Creamy Jalapeño Chicken

4.77 from 13 votes

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!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword creamy jalapeno chicken

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 592kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

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 or pasta
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.)
2 pounds chicken breast, 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
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.
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/2 medium yellow onion, 2 medium jalapeños, 4 oz. pimentos, 3 cloves garlic
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.
1/2 cup 2% milk, 1/2 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
Turn heat down and add the cream cheese and about half of the cheddar cheese.
4 oz. cream cheese, 1 cup 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.
rice or pasta, chopped cilantro and extra sliced jalapeños

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!

Feel free to grill the chicken on an outdoor grill!

Nutrition