Slow Cooker Creamy Jalapeno Chicken
This current school season has ushered in so many activities and sports events, I actually cannot believe how busy we’ve been given all of this Covid mess! Truly thankful, though, for the opportunity and privilege to keep my kiddos active with social groups and sports teams. They need it so badly. What a gift! Of course, all of the commitments require a little extra planning and creativity to get dinner on the table, but it’s 100% worth the effort.
Creamy Jalapeno Chicken is one of our favorite meals, but it requires stove top cooking. When I’m often arriving home after 6pm, it’s an issue to get this meal served at a reasonable time. After a couple tries though, I finally converted it to a slow cooker recipe so we can enjoy it on our busy days, too. It’s easy peasy, and truly one of our favorites. Lots of flavor and so, so yummy served over brown or white rice. The kids often ask for seconds.
I typically use chicken thighs, but really breast meat would work beautifully, too. The recipe is forgiving on the amount of chicken – use what you need to feed your family. Though if you have more than six people, I’d suggest doubling the sauce ingredients (though maybe not the dry spices, depending on how much spice your crew prefers).
Here’s how I’m preparing it in the slow cooker … hope your family enjoys it as much as mine!
Slow Cooker Creamy Jalapeno Chicken
Ingredients
- 6-9 chicken thighs (boneless or bone-in both work well)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup canned jalapenos (drained)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
- 1-2 cups cheddar cheese
- 1 cup fried bacon, crumbled
Instructions
- Place the first 10 ingredients into the slow cooker.
- I usually start the chicken from frozen, which cooks about 6 hours on high. Fresh or thawed chicken would probably take about 4 hours on high, but timing is highly variable based on individual slow cookers. It's important to know your slow cooker and use a meat thermometer to be sure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it and place on a plate to the side.
- Add the cheddar cheese to the leftover sauce in the slow cooker. While you grab plates and get the table prepared, let the sauce sit for a few minutes to melt, and then mix everything together well.
- Add the chicken back into the slow cooker, coating well with the sauce.
- Then, serve the chicken over brown or white rice or with a side of veggies, and sprinkle crumbled bacon on top. There's lots of extra sauce to pour over rice or veggies.
- Enjoy!
