This Smoked Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken With Bacon is an easy chicken dinner your entire family will love! The crave-worthy flavor of jalapeno poppers transforms boring chicken breasts into an amazing dish, packed with spice, cheese, and smoky flavor.
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A Unique Chicken Dinner
I love the flavor of Smoked Jalapeno Poppers Wrapped in Bacon, but you can't make a meal out of them. So, one day, while I was making Air-Fried Hasselback Potatoes, I thought I would try making hasselback chicken!
To my surprise, they turned out crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and full of amazing smoky flavor. This has quickly become one of our favorite smoker recipes! You can even use Smoked Jalapeno Popper Dip for the filling - yum!
Quick Answer: How Long to Smoke Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken
Smoke at 225°F for about 90 minutes, until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F.
Jump to:
- A Unique Chicken Dinner
- Quick Answer: How Long to Smoke Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken
- Why I Love Smoked Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How to Make Smoked Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken With Bacon
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Additions & Variations
- Side Dishes
- Jeri's Top Tips
- Storage & Reheating
- FAQs
- More Easy Chicken Recipes You'll Love
- Printable Recipe
- Comments
Why I Love Smoked Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken
- Amazing Flavor. Each bite of this tender chicken is delicious. The smoky cream cheese filling paired with the crispy bacon and smoky chicken is so good!
- It Looks Fantastic! Your family (or guests) will think you slaved for hours to prepare this show-stopping chicken dish.
- Super Easy. I know it may look difficult, but this recipe is quite easy to make. Just cut a few slices in each breast with a knife and stuff it with a cream cheese mixture, bacon, and a slice of jalapeno before letting the pellet grill do the rest of the work.
- Low carb. If it matters to you, this dish is low-carb and keto-friendly.
Ingredients & Substitutions
You'll need the following ingredients to make this easy recipe:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts. Thicker chicken breasts will give you more room to add the filling ingredients.
- Jalapeno peppers. You can also use Canned Cowboy Candy.
- Bacon. I made Bacon in Air Fryer, but you can make it how you prefer.
- Cream cheese. I used full-fat cream cheese, but you could use light cream cheese for a lighter version.
- Cheddar cheese. I used shredded cheddar cheese, but you could use Pepper Jack, Gouda, or Monterey Jack cheese.
- Seasoning. I used fresh garlic, smoked paprika, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper.
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Smoked Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken With Bacon
Step 1: Prepare Cheesy Filling
- Preheat your pellet grill or smoker to 225 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add shredded cheese, minced garlic, smoked paprika, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper.
- Stir the ingredients together until evenly incorporated.
Step 2: Stuff Chicken Breasts
- Prepare chicken breasts by making slits one inch apart, ¾th of the way through. Continue the length of each chicken breast. DO NOT slice all the way through.
- Place dollops of the cheesy popper mixture in each slit, followed by a 2-inch slice of bacon and slices of jalapenos. Continue until all of the chicken breasts are filled.
Step 3: Smoke Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken Breasts
- Place hasselback chicken directly on the grill grates of your preheated smoker.
- Close the lid and smoke for 90 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest part reaches 165°F with a meat thermometer. Serve with sour cream and garnish with chopped green onion.
Tip: Brush the chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce during the last 10 minutes of smoking to add another layer of flavor.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Slicing all the way through. Cut only about ¾ of the way through the breast - cutting all the way turns your hasselback into two separate pieces instead of the accordion shape that holds the filling.
- Using cold cream cheese. Straight-from-the-fridge cream cheese is hard to mix smoothly and can leave lumps in your filling. Let it come to room temperature first.
- Overfilling the slits. Too much filling can spill out and burn on the grill grates instead of staying in the chicken. Use modest dollops in each slit.
- Skipping the thermometer. Chicken breast thickness varies a lot, so don't rely on the 90-minute mark alone - always confirm 165°F internal before pulling it off the smoker.
Additions & Variations
- Include chopped bell peppers, red onion, or sun-dried tomatoes in the cheese mixture.
- Skip the cooked bacon and just stuff the chicken with cream cheese and jalapeno pepper, then wrap the whole chicken breast in bacon.
- You can also chop the bacon and mix it into the cream cheese mixture.
- Oven Method: Bake the chicken on a sheet pan in a 375-degree F oven for 30-35 minutes.
- Air Fryer Method: Air fry the hasselback chicken breast at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.
- Chicken Thighs: I haven't tested this version myself, but boneless chicken thighs could work in place of breasts - just keep in mind thighs are thinner and cook faster, so watch your internal temp closely rather than relying on the same 90-minute timing.
Side Dishes
Serve this smoked hasselback chicken with Coleslaw with Mayo, Creamy Cucumber Salad, and Smoked Corn on the Cob in Foil.
It also goes great with Traeger Smoked Corn on the Cob, Greek Cucumber Salad, and Creamy Red Skin Potato Salad.
Jeri's Top Tips
- Brush the chicken lightly with olive oil before it goes on the smoker for a crispier exterior.
- The cooking time will depend on how thick your chicken breasts are and how full of filling they are.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftover hasselback chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing Instructions: Wrap the hasselback chicken in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating: Place the chicken in a baking dish with a few tablespoons of water or chicken stock, cover with foil, and reheat for 15-20 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees F. You can also reheat in the microwave or air fryer until heated through.
FAQs
Yes, you can prepare the chicken breasts with the fillings up to a day in advance. Keep them covered in the refrigerator.
Yes. You can remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeños to reduce the heat, or use mini sweet peppers instead.
I prefer a milder wood like cherry or apple, but it is also delicious with pecan or hickory.
I haven't tested this myself, but thighs should work with adjusted timing - see the Variations section above for details.
More Easy Chicken Recipes You'll Love
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Printable Recipe
Smoked Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 jalapeno peppers sliced into rounds
- 8 bacon strips cooked
Optional Ingredients For Serving
- BBQ sauce
- sour cream
- green onions
Instructions
Prepare the Filling
- Preheat your pellet grill or smoker to 225℉.
- Use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese until smooth in a mixing bowl.
- Add shredded cheese, minced garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper; mix until well combined.
Stuff the Chicken
- Create evenly spaced slits about ¾ deep across each chicken breast, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- Spoon the cheese mixture into each slit, followed by a slice of bacon and a slice of jalapeno.
Smoke the Chicken
- Place the chicken breasts directly on the grill grates of you preheated smoker. Close the lid and smoke the chicken for 90 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken in the thickest part reaches 165℉.
- Serve hot, garnished with sour cream and chopped green onions if desired. Enjoy!
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Notes
- Adjust the spice level by removing seeds from the jalapeños.
- When making slits in the chicken, do not cut through completely.
- Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before mixing.
- Brush the chicken lightly with olive oil before it goes on the smoker for an extra crispy exterior.
- The cooking time will depend on how thick your chicken breasts are and how full of filling they are.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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