Jalapeño Popper Chicken Pasta (Print version)

Delicious creamy pasta with tender chicken, spicy jalapeños, melted cheeses, and crispy breadcrumbs.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fusilli pasta
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Chicken

03 - 10 oz cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

04 - 2 fresh jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
05 - ½ small onion, finely chopped
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Cheese & Dairy

07 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
08 - 1 cup whole milk
09 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
10 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
11 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

→ Topping

12 - ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
13 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
14 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Seasonings

15 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
16 - ½ tsp salt
17 - ¼ tsp black pepper

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and jalapeños for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Lower heat to low. Stir in cream cheese until smooth. Whisk in milk gradually.
05 - Incorporate cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, stirring until melted and creamy. Season with smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
06 - Fold cooked chicken and pasta into the sauce until evenly coated.
07 - Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish.
08 - Mix panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the pasta mixture.
09 - Bake for 15–18 minutes until the topping is golden and the dish is bubbly.
10 - Optionally garnish with extra chopped jalapeños. Serve immediately.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It tastes indulgent and restaurant-quality but comes together in under an hour on a weeknight.
  • The heat builds gently thanks to the jalapeños, so even people who think they don't like spicy food usually find themselves asking for seconds.
  • One dish, one oven, minimal cleanup—exactly what you need when life is busy.
02 -
  • The cream cheese needs to be softened before it hits the pan, or you'll end up with small lumps that won't melt smoothly no matter how much you stir.
  • Don't cook the pasta all the way to fully tender—it keeps cooking in the oven, and overcooked pasta in a baking dish turns mushy.
  • The sauce will thicken as it cools, so if it looks slightly loose when you transfer it to the baking dish, that's actually correct.
03 -
  • Use a whisk when incorporating the milk into the cream cheese, rather than just stirring—it prevents lumps and creates a noticeably smoother sauce.
  • The secret to a silky sauce is patience: keep the heat low once you add cream cheese, because high heat can make it separate and look grainy.
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