Today we are upping our low carb Jalapeño Popper game with these incredible Chicken Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers that are inspired by one of my favorite appetizers here in Belize! Cheesy, Spicy, Chicken-ey, Goodness!
Here in San Pedro, Belize there are a TON of restaurants. Lots of traditional Belizean cuisine, taco stands, BBQ joints, Garifuna and Mestizo restaurants, and of course the resorts that cater to tourists.
There are many delicious things to eat here (though the best of them are made with corn, rice and wheat ? ? ?) and the Chicken Stuffed Jalapeño Popper appetizer is one of my absolute favorites!
The Belize version stuffs a jalapeño pepper with cream cheese like you’re used to, but also seasoned shredded chicken which I’d never seen before. This is an idea I can get behind because not only does it taste amazing, but it bulks up your poppers with protein and makes them more filling and satisfying.
The only thing that keeps the traditional version from being keto friendly is that they dip it in batter and deep fry it into a crispy, pillowy, fritter-like thing. Amazing, but nowhere near low carb or gluten free.
Mr. Hungry and I are back on keto and have taken to peeling off the batter so that we can still order these Chicken Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers when we go out with friends. It works, but it’s not as good if I’m being honest.
So I’ve created a keto friendly version of the Chicken Stuffed Jalapeño Popper that, while not quite as satisfying as batter-fried, still gives you that crispy exterior that makes this feel like cheating – even though it’s completely legal.
And they are baked rather than fried, making them even easier to make in large batches.
I’ve also included some of the flavorings that I use in my very popular original low carb bacon wrapped jalapeño popper recipe, and honestly if you don’t want to mess with the “Breading” you can drape a piece of bacon over these like I do in that recipe and it’s also delicious.
I know, because I’ve made these several times with the bacon instead of the breading and it was always a hit!
Either way, these cheesy low carb Chicken Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers are to die for – perfect as an appetizer for your next party or for some playoff noshing. They are also a great way to use up any leftover turkey you might have lying around!
Chicken Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers – Low Carb
- Yield: 15 poppers 1x
Description
Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers, aka the best keto appetizer ever! Leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken makes it easy! Low Carb, Atkins, Grain Free, Nut Free, Egg Free
Ingredients
For the stuffed jalapeños:
- 15 large jalapenos
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, shredded and chopped
- 1/3 cup salsa verde
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 1 tsp cajun seasoning
For the breading:
- 1 cup pulverized pork rinds
- 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
Instructions
For the stuffed Jalapeños:
- Cut 1/3 of top off each pepper and scoop out insides.
- Place the peppers on a plate and microwave 2 minutes to soften.
- Combine, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, chicken or turkey, salsa verde, garlic powder, salt and cajun seasoning in a medium bowl and mix until creamy and well blended.
- Spoon the mixture into the jalapeños.
- In a small bowl, combine the pork rind dust and cajun seasoning.
- Gently roll the cream cheese side of the stuffed jalapeños in cajun pork rinds until coated.
- Place on cookie sheet.
- Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
- Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
- Category: Low Carb Appetizer Recipe
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Popper
- Calories: 111
- Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 1g net
- Protein: 6
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Ray olmsted says
Can these be frozen. Thought about adding ranch dressing and wrap with bacon
Tammy says
These look really good and I’m planning on making them for family that just comes for a little visit over the holidays. But my question is did I miss it somewhere else I’m looking for Total carbs? Because of health issues I have to do total carbs instead of net. Thank you for your wonderful recipes.
David Martin says
I diced the jalapeno and added to the stuffing mixture. Works great and gives it a nice crunch…
Mellissa Sevigny says
Love this idea!
Kristin Ferguson says
I’m unclear on what we are doing with the top 1/3 of the jalapeño. Help?
AD says
Just gotta say, I made these (I used chicken breasts I cut up as small as I could and cooked them with the cajun seasoning and olive oil in lieu of shredded chicken) and not only were they pretty easy, they are so damn tasty! The idea of using pork rinds as a crust is ingenious! Definitely will be making these again.
Margot C says
OMGosh, but you are making me so hungry. Why didn’t I think of this! You could do it with Shrimp too maybe.
Cami Valenzuela says
This looks amazing. I am so hungry. Wiah ibcoukd have these. Just had my wisdoms out soncant eat anything.
Mary Beth Elderton says
We LOVE jalapenos—These looks delicious!
Hélène says
The filling is good for a dip (i put some sliced pickled jalapenños in it too) with celery, green peppers, jícama sticks, etc.
Melissa says
Oooh this looks like a great appetizer that even non-keto people will enjoy. Thank you!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
So good! I never thought to stuff them with chicken before, thanks for sharing this one!
Ashley B. says
Wow! These look incredible! Adding to my list of recipes from you to make :)
Liz says
Yum!! I love the idea of adding chicken. Can’t wait to try this out.
Anne C says
Looks delicious! I have to do this soon! Thanks for sharing. :-)
Audrey Stewart says
I have been looking for a recipe like this. This doesn’t seem hard. I found one that had so many components to it.
Kelly Piddington says
Some of our favorite football day food! Thanks for a great recipe!
Sonya Morris says
Oh my gosh! These look amazing!!
Tammy S says
My husband would love these! He loves stuffed jalapeno’s but I’m not as big of a fan. These I could totally get behind! Thank for the recipe!
carol clark says
now what through me off was the pulverized pork rinds i my goodness i love pork rinds i bet this is a die to recipe i must give it a try
Franci Hillsman says
These look awesome! Could be the appetizer for my upcoming Xmas party!
Rust says
These look wonderful! They’re a variation of the one I stuff with ground Italian sausage and wrap in bacon. Yum! Love the combination of flavors.
ellen beck says
I have never tried these,, but they sound quite good. I m not a huge fan of ‘hot’ so would probably substitute the hot with something like a milder pepper perhaps a banana pepper which grows here about the same size.
Hawkce541 says
The chicken and cream cheese cut the heat so much that it’s really not that hot. Just a little tingle. The jalapenos I had were hot enough that when I was cleaning them out I brushed my hand across my face and it left a red welt, but with the mixture in them they were pretty mild.
Nicole says
I made these into meals by using poblano peppers (which I pre-roasted a bit first to get the right end texture) and increasing the ratio of chicken to cheese to decrease the richness a bit. They were amazing! I’m sure they would be perfect as appetizers but thanks for the wonderful starting point for a fabulous (and easy) meal.
Chris Fourmont says
These look great! I can’t wait ti try them.
Janelle Meier says
These are fantastic!!!!!!!! I can munch a whole plate of them down. Thanks!
Hawkce541 says
I made these for football snacks Thanksgiving day. Soooooo good. Even my mother-in-law, who doesn’t eat spicy food, ate three. I used 2 big cans of Kroger chicken in a pinch and they turned out great. I had some stuffing and ground pork rinds left over and the kids and wife were walking by, getting a spoonful and rolling it in the pork rinds and eating it off of the spoon. Needless to say there’s none left. awesome recipe.
Louise Nowell says
Mmmm sound good bet they would be good as stuffed mushrooms too
April says
These look really yummy!! I’ve never really been into jalapeno poppers because it was too much cream cheese for my taste, but combining with chicken is a great idea!
I don’t have a microwave, do you have a recommendation for how long/what temp to cook the peppers to soften at first?
Thanks!
Janice says
Did you use full fat cheese and cream cheese? TIA.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Always!
Graystone says
Thank you for such great recipes, with great flavors. I made these stuffed Jalapeno and they are so good I left out chili Verde since I forgot to get it at the store. I made my own Cajun spice with 1 tsp cayenne , 1 tsp oregano , 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp garlic. I used Anaheim pepper the second time they have zero carbs and are much bigger than the jalapeno at our store.. Both tasted great. This is great recipe we loved it.