Jalape O Popper Chicken Tacos

If you’re anything like me, then you’re a sucker for anything jalapeño popper. And if you’re also like me, you’ll know that anything can be improved by whacking it in a tortilla wrap. You see where I’m going with this 😂 Follow me…

Chicken Jalapeño Popper Taco Filling

The filling is ridiculously easy. It’s also devilishly delicious. Here’s what you’ll need:

Chicken – cooked/rotisserie chicken diced into small cubes. Bacon – cooked using your preferred method to your desired texture then diced. Jalapeños – I like to use pickled/jarred jalapeños. Make sure they’re finely diced. Cheese – a combination of cream cheese, cheddar and mozzarella is what makes these tacos truly irresistible! Sour Cream – helps prevent a dry filling and will help bind everything together. Spring Onion – finely diced. Seasoning – I love adding smoked paprika, cumin and black pepper.

Whilst it’s tempting to eat the filling with a spoon at this point, trust me when I say it tastes SO much better melted. It’ll actually seem a little dry at the start, but once it melts inside the tortilla it gets nice and saucy. Process shots: add fillings to bowl (photo 1), combine (photo 2).

Chicken Jalapeño Popper Tacos

Since there’s so much cheese in the filling, these tacos need to be cooked. Am I now in mini ‘quesadilla’ territory?! It’s too late 😅 I love using street market tortillas to make these tacos. Just pan-fry them until golden and crispy with the filling just starting to leak out. Process shots: add filling to tortilla (photo 1), fold over (photo 2), add to pan (photo 3), fry both sides (photo 4).

Can I use fresh jalapeños?

I have tested both fresh and pickled and much prefer pickled. The tanginess that comes from the brine really helps balance out and cut through the rich, cheesy filling.

Where can I find street market tortillas?

You’ll find the Old El Paso small street market tortillas in most supermarkets (I get mine from Morrisons).

Can I use other small tortillas?

You can use slightly larger tortillas and can use flour ones too (I find flour ones actually crisp up a little better). You’ll just end up with less tacos. In all cases, they should be relatively thin and crispy. Although the filling will look dry at the start, as it heats up it melts and begins leaking out of the tacos. Hence why you don’t want to overfill the tortillas.

Serving Chicken Jalapeño Popper Tacos

You could serve with Salsa, Guac or just as they are! To film, I actually served with Ranch mixed with hot sauce. Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these jalapeño popper chicken tacos shall we?!