Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole | Easy 30-Minute Dinner!

Add a spicy kick to dinner with this tasty jalapeno popper chicken casserole! Chicken, jalapenos, and pasta smothered in a rich, creamy cheese sauce and topped with crispy breadcrumbs – yum!

We’re not a big casserole recipe family, but we do love Creamy Spinach and Chicken Enchiladas, which have that same one-pan comfort food feel.

We also love a good spicy kick to our food, like Buffalo Chicken Pizza or Buffalo Chicken Salads or Spicy Shrimp Tacos. And we keep plenty of Homemade Hot Sauce on hand to add to all sorts of things!

So then, it only makes sense to take my Homemade Stovetop Mac and Cheese, douse it with hot sauce, toss it with chicken and jalapeños, and call it chicken jalapeno popper casserole, right? Right.

JALAPENO POPPER CHICKEN CASSEROLE

We love this jalapeño popper chicken casserole! It’s:

• Full of flavor with a great spicy kick to it!
• Great for when you want a bowl of comfort food.
• Rich, creamy, and delicious – perfect for winning over even the people who wrinkle their noses at the word “casserole”.
• Combines junk food cravings with real food priorities. Get your junk food fix without compromising your goals!

CHICKEN JALAPENO POPPER CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS

• Cooking Spray. For greasing the pan and for the casserole topping. You can also use a butter wrapper to grease the pan.
• Pasta. Choose a smaller pasta shape, like penne, elbow macaroni, or rotini.
• Butter. A cheese sauce starts with fat, and butter is the best choice here.
• Flour. Whatever flour you have on hand – einkorn, all-purpose flour, or even whole wheat flour. This helps thicken the sauce.
• Milk. You can use all milk for the liquid in the sauce or use some milk and some jalapeno juice for an extra kick.
• Cream Cheese. Cut into cubes, so it melts into the sauce more easily.
• Cheddar Cheese. Shredded cheddar cheese makes a delicious cheesy sauce, but you can substitute another cheese like Monterey jack cheese, Colby Jack, or mozzarella if that’s what you have.
• Greek Yogurt. For extra tang and creaminess. Here’s how to make your own.
• Spices: Nutmeg, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper
• Hot Sauce. We use our Homemade Hot Sauce, which is a copycat recipe of Frank’s hot sauce.
• Sliced Pickled Jalapenos. Drained, with the juice reserved. Use a smaller amount for less of a kick or add the full amount for those who like it spicy!
• Cooked Chicken. This is a perfect recipe for using leftover All-Purpose Chicken or any leftover shredded chicken you might have.
• Panko Breadcrumbs. Adding these to the top and popping the casserole in the oven gives you that crispy crunchy goodness in each bite.

HOW TO MAKE JALAPENO POPPERS CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Step 1. Spray an 8×8 casserole dish with cooking spray OR grease using a butter wrapper.

Step 2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350F.

Step 3. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly until the flour is dissolved. Cook the flour for about 4 minutes, stirring often.

Step 4. Add 1 cup of milk and the juice from strained jalapeno peppers (or additional milk for a mild dish) and stir until a sauce is formed.

Step 5. Turn the heat to low and add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and yogurt, and stir. Allow the cheese to melt, stirring often so the cream cheese mixture doesn’t burn and the milk doesn’t curdle.

Step 6. Add the spices, hot sauce, jalapenos, chicken, and pasta and stir to combine well. (For a mild dish, start with 2 oz jalapenos. Taste and add more to your desired level of spice.)

Step 7. Add additional milk if the sauce is too thick, a few tablespoons at a time.

Step 8. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top and coat generously with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and toasted. Serve the jalapeno poppers chicken casserole with additional hot sauce as desired.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. This recipe doesn’t do the best frozen, since it will change the texture.

JALAPENO CHICKEN POPPER CASSEROLE TIPS

Have your chicken cooked ahead of time. I like to make a whole chicken in the crock pot or instant pot, shred the meat, and use it throughout the week. Leftover rotisserie chicken from the store is also good for this recipe. Or cook boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs in the Instant Pot or on a sheet pan.

In case your family is like my daughter and not big fans of spicy things, let me assure you that this dish can easily be toned down and I’ve included substitution ideas in the recipe for this.

If your family is split 50/50 with spicy versus non-spicy, try this:

• Save the peppers and hot sauce for the very end.
• As you make the recipe, portion out some casserole “plain” into one end of your pan first
• Then add the peppers and hot sauce to the remaining noodle mixture. Stir well and pour into the other half of the pan.
• Top the spicy side with jalapeños over the breadcrumbs so it’s easy to see which side is which when you serve.

Bake jalapeno chicken popper casserole in a pan with a lid. I have these pyrex dishes that come with lids, so I can just put a lid on it if we have leftovers, which we reheat in the oven. Leaving it in the original pan means keeping the panko breadcrumb topping in place when you reheat it so you still get that crunch the next day.

With that said, there’s nothing wrong or bad about dumping the casserole into a leftover container and getting the breadcrumbs all mixed up. I’ve done that too and it tasted just fine, and no one complained (the two criteria for successful leftovers in my kitchen).

CHICKEN JALAPENO POPPER CASSEROLE FAQS

MORE COMFORT FOOD FAVORITES

In the mood for more comfort food? Try one of these classics: