Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Hasselback Chicken
Those cheese-filled cuts make each chicken breast inviting before you even slice into it. Bacon brings a salty bite, and thin jalapeño slices tuck a little heat between the creamy pockets. If you enjoy jalapeño poppers, there's plenty to like in this dinner-sized combination.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 8 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken · Pork
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Keep the base intact
Cut the slits partway through each chicken breast, leaving the bottom connected so the filling stays tucked inside.
2. Season both sides
Arrange the chicken in one layer and season both sides with salt and pepper before making the slits.
3. Check after resting
Let the chicken rest, then use a meat thermometer to confirm it has reached the stated serving temperature.
Get to know the ingredients
Softened cream cheese
Mash softened cream cheese with the shredded cheddar before filling the slits in the chicken breasts.
Cooked bacon
Use cooked bacon, cut into short pieces approximately as wide as the breasts, for tucking into the slits.
Thin jalapeño slices
Slice the jalapeño thinly so a slice can fit alongside the cheese and bacon in each slit.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 9 steps completeMake room for Hasselback Chicken
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Chives if you like
After the chicken has rested and reached its serving temperature, sprinkle with the optional chopped fresh chives.
A little more help as you go
Fill with cheese first
Push the mashed cheese mixture into the slits before adding the bacon pieces and jalapeño slices.
Spacing affects the bake
The directions note that separated chicken breasts cook faster, so use the temperature check alongside the baking estimate.
A few questions you might have
How deep should the cuts be?
Cut about three-quarters of the way through each breast, keeping the bottom intact rather than slicing through.
Does the bacon need cooking first?
Yes, the filling uses cooked bacon cut into shorter pieces before it goes into the chicken slits.
Can I skip the chives?
Yes, the chopped fresh chives are optional and are sprinkled over the chicken just before serving.
When do the jalapeños go in?
Add the thin jalapeño slices after the cheese mixture and bacon have been tucked into the slits.
What temperature should the chicken reach before serving?
After the five-minute rest, check with a meat thermometer that the chicken has reached 165°F before serving.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: wholesomeyum.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.