Texas Rockets
You'll want to make more than one batch ofthese yummy appetizers. For less heat, look for jalapeno peppers with roundedtips.The original Texas Rockets recipe calls for marinating raw chicken strips in Italian Dressing. I’ll leave this recipe and include a shorter version where you purchase a bulk pack of cooked rotisserie chicken at COSTCO. This will follow the original recipe.
Servings 1 Dozen
Ingredients
Ingredients Original Recipe
- 1/2 lb Chicken breast strips
- 3/4 cup Italian dressing divided
- 1/2 (8 oz pkg) Cream cheese softened
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Pepper
- 12 Jalapeno peppers 3 1/2 to 4 inches long
- 12 Bacon Slices thin
Ingredients Shorter Version Recipe
- 2-3 Lbs Cooked Rotisserie Chicken From Costco
- 1 (8 oz pkg) Cream Cheese - Softened 1 per pound of chicken
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
- McCormic Rotisserie Chicken or Original Chicken Spice To Taste
- ½ tsp Italian Seasoning
- 12 Slices Bacon I like to use Maple Bacon, 1 per whole Jalapeno pepper or 1 cup cooked store-bought bacon crumbs purchased at Costco. You can also use pre-cooked bacon strips on the whole pepper and sprinkle with maple syrup for sweet flavor
- 12-20 Jalapeno Peppers 3 ½ to 4 inches long
Instructions
Instructions for Original Recipe
- Place chicken and 1/2 cup Italian dressing in a shallow dish or zip lock plastic freezer bag; cover or seal, and chill 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Grill chicken, covered with grill lid, over medium heat (300 to 350 degrees) 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until done, basting with remaining 1/4 cup Italian dressing. Let chicken cool slightly, and finely chop using a food processor.
- Stir together chicken, cream cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Cut jalapeno peppers lengthwise down 1 side, leaving other side intact; remove seeds. Spoon 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons chicken mixture into cavity of each pepper. Wrap each pepper with 1 bacon slice, securing with 2 wooden picks.
- Grill stuffed jalapenos, without grill lid, turning frequently, over medium heat 20 to 25 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
Instructions for Shorter Version Recipe
- Using a food processor, Chop the cooked chicken.
- Stir together chicken, cream cheese, spices, salt and pepper in a bowl, and set aside.
- Cut jalapeno peppers lengthwise down 1 side, leaving other side intact or cut in half; remove seeds.
- ADD 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons chicken-cream cheese mixture into cavity of each pepper. Wrap each whole pepper with 1maple bacon slice, securing with 2 wooden picks. If you decided to cut the peppers in half, fill with chicken-cream cheese mixture and sprinkle bacon bits on top.
- Place on non-stick aluminum foil lined sheet pan and bake at 425 degrees (F) for 17 to 20 minutes (if you cut the pepper in half). For the whole stuffed pepper, it may take 20 minutes to soften/cook the jalapeno pepper and bacon is crisp using the same 425 degree (F) oven temperature.
Notes
Tip: The chicken cream cheese filling mixture can be made ahead of time, shaped to to the size of a jalapeno pepper and frozen until ready to stuff fresh jalapeno peppers. Or fill jalapeno peppers with the filling and freeze. Remove from freezer 30 mins and bake at 425 degrees. It may take a few minutes longer to bake.