Jalapeño Popper Chicken Pasta (Printable)

Creamy pasta with chicken, jalapeños, cheeses, and a crunchy breadcrumb topping.

# 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 - 1/2 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 - 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
13 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
14 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Seasonings

15 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
16 - 1/2 tsp salt
17 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

# How to Make It:

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 - Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeños; cook until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
04 - Reduce heat to low. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Gradually whisk in whole milk.
05 - Stir in cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses until melted and creamy. Season with smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
06 - Fold cooked chicken and pasta into the cheese sauce until evenly coated.
07 - Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.
08 - Combine panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, and grated Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the pasta.
09 - Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the topping is golden and the pasta is bubbly.
10 - Garnish with extra chopped jalapeños if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a one-dish dinner that feels way more impressive than the effort it takes.
  • The heat builds slowly, so even people nervous about spice often ask for seconds.
  • Crispy breadcrumb topping means there's texture and crunch hiding under all that creamy sauce.
02 -
  • Don't skip the low heat when adding cream cheese—high heat will break it and make the sauce grainy and unappetizing.
  • The pasta will seem slightly underdone when you drain it, but it'll cook perfectly during the baking time and absorb the sauce.
  • Shredding your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded makes a huge difference in creaminess because it doesn't have anti-caking agents.
03 -
  • If the sauce breaks or looks grainy, turn off the heat immediately and whisk in a splash of cold milk to bring it back together.
  • Don't grate the cheese ahead of time—shred it right before you use it so it melts more smoothly into the sauce.
  • Leftover pasta reheats beautifully in a 350°F oven covered with foil, and the breadcrumb topping will crisp back up in about 10 minutes.
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