This crowd-pleasing appetizer is a fusion dish that combines Tex-Mex and Indian cuisine. You combine the flavor profile of the jalapeno popper with that of the tandoori chicken to create a distinctive flavor. This recipe makes enough to serve as a main meal or an appetizer at a tailgate party or barbecue in the garden. Although this recipe asks for baking the poppers, making them on the BBQ pit is also acceptable.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 40 mins |
| Additional Time: | 30 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 40 mins |
| Servings: | 7 |
| Yield: | 28 jalapeno poppers |
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon chicken masala powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- salt to taste
- 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 14 large jalapeno peppers
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (such as Philadelphia®), softened
- 2 (8 ounce) packages bacon
Instructions
- Combine yogurt, garam masala, chicken masala, coriander, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Slice chicken breasts into small strips that will fit on halved jalapenos and place into the bowl with the tikka marinade. Mix well, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes; the longer your marinade, the more of a flavor profile on the chicken.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place a cooling rack on top of a baking tray.
- Snap off jalapeno stems by holding a pepper with one hand and pulling it off to the side. Repeat with remaining peppers. Slice all jalapenos in half lengthwise and remove all seeds and ribbing using a teaspoon, making sure not to remove white stem area.
- Fill jalapeno halves with cream cheese using a teaspoon; place as much cheese as to your liking. Place a strip of tikka chicken on top of cream cheese and wrap each chicken popper halve with a slice of bacon. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until bacon is browned and crisp, about 40 minutes.
- If you are sensitive to spice, rinse out jalapenos to remove seeds that have stayed behind.
- Chicken masala powder can be found at Indian grocery stores.
- The cooling rack on top of the baking tray allows even cooking and keeps poppers off of the bacon grease released during cooking.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 478 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 150 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 34 g |
| Saturated Fat | 18 g |
| Sodium | 842 mg |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 35 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Chicken Masala is a masala powder that can be found at all Indian grocery stores or wherever Indian spices are sold.