Buffalo chicken and jalapeño poppers – two of the food world’s greatest gifts. What if I told you that you could have a mouthwatering appetizer featuring both at once? With these Buffalo chicken jalapeño poppers, it is possible!
These buffalo chicken jalapeño poppers on the grill are a game changer for your next party, tailgate, movie night, or just when you’re in the mood for something ridiculously delicious. Let’s get down to the tips and tricks to make sure these poppers are as perfect as they sound.
Watch the Tutorial Video!
Ingredients for Buffalo Chicken Poppers
Here’s the brief rundown of ingredients for Buffalo chicken poppers:
- Jalapeños
- Chicken breast
- Cream cheese
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Buffalo sauce
- Blue cheese dressing
- BBQ seasoning
Aren’t Jalapeños Really Spicy?
You want your poppers to have a good balance of flavor without totally burning your taste buds off. The majority of the spice from jalapeños come from the seeds and membranes. When those are removed, jalapeños have very little heat to them.
Cut jalapenos in half long ways, then scoop the seeds and membranes out to make room for the Buffalo chicken stuffing. But if you want extra heat, leave some of the seeds in.
Cooking the Chicken
Since this is a BBQ page, I love using smoked chicken in my buffalo chicken jalapeño poppers. Simply take one chicken breast, season with your favorite BBQ rub (I’m using Chicken Rub from Girls Can Grill), and cook on the grill at 375 degrees over indirect heat. I like using hickory wood for smoking this way.
The target temperature of the chicken breast should be 160 degrees. Remove, let rest, and internal temp should rise to the FDA approved 165 degrees. Shred with forks or with your hands. I like to use food safe gloves for this as it helps provide a little insulation from the hot chicken breast.
Note: You can use cooked chicken from a rotisserie, oven, grill, or slow cooker. The key is to keep that chicken nice and juicy.
Not All Cream Cheese is Created Equal
You know how cream cheese makes everything better? Well, in the case of jalapeño poppers, it’s doing some heavy lifting. It’s the secret to a creamy, dreamy filling that will make you forget you’re eating plain ol’ jalapeño. I’ve used generic and premium brands of cream cheese and I notice a difference in flavor.
With that said, I highly recommend a premium brand of cream cheese such as Philadelphia or Tillamook. An eight ounce package, or “brick” of cream cheese, is just the right amount. Make sure the cream cheese is softened by either pulling it out of the refrigerator an hour beforehand. Or do what I usually do and cut the block up into pieces and microwave for 20 seconds.
Making the Filling
In a large mixing bowl, put in the shredded chicken breast, softened brick of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup of Buffalo sauce (or hot sauce), and some blue cheese dressing. Add in a tablespoon of BBQ seasoning for more flavor.
Mix ingredients by hand or with a large spoon. Once mixed well, spoon the creamy Buffalo chicken filling into the hallowed out jalapeños. This should fill between 16 to 20 jalapeño halves (sizes of jalapeños will vary). Place on a large baking sheet and top the poppers with a light amount of shredded cheddar cheese.
Buffalo Chicken Jalapeño Poppers on the Grill
With the grill preheated to 350 degrees over indirect heat, place baking sheet full of Buffalo chicken poppers in smoker and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve immediately. That’s it!
What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Poppers
While you can eat this game day appetizer exactly how it is, they do taste great when dipped in blue cheese dressing. Serve alongside carrots and celery to give it a more authentic Buffalo chicken wing effect.
Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing for Buffalo Chicken?
Folks from Buffalo, where Buffalo wings were created, prefer blue cheese dressing to pair it with. The Midwesterner in me loves ranch and uses it with a lot of foods, so it is tempting to pair it with Buffalo chicken poppers. Ultimately, it is a matter of personal preference.
Other Game Day Appetizers to Try
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers w/Chorizo
Buffalo Chicken Jalapeño Poppers Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Jalapeño Poppers
These buffalo chicken jalapeño poppers are a game changer for your next party, tailgate, movie night, or just when you're in the mood for something ridiculously delicious.
Ingredients
- 10 jalapeños, cut in half and scooped out
- 1 chicken breast
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 Cup Buffalo sauce (or hot sauce)
- 1/4 Cup blue cheese dressing
- 2 Tbsp BBQ rub or seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat grill to 375 degrees over indirect heat with hickory wood. Season chicken breast with one tablespoon of BBQ seasoning. Cook chicken for 30 minutes or until internal temp reaches 160 degrees. Remove, wait 10 minutes, and shred.
- While chicken is cooking prepare jalapeños by cutting off stems, cutting in half, and scooping out seeds and membrane. Place jalapeno halves on large baking sheet. Set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, combine shredded chicken, softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, Buffalo hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, and a tablespoon of BBQ seasoning. Mix ingredients altogether until consistent.
- With a spoon, spread the Buffalo chicken mixture into jalapeño halves and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Place on grill at 375 degrees with indirect heat for 25 minutes. Remove and serve.
Notes
- Have no time to cook chicken? No problem! Simply use a rotisserie chicken from the store and substitute one cup of white meat for one smoked chicken breast.
- Buffalo hot sauce is ideal, but feel free to use something hotter (or milder) as your taste buds prefer.
- This recipe can be made in the oven instead of the grill.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 344mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g
Note: Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
