Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Chicken
Cheesy Jalapeno poppers, juicy chicken and salty bacon - could there be a better combination. This recipe is totally worth the effort.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 large jalapenos
- 12 pieces bacon
- 2 tablespoons sweet rub
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
Jalapeno Popper Filling
- 110 grams cream cheese softened
- 110 grams cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 tablespoon sweet rub
Instructions
- Set your smoker to 120 degrees C (250 F) for indirect heat with a mild wood like apple.
- Clean the jalapenos. Prepare your poppers by slicing the tops off of the jalapenos, cutting them in half, and scraping out the ribs and seeds inside of the poppers.
- Make the jalapeno poppers. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and 1 tablespoon of sweet rub. Use the back of the spoon to press the filling mixture into each half of the cleaned out peppers and then press the pepper halves back together.
- Prep and fill the chicken. On a large cutting board, slice the chicken breasts open, without slicing all of the way through the breasts. Set one filled popper inside of each chicken breast and fold them closed.
- Wrap in bacon! Wrap each chicken breast with about 3 slices of bacon. Secure the bacon ends with toothpicks, if necessary. Season the stuffed chicken on all sides with more of the sweet rub.
- Place the chicken breasts on the smoker, close the lid and cook until the internal temperature reaches 65 degrees C (150 F). This process usually takes an hour and a half. Baste the chicken liberally with BBQ sauce, close the lid, and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 75 degrees C (167 F).
- Rest and serve. Remove the chicken to a cutting board or serving platter and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!!
Notes
You can also prepare this dish in your oven using the same temperatures.
You can prepare your Jalapeno poppers whole and push the cream cheese filling in from the top, which prevents your cheese from seeping out during the cooking process.
Streaky bacon works best or you could use prosciutto.
Lots of toothpicks maybe required.