EASY Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole is made extra easy in an ovenproof skillet! All of your favorite popper ingredients - but in a tasty chicken casserole.
Make this extra spicy or only a little spicy. Creamy and delicious with chicken, sausage, peppers, onion, and ooey-gooey melty cheese! This is a healthy gluten-free, low carb, no sugar added, keto casserole.
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You'll Love Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
"My whole family loves jalapeno poppers! The thing is, I wanted a way to enjoy them more often, but for dinner instead of an appetizer. The result - a super delicious casserole that they went nuts over. This version uses sausage instead of bacon (our favorite way to make poppers)" -Kori
It's Delicious
Okay, this is a delicious casserole. I was worried because I thought that the jalapenos would be WAY too spicy for me, but it turns out they mellowed quite nicely and added so much delicious flavor. Perfect!
As with most casseroles, I like to balance fresh vegetables with all the creaminess, so it isn't too overwhelmingly rich.
One Pan
Anything I can do to cut down extra steps makes for a much better recipe in my book! I started to make this and transfer everything to a casserole dish, but that's an extra step and an extra dish to wash.
If you don't have an oven-proof skillet like a cast iron skillet - I HIGHLY suggest you get one. A 12" cast iron skillet is one of my most used pans of anything I own.
Make it More Spicy or Less Spicy
I've never been a spicy person, so for years, I refused to try jalapeno poppers. I didn't realize how much jalapenos will mellow in taste after baking. This is true for this casserole!
I like my casserole mild; then I dice extra jalapenos for my spice loving rest of my family. I've made this casserole twice, and I used 1/2 cup of diced jalapenos, which was quite mild, then the next go around, I added 3/4 cup. The additional 3/4 cup only made it a little spicier.
I would add between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup and cook with the rest of the vegetables. Leave out 1/8 to 1/4 cup of the jalapenos to add to the top right before baking. These will be spicer because they don't cook as long.
Garnishing with raw diced jalapeno will, of course, make this casserole much much spicier.
Gluten-Free, Low Carb, and Keto
Only 6 grams of net carbs! With such low carbs, 23.8 grams of fat, and 34. grams of protein, the keto jalapeno popper chicken casserole should fit your daily fat, carb, and protein requirements nicely.
Add more healthy fat by using additional sour cream and cheese, and topping with diced avocado.
You can find the full nutritional analysis at the bottom of the recipe card, but here are the most important numbers if you are following a low carb and ketogenic diet:
23.8 g fat | 6 g net carbs | 34.4 g protein
How to Serve
This is almost a meal in one, but having a vegetable side is a great option. Here are a few ideas of what to serve with this jalapeno chicken casserole!
- Serve with a side of fresh steam vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower.
- A side of riced cauliflower is nice.
- Serve with a simple side salad and a favorite dressing.
- If you are not following a low carb or keto diet then a side of rice is a great option!
- Serve in warm tortillas (not low carb or keto)
Variations
Here are a variety of ways you can make substitutions or customize your chicken jalapeno popper casserole recipe:
- Substitute different peppers. While this casserole is not very spicy you can use all green bell peppers if desired. You can also change up the jalapenos to a much spicier version if you like a lot of heat.
- Use bacon instead of sausage.
- Use different cheeses - jack, pepper jack, colby jack, and cheddar all work great.
- Play with your seasoning and use some fresh herbs - oregano and cilantro would be amazing!
Ingredients and Tools
Ingredients
- 24 oz diced cooked chicken (we used a frozen bag of pre-cooked roasted chicken, thawed)
- 1/2 lb sausage
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup jalapeno pepper, chopped (reserve 1/8 cup)
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 8 oz pepper jack cheese, grated (or regular jack cheese)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp cumin
Tools
- 12" cast iron skillet or other oven proof skillet
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Chef knife
- Cutting board
- Mixing spoon
Instructions
Here's how to make this delicious jalapeno popper chicken casserole. You'll be surprised how easy it is! 🙂
Cook the Sausage
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a 12" ovenproof skillet over medium heat, brown sausage. Remove from pan and keep warm.
Cook the Vegetables
Add onion, bell pepper, jalapenos, and mushrooms to the pan. Cook until vegetables are soft (approximately 5 to 7 min). Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Add Remaining Ingredients
Reduce heat to low and add meat back to the pan. Add sour cream, cream cheese, half of the jack cheese, salt, pepper, and cumin. Stir until it is well mixed—top with remaining 1/8 cup of jalapeno peppers and cheese.
Bake
Bake 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve
Serve warm while cheese is nice and melty. Enjoy!
Cooking Tips
- Using precooked chicken makes this recipe go much quicker. If you don't have precooked chicken, you can saute diced chicken in the pan with a bit of olive oil until done. Remove and continue with cooking the sausage.
- If you would like to pre-prep this meal, pre-cook the chicken and sausage and store it in an airtight container (the same container is fine). At the same time, your chicken and sausage are cooking, prep your vegetables. Store vegetables in a plastic bag until ready for use. You can also grate your cheese in advance too.
- If you don't have an oven-proof skillet you can cook everything in a skillet then transfer it to a casserole dish.
Common Questions
Can I make jalapeno popper chicken casserole ahead of time?
Yes! Definitely. You can pre-prep all the vegetables, grate the cheese and cook the meat in advance—store until ready to bake casserole.
How can I increase the healthy fat in the recipe?
You can increase the healthy fat in this recipe by garnishing it with diced avocado and using additional sour cream and cheese. You can also substitute chicken thighs for chicken breast as chicken thighs have slightly more fat content.
How can I lower the fat in this recipe?
You can lower the fat in this recipe by using low-fat or fat-free cream cheese and sour cream. You can also reduce the amount of cheese if desired.
How do you store this casserole?
Transfer any remaining casserole to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 4 days.
How do you reheat this casserole?
Reheat this casserole in your microwave on a low setting until warm.
Can I freeze this casserole?
This casserole does not freeze well as the peppers become watery, and because it has dairy products in it, the fats from the dairy will likely separate.
📋 Printable Recipe
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole (Keto Low Carb)
Made extra easy in an ovenproof skillet! All of your favorite popper ingredients - but in a tasty chicken casserole. Make this extra spicy or only a little spicy. Creamy and delicious with chicken, sausage, peppers, onion, and ooey-gooey melty cheese! This is a healthy gluten-free, low carb, no sugar added, keto casserole.
Ingredients
- 24 oz diced cooked chicken (we used a frozen bag of pre-cooked roasted chicken, thawed)
- 1/2 lb sausage
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup jalapeno pepper, chopped (reserve 1/8 cup)
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 8 oz pepper jack cheese, grated (reserve half for the top)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp cumin
Instructions
- In a 12" ovenproof skillet over medium heat, brown sausage. Remove from pan and keep warm.
- Add onion, bell pepper, jalapenos, and mushrooms to the pan. Cook until vegetables are soft (approximately 5 to 7 min). Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to low and add meat back to the pan. Add sour cream, cream cheese, half of the jack cheese, salt, pepper, and cumin. Stir until it is well mixed—top with remaining 1/8 cup of jalapeno peppers and cheese.
- Bake 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve warm while cheese is nice and melty. The casserole can be eaten on its own or served in tortillas, over rice, with a side salad, or with fresh steamed vegetables.
Notes
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- Jalapenos mellow out after cooking so this casserole is on the mild side. If you prefer more heat, add more jalapenos or add them raw as a garnish at the end for the most spice. Adjust to your tastes!
- Using precooked chicken makes this recipe go much quicker. If you don't have precooked chicken, you can saute diced chicken in the pan with a bit of olive oil until done. Remove and continue with cooking the sausage.
- If you would like to pre-prep this meal, pre-cook the chicken and sausage and store it in an airtight container (the same container is fine). At the same time, your chicken and sausage are cooking, prep your vegetables. Store vegetables in a plastic bag until ready for use. You can also grate your cheese in advance too.
- If you don't have an oven-proof skillet you can cook everything in a skillet then transfer it to a casserole dish.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/8th of casserole (approx.1 cup)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 463Total Fat: 23.8gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 794mgCarbohydrates: 7.2gNet Carbohydrates: 6.0gFiber: 1.2gSugar: 2.7gProtein: 34.4g
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More Low Carb Keto Chicken Recipes
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Jalapeno popper chicken casserole is made extra easy in your ovenproof skillet! All of your favorite popper ingredients - but in a tasty chicken casserole. 🙂 Make this extra spicy or only a little spicy. Either way, you will love this low carb keto jalapeno popper casserole inspired Mexican recipe. Creamy and delicious with chicken, sausage, peppers, onion, and ooey-gooey melty cheese! This is a healthy gluten free, low carb, no sugar added, keto casserole.
Barb says
Made this last night for dinner and we loved it!! So good. Great flavor and easy to make. It was a mild spicy which is perfect for me so I could enjoy it. My husband spiced his up with more jalapeño peppers. This will be added to my regular recipe rotation. Thank you!
Kori says
Great! Thank you so much. I'm super happy you loved the casserole and that the spicy level could work for everyone! Have a great day 🙂
Karen says
This looks delicious. The sausage and chicken would be added in when adding the sour cream, cream cheese, etc? Thank you for clarification!
Kori says
Yes you are correct! 🙂 I hope you enjoy the recipe. Have a good day
Joan says
What type of sausage do you use?
Kori says
Hello! I use just a regular pork sausage. This one was in a 16 oz. tube. I just usually buy the store brand.