Chicken, Bacon and Cheddar Jalapeno Popper Cups Recipe

Chicken, bacon and cheddar jalapeño popper cups—each bite is a little explosion of flavor. These bite-sized appetizers are creamy, smoky and crisp all at once, and they come together fast, which makes them perfect for last-minute get-togethers.

One of the best shortcuts for this recipe is using premade refrigerated wonton wrappers. Let the package sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes so the wrappers become pliable and easier to press into the muffin tin. Depending on the brand, some wrappers are thicker than others, so you may need to adjust the prebaking time slightly—the goal is a light golden, crispy edge on each cup.

A quick tip: use a mini muffin pan

You’ll need a standard mini muffin pan for these. Press one wonton wrapper into each greased cup and prebake just until the edges are lightly browned and crisp. Once prebaked, keep the cups in the pan while you prepare the filling.

The filling comes together in one bowl

Combine shredded cooked chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, most of the cheddar, chopped bacon, minced jalapeños and scallions in a single bowl and mix until smooth and well blended. This makes cleanup easy and saves time.

A note about jalapeños: their heat level varies. Most of the heat is in the seeds and the pale inner ribs. If you want milder cups, remove the seeds and ribs before chopping. For more kick, leave some seeds in or add extra minced jalapeño.

Make-ahead suggestions:

• You can prepare the filling a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator.
• Bake the empty wonton cups ahead of time and keep them in the muffin tin, lightly covered, at room temperature.
• Fill and bake the cups just before serving so they’re best warm and fresh from the oven.

Your Chicken, Bacon & Cheddar Jalapeño Popper Cups

These popper cups are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser—crispy wonton cups filled with creamy, cheesy, smoky-sweet and slightly spicy filling. Serve straight from the oven while they’re hot and melty for the best texture and flavor.

Recipe: Chicken, Bacon & Cheddar Jalapeño Popper Cups

Prep time: 25 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Total time: 40 minutes | Makes about 24 cups

Ingredients

• 24 refrigerated wonton wrappers
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken breast
• 12 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled (reserve 2 tablespoons for topping)
• 3–4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced (leave seeds for extra heat)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Coat a 24-cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Fit one wonton wrapper into each cup and press it gently into the sides. Bake for about 7 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Leave the cups in the pan and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of shredded cheddar with the cream cheese, sour cream, shredded chicken, crumbled bacon (except 2 tablespoons), minced jalapeños and scallions. Mix until well combined.
4. Spoon roughly 1½ tablespoons of the filling into each prebaked wonton cup. Top with the remaining ¼ cup shredded cheddar and the reserved bacon crumbles.
5. Bake at 350ºF for 7–8 minutes, until the cheese melts and the tops are bubbly. Remove from the tin and serve immediately.

Disclosure: Some original references for this recipe may have included affiliate links. This version contains no external links.