Shelly's Recipe

JALAPENO CHICKEN POPPERS

Category: Hot

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons of kosher salt
1/2 of an 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons of chopped pickled jalapeno
16 slices of bacon
1/2 cup of barbecue sauce
1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/4 cup of light or dark brown sugar

Place the chicken into a zipper bag, cover with water and add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Seal and squish the bag around to distribute the salt. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

If baking, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place an oven safe rack on top. Drain the chicken and pat very dry with paper towels. Set aside. Mix together the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese and jalapeno; set aside. Mix together the barbecue sauce and paprika; set aside.

Cut the breasts into four tenders and then cut those in half, for a total of about 8 slices per breast. Place the strips between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them thin. Add a thin layer of the cheese filling to each strip and roll the chicken up. Brush the chicken with a dab of barbecue sauce. Place onto a strip of bacon and completely wrap the chicken. To roll, I set the chicken with the cut side down on the bacon first, rolled it up halfway, then turned and finish rolling, to make a package fully covering the chicken.

Dab the bacon with a bit more barbecue sauce, place onto the baking rack and sprinkle tops with a little bit of brown sugar. Bake at 400 degrees F, for 20 minutes, turn, cook 10 minutes longer, turn. Turn on broiler, place under broiler, with the door ajar, for about 2 - 3 minutes. Can also be cooked on an inside grill or outside grill, using indirect heat. Secure bacon with pre-soaked toothpicks if grilling.

Each breast should make about 8 chicken poppers, depending on the size.

Tip: To crisp up the bacon further, start with par-cooked bacon, then finish these poppers under a preheated broiler, leaving the oven door ajar, just long enough to crisp. Turn and repeat if desired.