Bacon cream cheese stuffed chicken is a rich weeknight dinner with a creamy, savory filling hidden inside juicy chicken breasts and a crunchy tortilla chip crust on top. It bakes in a single dish, so cleanup is quick.
Chive and onion cream cheese, mozzarella, and bacon make a filling that tastes like a loaded baked potato, while the soup under the chicken becomes a silky sauce as it bakes. Crushed nacho cheese chips on top add salt, crunch, and color.
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Why This Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Recipe Works
Cutting a pocket in each chicken breast lets the filling cook from the inside, which keeps the meat moist. The cream cheese melts into the chicken juices and bastes the meat as it bakes.
Spreading the condensed soup in the bottom of the dish creates a creamy sauce and protects the chicken from drying out on the bottom. It also gives you something to spoon over rice or potatoes at the table.
Pressing the crushed chips on top just before baking keeps them crisp. If the chips brown too quickly, a loose tent of foil protects them while the chicken finishes cooking through to 165 degrees F.
Ingredients for Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
- 7 1/2 ounces chive and onion cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup cooked bacon crumbles
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) reduced sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups crushed nacho cheese tortilla chips
Chicken breasts. Choose evenly sized breasts, about 1 inch thick, so they cook at the same speed. Pat them dry before cutting the pockets.
Chive and onion cream cheese. This flavored spread seasons the filling without extra spices. Plain cream cheese plus 1 tablespoon of chopped chives also works.
Mozzarella. Shredded mozzarella melts into the cream cheese and adds a stretchy texture.
Bacon crumbles. Cooked bacon crumbles add smoke and salt. Crumble freshly cooked bacon if you prefer.
Tortilla chips. Crush the chips into coarse pieces about the size of a pea so they stay crunchy on top.
How to Make Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
1. Heat the oven Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. Make the filling Stir the cream cheese, mozzarella, and bacon crumbles together in a bowl until evenly mixed.
3. Cut the pockets Use a sharp knife to cut a horizontal slit into the thick side of each chicken breast, going about two thirds of the way through to form a pocket.
4. Stuff the chicken Spoon one quarter of the filling into each pocket and press the edges together.
5. Add the sauce Spread the soup over the bottom of the baking dish, then set the stuffed chicken on top.
6. Add the crust Press the crushed chips over the chicken, covering the tops evenly.
7. Bake Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chips are golden and the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Tent with foil if the chips brown too fast.
8. Rest and serve Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then serve with sauce from the dish.
How to Serve Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Serve the chicken hot, spooning the creamy sauce from the dish over each piece. Mashed potatoes and gravy and cilantro lime rice both soak up the sauce well. Round out the plate with air fryer broccoli with Parmesan and warm fluffy homemade dinner rolls.
How to Store and Reheat Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Cool leftovers quickly and store the chicken and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in an oven set to 350 degrees F, covered with foil, for 15 to 20 minutes until steaming hot and the center reaches 165 degrees F. The chips soften in storage, so add a fresh sprinkle of crushed chips before serving. Freezing is not recommended because the cream cheese sauce separates after thawing.
Tips and Variations for Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Pound the chicken. If the breasts are very thick, pound them to an even thickness before cutting pockets so they cook evenly.
Do not overstuff. Too much filling spills out and burns on the dish.
Secure the pockets. Toothpicks keep the filling in place if your pockets do not close easily.
Use a thermometer. The center must reach 165 degrees F, so check the thickest part of the chicken.
Try other chips. Crushed ranch flavored chips work well, as do crushed buttery crackers.
Add heat. Stir a spoonful of chopped pickled jalapenos into the filling for a spicy kick.
Make it lighter. Use reduced fat cream cheese and a lower sodium soup if you want to cut calories.
Handle raw chicken safely. Do not rinse raw chicken, wash your hands and tools after handling it, and read the FDA safe food handling guidance for temperature guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
How do I keep bacon cream cheese stuffed chicken from leaking?
Do not overfill the pockets, press the edges closed, and use toothpicks if needed. Bake on top of the soup so any filling that escapes becomes part of the sauce.
Can I make bacon cream cheese stuffed chicken ahead of time?
Stuff the chicken up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate it covered. Add the chips right before baking so they stay crisp.
What temperature should bacon cream cheese stuffed chicken reach?
The thickest part of the chicken should reach 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes. Boneless thighs also work, though they need a few extra minutes. Check that they reach 165 degrees F.
Can I skip the soup?
Yes. Replace it with 1/2 cup of chicken broth in the dish, or bake the chicken on its own.
Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Tortilla Chip Crust
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking dish
- Sharp knife
- Instant read thermometer
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 6 ounces each
- 7 ½ oz chive and onion cream cheese softened
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup cooked bacon crumbles
- 1 can reduced sodium condensed cream of chicken soup 10.5 oz
- 2 cup nacho cheese tortilla chips crushed
Instructions
Cooking
- Make the filling. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Stir the cream cheese, mozzarella, and bacon together in a bowl.
- Stuff the chicken. Cut a pocket into each chicken breast and fill with the cream cheese mixture.
- Assemble. Spread the soup in a greased 9×13 inch dish, add the chicken, and press the crushed chips on top.
- Bake. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the chips are golden and the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
- Rest. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
