
Instructions
- Prep chicken. Mix up the seasonings and sprinkle over the chicken, pressing it into all sides with your hands. Set aside. (SAVE THE REMAINING FLOUR AND SEASONING MIXTURE for the sauce.)
- Sear chicken. Heat up a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Reduce heat and cook until chicken reaches about 150-155 degrees F. Remove from heat.
- You can also grill the chicken and then simply make the sauce indoors in a cast iron skillet.
- Make sauce. In same skillet, add butter, diced onions, jalapeños, and pimentos, scraping the brown bits into this mixture. Cook until softened, about three minutes. Then add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds or so.
- Add flour/seasoning (the amount after using it for dredging chicken) and stir constantly for about a minute. Then add the milk and chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Turn heat down and add the cream cheese and about half of the cheddar cheese.
- Add the chicken breasts back and cook until done, about 160 degrees F.
- Serve chicken and sauce over rice or pasta. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and chopped cilantro.
Notes
Recipe Tips
- Set the chicken out for 30 minutes before cooking it.
- Cook the chicken over medium heat. Be careful to avoid over-cooking the chicken and turn the heat down after getting a good sear on the outsides. The chicken should be between 160-165 degrees F when done, so take it off a little before that. It should do some carry-over cooking.
- Save the flour/seasoning mixture to add to the sauce. It will help thicken and flavor the sauce.
- Add the cheese at the very end. When the sauce is starting to thicken, then add the cheese – the cheddar cheese and the cream cheese.
- Serve this chicken over rice (I used brown rice here) or pasta!
Simple, but delicious!! I like to add mushrooms, a staple in our dinner rotation!
Absolutely delicious! My family loved it. It will definitely be in my regular rotation.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this!
Suebee Homemaker, THIS is fabulous and definitely made my top 5 favorite SBH list!! Flavor was amazing, recipe was easy to follow, time spent from prep to table was very doable on a work night and cost was average. I served it over brown rice and quinoa with a side of steamed asparagus. Best meal I had all week and cannot wait to have it again!!!
Hi Vicki! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. It’s also one of our favorites! Thanks for letting me know!
Really great flavor in this dish and a little kick! Another hit at our house! Thanks Sue!
Oh great! Thanks for letting me know, Danalea!
This was delicious! We had it over rice and made your Cowboy Caviar to go with it. Both were a hit for the whole family!
Sounds delicious, Kelly! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Oh my, oh my!! So my JAM!! I love the spices, the cheeses, what a great combo. I sliced up the chicken and could see eating this with chips. I ate it over brown rice this time and was so delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Shari! Great tip on slicing the chicken up before cooking too!
This shit smacks!! 10/10 recipe from Suebee!
Wow! I’m glad you think so, Tiff + Josh! 🙂