Jalapeno Popper Chicken Salad
Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad is made with seasoned chicken, jalapeños, crispy bacon and cheese in a creamy dressing. Perfect for sandwiches or all by itself!
CHICKEN SALAD BURSTING WITH FLAVOR!
Who doesn’t love a good chicken salad recipe? Sometimes I just want to change it up and get a little creative. So, I made this Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad! You only need 10 minutes of prep work, and honestly, the hardest part is waiting the hour for it to chill to let all the flavors meld together!
Excellent chicken salad! The jalapeño just adds that little extra something and was quite tasty. Will definitely make it again!
– Lynn
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
This Jalapeno Popper Chicken Salad is great served by itself, on your favorite buns, on croissants, on lettuce as an “unwhich”, or with crackers.
I used a rotisserie chicken since it’s easy to use and often on hand. Any leftover chicken would work, or you can use canned chicken. You’ll need at least two of the 12.5 ounce cans. Additionally, you could grab the cooked, pulled chicken in the deli section of Walmart. Sam’s Club and Costco also sell their rotisserie chickens already pulled off the bone and packaged in the refrigerated section too.
Certainly. You just need to make sure you have a bowl big enough.
I do not consider this super spicy and I am sensitive to heat. I LOVE jalapeños, but my acid reflux does not. So I like using “Tamed” Jalapeno Slices sold by Mezzetta (not a paid affiliate link.) They bring all the flavors of jalapeños without being spicy.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- cream cheese– softened to room temperature. Need to soften it quickly? Try these tips to Soften Cream Cheese Quickly if you need them.
- mayonnaise – I prefer Hellman’s, Blue Plate or JFG. If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I detest Miracle Whip – ha. It is NOT mayonnaise, it is a dressing and I think it makes everything way too tangy but I am not judging at all if you love it and you can certainly use it.
- garlic salt – if you don’t have garlic salt, you can use garlic powder then just adjust the salt as necessary
- juice from the jar of pickled jalapenos – see my Frequently Asked Questions above for the kind of jalapeños I like to use.
- shredded cooked chicken – You can use a rotisserie chicken, you can boil some or you can even roast some chicken breasts like I do for my Chicken Salad.
- diced red onion – you can swap these out for green onions or you could even use pickled red onions. They are a bit less pungent. Quick note: if you love that crunch of red onions but aren’t a fan of the strong taste, soak the diced red onions in some ice water. This removes some of that pungency but keeps the crunch and flavor.
- chopped pickled jalapenos– or you can use chopped fresh jalapeños if that’s what you prefer.
- slices bacon – I prefer freshly cooked bacon. You could use the packaged bacon pieces if you prefer but I think you get the best flavor with freshly cooked.
- shredded cheddar cheese – you can use whatever cheese you enjoy. I think Colby jack, Monterey Jack and gouda would all work well here.
- sliced fresh jalapeño – This is totally optional. If I am serving this to a crowd, I like to put a few slices on top just so folks know what they’re getting into.
HOW TO MAKE JALAPEÑO POPPER CHICKEN SALAD:
In a bowl stir together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic salt, jalapeno juice and black pepper. Stir until smooth and well blended. In a larger bowl mix together the chicken, red onion, jalapeños, bacon and shredded cheddar cheese. Pour the sauce over the chicken mixture and stir until combined.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour Optional: top with fresh jalapeño slices before serving.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (1/2 block) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 Tablespoon juice from the jar of pickled jalapenos
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped pickled jalapenos
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- sliced fresh jalapeno (for serving, optional)
Instructions
- In a bowl stir together 4 ounces (1/2 block) cream cheese, softened to room temperature, 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, 1 Tablespoon juice from the jar of pickled jalapenos and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Stir until smooth and well blended.
- In a larger bowl mix together 3 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken, 1/4 cup diced red onion, 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapenos, 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the chicken mixture and stir until combined.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour
- Optional: top with sliced fresh jalapeno before serving.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” 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 and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Excellent chicken salad! The jalapeño just adds that little extra something and was quite tasty. Will definitely make it again!
Thanks so very much Lynn! I really appreciate you coming back to comment!