Jalapeño Popper Chicken Pasta (Printer version)

A creamy, spicy pasta dish with chicken, jalapeños, rich cheeses, and a crisp breadcrumb top.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fusilli pasta
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Chicken

03 - 10 oz cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

04 - 2 fresh jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
05 - ½ small onion, finely chopped
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Cheese & Dairy

07 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
08 - 1 cup whole milk
09 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
10 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
11 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

→ Topping

12 - ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
13 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
14 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Seasonings

15 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
16 - ½ tsp salt
17 - ¼ tsp black pepper

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion and jalapeños 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
04 - Reduce heat to low, stir in cream cheese until smooth. Whisk in milk gradually.
05 - Incorporate cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, stirring until melted. Season with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
06 - Fold cooked chicken and pasta into the cheese sauce until evenly coated.
07 - Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
08 - Mix panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle evenly over pasta.
09 - Bake for 15–18 minutes until topping is golden and pasta is bubbly.
10 - Optionally garnish with extra chopped jalapeños. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's that rare dish where creamy comfort food and bold spice actually make each other better instead of fighting.
  • The crispy panko topping gives you texture contrast that keeps every forkful interesting.
  • You can have dinner on the table in under an hour with zero stress about complicated techniques.
02 -
  • Don't skip melting the cream cheese slowly on low heat—high heat will break it into grainy chunks that won't smooth out even with milk.
  • The pasta still cooks a bit in the oven, so cooking it just before al dente instead of fully done prevents it from turning mushy.
03 -
  • Softening the cream cheese at room temperature for even 10 minutes makes melting it infinitely easier and smoother.
  • The panko topping is what makes people come back for seconds, so don't skimp on it or the butter that makes it crispy.
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