Healthy Chicken in Cheesy Jalapeno Sauce

This recipe – Healthy Chicken and Cheesy Jalapeno Sauce was featured on our Wine and Dine Show which happens live every Wednesday at 5:30 pm PST. SEE BELOW TO WATCH A LIVE EPISODE!!!

The ingredients for this dish are probably already in your pantry! Add Chicken and cheese and you have an easy Healthy Chicken dish; that is on the table in less than 30 minutes and all prepared in one pan, for easy cleanup. The combination of chicken broth, cream, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese, makes it a creamy and satisfying meal. The seasonings that are added to the chicken before searing it, create a flavorful and tender chicken that is so tender it can be cut with a fork!

Healthy Chicken Ingredients

  • Approximately 6-8 tenderloins or 4 chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1/2 tsp each of black pepper, salt, garlic powder and chili powder, onion powder (I used chipotle chili powder)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 C chopped onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic pressed or 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 jalapenos seeded and diced or 1 can diced chilies
  • 1/4 C Heavy Cream
  • 1/3 C Chicken Broth
  • 1 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 2 Oz Cream Cheese

I measured out and cut all the ingredients so it would be even faster to assemble. This recipe calls for jalapenos; so if you are one that doesn’t like to mess with them, then a can of diced chilies would be a good substitute.

I had some sauce in a side container from a Carl’s Junior angus jalapeno burger and added that to the cream cheese, cheese, broth, onions and cream. I didn’t have any shredded cheese, so I used slices of colby and jack cheese. It melted all the same. And I like the kick of the chipotle chili powder. I didn’t have any heavy cream so I used half n half and I also substituted whipped cream cheese.

Healthy Chicken Instructions

In a small bowl, first combine all the spices – cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, pepper and salt and set it aside.

Clean the chicken by washing it off and pulling any fat and skin off (unless it is skinless); pat it dry

Sprinkle the chicken with the spices making sure to cover both sides!

Next put about 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a pan and heat it up – you can also use nonstick spray if you like.

Sear the chicken on both sides (about 3 – 4 minutes until golden brown). If the chicken is frozen it will take about 10 minutes longer. Once it is browned, remove it from the skillet and set it aside on a plate.

Next add the butter, onions and jalapenos/chilies along with 3 fresh cloves of garlic or minced garlic. Sauté the ingredients for about 3-4 minutes, then add the sauce ingredients. Stir continuously while the cream cheese melts with the broth and cream. Then add the cheese, stirring until it is melted.

Once the sauce is mixed and melted add the chicken back into the skillet surrounding the chicken with the sauce. I cooked it another 10 minutes on low heat to make sure the chicken was completely cooked through.

What to serve this healthy chicken dish with?

You can serve it over rice, or tortilla chips. I had some zucchini spiral noodles. I thawed them in hot water and drained them. The business partner I got this recipe from suggested to make it keto friendly to serve it over cauliflower rice. She also said her son and husband suggested the sauce could be used a dip for chips or I would say vegetables.

healthy chicken

I did in fact eat the chicken with tortilla chips – delicious.

just as a side note I made the chicken again the next night because I wanted more sauce leftover and I also doubled the liquid ingredients.

This meal would have paired well with just about any one of the wines from my discovery wine club. Do you enjoy cooking with wine and/or pairing meals with wine? You can join us each week while others are doing the same or you can even cook along with us! The idea is to learn about wine while having fun with wine.

Want to know more about this amazing wine club (where all the wines come from our vineyard in Napa Valley, then find out more here!!

Remember to Join us at our Weekly Wine and Dine Events!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=cx7OlZnG5qE

Starts at 5:30pm (PST)/ 6:30pm (MST)/ 7:30pm (CST)/ 8:30pm (EST)/ 9:30pm (AST) on our “Zoom Meeting Room” http://rrr247webinars.com/ or https://zoom.us/j/267159642

SEE YOU THERE!!