Jalapeno Popper Chicken Tacos

These Jalapeno Popper Chicken Tacos are so good! Creamy, a little spicy, and with crunchy Panko topping on top! Just like a jalapeno popper.

JALAPENO POPPER CHICKEN TACOS

Here it is a week before the Super Bowl and I can’t help but think of everything I’m making for game day. If you haven’t checked out all of my football food, you must.

Football isn’t just something we love, it’s our life. Literally what puts food in my kids’ mouths and what our schedules revolve around. I think one of the most commonly asked questions is did you love football before you met your husband. Yes. I loved watching football growing up but not to the extent that I do now. When I met my husband he actually hadn’t started playing football yet so it was a learning curve for me for sure.

We met when I was 19 and he was 21…we were babies. We got married a year and a half later and have been married for almost 16 years.

Yes, I love football but if I wasn’t watching my husband play I probably wouldn’t do three hours of church, a four hour football game, then dinner, bathtime, and bedtime with five kids on a Sunday. I don’t think any sane person would…week after week.

So when I talk about my love for football food it’s way more than that. It’s our life. We’re invested. It’s 16 years of memories wrapped up in Buffalo Chicken Dip (we eat this every football Sunday), Hot Spinach Dip, and Buffalo Mac n’ Cheese.

These Jalapeno Popper Chicken Tacos were well tested and thought out. We tried them a couple different ways and decided that this was the best way to experience these flavors. Your basic jalapeno popper has cream cheese, jalapenos, bacon, and cheddar cheese which we all incorporated into these tacos.

The part that really puts them over the top is the Panko topping. Using jalapeno poppers are fried but instead of frying them we are topping them with buttery toasted Panko crumbs.

It gives the allusion of frying with a crunch on top. These Old El Paso taco boats are genius because they stand up on their own which is perfect for entertaining. They have mini boats too which I adore!

You only want to bake these until the edges get golden brown but most importantly the filling is warmed through.

OTHER TACO RECIPES:

• Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa
• Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taco
• Barbacoa Tacos
• Salsa Verde Beef Tacos
• Green Chile Turkey Tacos
• Korean Tacos
• Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
• Grilled Chicken Tacos with Feta Cream
• Texas Tacos

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Tacos

4.67 from 6 votes

These Jalapeno Popper Chicken Tacos are so good! Creamy, a little spicy, and with crunchy Panko topping on top! Just like a jalapeno popper.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 6 minutes mins

Total Time: 16 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

Topping:

• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs, (found by regular bread crumbs)
• 1 Tablespoon butter

Jalapeno Popper Filling:

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, , divided
• 2 jalapenos, , seeded and diced (add more diced jalapenos on top for garnish)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 8 Old El Paso Taco Boats Soft Flour Tortillas
• 4 strips bacon, , cooked and crumbled

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil.
• For the Topping: In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the Panko bread crumbs. Stir continuously cooking over medium heat until Panko crumbs are golden brown. Salt to taste. Set aside.
• For the Jalapeno Popper Filling: In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese (reserve the rest for the top), jalapenos, and garlic powder. Add salt to taste. It's important to salt each layer. Add the rotisserie chicken and stir until combined.
• To assemble the tacos: Divide chicken mixture evenly between the 8 taco boats. Divide the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese on top of each boat. Top with the bacon crumbles, Panko crumbs, and additional diced jalapeno (if desired).
• Bake at 350 for 6-10 minutes or until tacos are slightly golden brown and the mixture is heated through.

Notes

It's important that your cream cheese is room temperature so that you can stir it together easily. Don't have time to bring it to room temperature? Microwave it for 30-60 seconds to get it soft.

Cuisine: Mexican

Course: Main Course

Author: Christy Denney

Christy Denney

Christy is the voice behind The Girl Who Who Ate Everything! She is no stranger to making meals that kids and adults will love. She grew up in Mesa, Arizona as the youngest of ten kids. She can always be found in her kitchen with music playing and cooking with her kids. She published her first cookbook in 2014. She loves party food that gets the conversations going!

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