Everything you love about a creamy jalapeño popper dip, combined with cheesy shredded chicken! Great as a dip, served over a baked potato or pasta, or as a fun dinner idea.
This is one of my Dip recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
With the big game coming up next weekend, even if you’re not a huge football fan, I bet you’re a fan of game day foods. I mean what’s not to love about some honey buffalo meatballs, pesto chicken sliders, or garlic soft pretzel bites!
So whether you’re hosting a party, or attending one, this jalapeno popper dip with shredded chicken is the perfect party food.
It’s great with a variety of dippers, can be assembled ahead of time, and is super customize-able.
And while it’s a recipe I typically associate with parties and game days, I also love to spoon some of this dip over a baked potato or pasta for a fun dinner or lunch!
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Versatile – there are many customize-able options, and different ways to serve!
- Crowd favorite – if you’re having a party, I can almost guarantee that everyone will love it.
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Bacon – you can use any type of bacon in this recipe. I usually go for a center cut to cut down on the amount of drippings.
- Onion – I prefer to use a yellow or white onion.
- Jalapeno – fresh jalapenos definitely taste best in this dip, but if all you have is pickled peppers you could use about 1/2 cup of diced pickled jalapenos.
- Garlic (not labeled, whoops!) – I use fresh garlic, but if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, you can use about 1-2 tsp of garlic paste, or 1/2-1 tsp garlic powder.
- Seasonings – for this recipe, those are salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Cream cheese – I use full fat cream cheese, but I think it would work well with low fat as well (keep in mind that this hasn’t been tested).
- Heavy cream – this might be labeled heavy whipping cream in the dairy section of your grocery store.
- Chicken – you want cooked and shredded chicken for this recipe, so I generally use a rotisserie chicken.
- Cheese – I like the flavor of sharp cheddar, and I shred it myself so it melts nicely.
- Garnish – always optional, but recommended, for this recipe these are sliced green onions, sliced jalapenos, and minced cilantro (or parsley).
How to make cheesy chicken jalapeño popper dip:
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Cook bacon. This can be cooked until the bacon is as crispy as you’d like.
- Cook veggies. In the same skillet with bacon drippings, saute the onion, jalapenos, and garlic.
- Season and add cream cheese. The cream cheese should be softened, so it’ll incorporate more easily.
- Melt. Cook a bit more, so the cream cheese is melted, then add heavy cream, chicken, bacon, and cheese.
- Add toppings. Sprinkle generously with cheddar cheese and cooked bacon.
- Bake. Once the dip is hot and bubbly, top with garnishes and serve.
Helpful Tip!
To cut down on the amount of dishes, if you have one, I recommend using an oven-safe skillet to cook the bacon and veggies in. Otherwise, you can cook those and warm the dip through in any skillet, then transfer the dip to a baking dish.
Variations of this recipe
- Chicken – I like to utilize a rotisserie chicken for recipes like this one, but if you have leftover chicken that would also work well. You can also cook some chicken breasts in the skillet, then shred it and use that in the dip.
- Heat level – I consider this about a medium heat level, but I know that’s pretty subjective. To make this dip more mild, make sure you remove the seeds and ribs of the peppers, or use less peppers. To increase the heat, add more peppers, leave the seeds and ribs in, add some cayenne pepper, or some hot sauce.
- Garlic – if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, you can use about 1-2 tsp of garlic paste, or 1/2-1 tsp garlic powder.
- More solid – if you’d like a thicker dip, you can reduce the amount of heavy cream. I don’t recommend omitting it entirely, unless you’re using sturdy dippers.
- Heavy cream alternative – in place of the heavy cream, you can try using some mayonnaise or sour cream.
- Different cheeses – other cheeses that are delicious in this recipe are any variety of cheddar, colby, colby jack, monterey jack, or any combination of those.
- Other cooking methods – while I haven’t tested it, I think this dip could be made in both the slow cooker or on the stovetop.
FAQ’s
Sometimes I like to combine panko breadcrumbs with a bit of melted butter (or olive oil), and sprinkle that over the top before adding the cheese and bacon to the top, then bake as directed. It adds a nice extra crunch!
Making jalapeño popper dip ahead of time
I don’t recommend baking the dip completely ahead, but you can absolutely assemble it in a mixing bowl.
It will need to be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and can be made up to 2 days ahead.
Then when it’s time to bake, let it come closer to room temperature, then bake as directed.
Storage
Leftover dip should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 4 days or so.
My Favorite Cast Iron Skillet!
Any oven-safe skillet will work well in this recipe, but I love using my trusty cast iron skillet!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
Dip
- 6 slices bacon
- 1/2 small yellow onion diced
- 2 jalapeño peppers seeded and diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 12 oz cream cheese softened
- 2/3 cup heavy cream or less, to your taste
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken I use a rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
Topping
- 1/3 of the cooked and crumbled bacon from earlier
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Garnishes
- sliced green onions
- sliced jalapeño peppers
- minced fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cook bacon
- Heat an oven-safe skillet (I like to use cast iron or stainless steel) over MED LOW heat. Once hot, add 6 slices bacon and cook until crispy on both sides.
- Remove to a paper towel lined plate, reserving about 1 Tbsp of the grease in the skillet, discarding the rest.
Cook veggies
- Increase heat to MED, and add 1/2 small yellow onion and 2 jalapeño peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes.
- While onion and jalapeños are cooking, crumble/chop cooked bacon, dividing and reserving about 1/3 of the bacon for a topping.
- Add 4 cloves garlic to the skillet and cook another 30 seconds to a minute, stirring often.
Assemble dip
- Season the veggies in the skillet with 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, then add the softened 12 oz cream cheese.
- Stir and cook until cream cheese is melted, then stir in 2/3 cup heavy cream, 3 cups shredded cooked chicken, 1/3 of the cooked and crumbled bacon from earlier, and 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese.
Top and bake
- Sprinkle 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese and the reserved cooked bacon pieces over the top, and bake in preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, until hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted.
Serve
- Serve hot, garnished with sliced green onions, sliced jalapeño peppers, and minced fresh cilantro or parsley, with desired dippers.
- Dippers we love are celery sticks, carrot sticks, crackers, tortilla chips, and toasted ciabatta bread slices.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- I’ve estimated this recipe serves about 8, but feel free to divide it into as many servings as you’d like.
- I prefer to shred my own cheese from a block of sharp cheddar. This way the cheese melts nicely and won’t have a gritty texture.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Leave a Comment