Dorothy KernJalapeño Chicken is a creamy one-pot dinner you can make in 30 minutes! Serve the juicy chicken with the jalapeno cream sauce all on its own for a low-carb meal or add some rice or pasta. Either way it’s so quick and easy!
Who loves a creamy, cheesy sauce? I know I do and this easy chicken with jalapeno sauce is a delicious way to feed your craving!
I’m always looking for a way to jazz up my chicken AND get cheese in my dinner, so this is one of my favorites.
This is a super simple dinner recipe that’s a 30 minute meal. Both the sauce and chicken cook in the same pan – love that, don’t you? Fewer dishes – always a good thing.
If you’re watching your carbs you can serve the chicken and sauce on their own with a veggie side dish or add some rice or pasta if you’re craving the carbs! I’ve done it both ways and it’s always delicious.
Table of Contents
This is an Easy One Pot Recipe!
If I have to use two pots to make one dish I usually skip over that kind of recipe. I’m all about cooking, but during the week one pot dinners I can make on the stovetop are my go-to – it’s so much easier!
For this recipe, once you’ve prepped the ingredients, you’re only a few simple steps away from getting dinner on the table. It’s a flavorful chicken dinner with a creamy sauce with pops of fresh jalapenos and tomatoes. I think you’ll really like it.
How to Prep the Chicken
The key to success with this dish is in how you prep the chicken. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are usually thicker on one end and thinner at the other end. If you just toss them in the pan like that they won’t cook evenly – the thick end will take longer – and they won’t cook as fast.
So, it’s totally worth the couple of extra minutes to prep your chicken. It will cook faster and will be so juicy, delicious and cooked evenly!
- First, you can butterfly the chicken breasts by slicing them in half through the center. Use one hand to hold the chicken in place and the other to slice through the center of the chicken breast. Cut it so you an open it like a book.
- It’s also a good idea to pound the chicken with a meat mallet or rolling pin to even out the thickness. This will also tenderize the chicken so it’s even more tender after you cook it.
How to Make Jalapeño Chicken
Season the chicken with some salt and pepper and then brown it in a pan with some olive oil. You don’t have to worry about cooking the chicken all the way through at this point, just cook it long enough to develop a golden crust on both sides.
Once it’s browned you can start making the sauce – add these ingredients to the pan and bring it all to a boil:
- Chopped onions
- Reduced-sodium chicken broth
- Minced jalapenos
- Ground cumin
- Minced fresh garlic
Add them all to the pan and then simmer the chicken in it for five minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. You can use a thermometer to check the temperature (it should be 165 degrees) or you can slice into one of the pieces to check – if the juices run clear and it’s no longer pink in the middle it’s ready.
Make the Creamy Cheese Sauce
At this point, take the chicken out of the pan so you can finish the sauce:
- Add some cream cheese and sour cream to the jalapeno mixture in the pan. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir everything together until the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy.
- Keep an eye on the heat – you don’t want to boil the sauce at this point otherwise the cheese sauce could break. So be sure to lower the heat.
Add the chicken back to the pan and, once it’s warmed through, dinner is ready.
Side Dish Ideas
The chicken with jalapeno cream sauce is great all on its own but you can add a simple side dish, too.
- To keep it low carb, add a side of cauliflower rice or roasted cauliflower. Or serve it with a steamed veggie on the side.
- It’s delicious spooned over white or brown rice or toss it with some cooked pasta.
- A simple green salad and some crusty bread would be delicious, too!
Saucy, creamy, cheesy and so good! We love this creamy jalapeno chicken – it’s perfect for weeknights.
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Chicken with Jalapeno Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 4 ounces each
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 jalapeno peppers seeded and minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
- 3 plum tomatoes seeded and chopped
- Hot cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- If your chicken breasts are large, butterfly them to cut them in half and/or pound them thinner.
- Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown chicken on both sides.
- Add the onions, broth, jalapenos, cumin and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through (thermometer reads 165°F), about 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken and keep warm.
- Stir cream cheese and sour cream into jalapeno mixture. Stir in tomatoes and heat through. Do not boil or the sauce will break. Add the chicken back to the pan to rewarm as needed.
- Serve over rice or with pasta as a complete meal.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Jalapeno Chicken is an easy 30 minute chicken recipe with a creamy cheese sauce! Make chicken with jalapeno sauce and cream cheese for a low carb meal or serve it with rice or pasta for an easy weeknight meal.
All text and images © DOROTHY KERN for Crazy for Crust. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Published on: February 11, 2020
OMG, YUM! Pinning and tweeting for later!