Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad

A chicken salad scoop on top of lettuce greens

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad is mildly spicy, super creamy, and loaded with all the things you love about classic jalapeño poppers. This chicken salad gets dressed up with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, and jalapeños. Serve inside buttery and flakey croissants!

Course Dinner, Sandwich

Cuisine American

Keyword Jalapeño popper chicken salad

Prep Time 15

Chill Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 412kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups cooked chicken (shredded or chunked)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon cooked crispy & chopped)
2-3 Jalapeño peppers (seeded & finely diced)

Instructions

In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mayo until smooth and creamy.
4 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Add in the garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Beat until combined.
1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Add the chicken, cheddar cheese, bacon, and diced jalapeños. Beat on low speed, or use a wooden spoon to mix it all together until well incorporated.
2 cups cooked chicken, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 4 slices bacon, 2-3 Jalapeño peppers
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, or a lid, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving it chilled.
Serve the jalapeño chicken salad on it's own, as a sandwich filling inside croissants or your favorite bread, over fresh lettuce greens, inside a low carb tortilla as a wrap, or as a lettuce wrap.

Notes

Cream Cheese : I think the full-fat cream cheese tastes the best but you can use lite, or even fat-free if wanted. 4 ounces is half of an 8 ounce bar of cream cheese.

Mayo : Again, the full-fat stuff will taste the best but use any mayo you love like lite, avocado oil mayo, etc. You can also replace half of the mayo (or all of it) with plain Greek yogurt if wanted.

Chicken : I love using a rotisserie chicken for this recipe!

Jalapeños : With the seeds out, jalapeños are actually mild spice and provide a ton of great flavor. For a spicy salad, leave the seeds in the jalapeños. Use more or less than what is listed in the recipe depending on preference.

Nutrition