Green Chili Hasselback Chicken Recipe

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This Green Chili Hasselback Chicken recipe gives a fun and delicious new twist to your everyday baked chicken.  It’s also incredibly simple, versatile and perfect for those busy nights when you don't have a lot of prep time.

What does Hasselback mean?

The term “Hasselback” refers to a potato dish that originated in Stockholm, Sweden, at Hasselbacken Restaurant.  The potatoes in this dish were sliced into thin slices about halfway down, creating lots of extra surface area to season, and to get nice and crispy.  It looked incredible, but was actually super simple.

So What is Hasselback Chicken?

Hasselback Chicken refers to the technique of making horizontal slices across each chicken breast that are then stuffed with all sorts of different fillings.  Creating these slits also allows you to season much more of the surface area and give you a burst of flavor in each bite.

If you aren’t into spicy foods, skip the green chilis and use sautéed spinach instead. This recipe would also be delicious if you added a strip of bacon to each slice.  The sky's the limit with this recipe so try mixing and matching different cheeses, veggies and sauces.  Feel free to get creative and stuff your Hasselback Chicken with ingredients that your family loves the most, or whatever you happen to have in your fridge.

How to Make Green Chili Cheesy Stuffing

Our family loves spicy food, and canned green chilis have become a pantry staple at our house.  They are a cheap and easy way to add major flavor to all sorts of dishes, from chicken entrees like this Green Chili Hasselback Chicken recipe, to macaroni and cheese.  You can mix them into cheese dips, add them to pesto or even toss them on a cheeseburger!

This green chili stuffing couldn’t be easier to make - just combine your cream cheese, green chilis and garlic salt in a small bowl, and mix until well combined.  Voila - you’ve got your stuffing! 

One tip is to pull your cream cheese out ahead of time so it is room temp.  You’ll have a much easier time mixing your ingredients this way. If you forget to pull it from the fridge early, you can remove it from it’s packaging and transfer to a microwave safe container, then microwave for about 10-15 seconds at a time.  You aren’t trying to make it warm - just soft, so don’t go too crazy or it will melt!

How to Make Cheesy Hasselback Chicken with Green Chilies

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare the raw chicken breast by cutting away any tendons or fat.  Then, using a sharp knife, slice 5-6 slices into the chicken breast horizontally, about halfway through the chicken breast.  Be sure you do not cut slits all the way through the chicken!
3. Once they are all sliced, place the chicken breasts into a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and sprinkle 1/2 tsp garlic salt evenly over the top.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, green chilies, and the remaining 1 tsp garlic salt.  Mix with a spoon or spatula until well-combined and creamy.
5. Spread a couple of tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture evenly onto each slice of Monterey Jack Cheese, then carefully wedge each slice down into the slices of chicken.
6. Once all of the slices have been filled with cheese, but your baking dish into your preheated oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
7. When your chicken is done cooking, remove from the oven and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Ingredients in Hasselback Chicken

• Chicken Breast - you’ll want to use boneless, skinless breasts for this recipe.  Otherwise you won’t be able to make the slices through each breast.
• Cream Cheese - it is easier to mix your cheesey stuffing together if your cream cheese is at room temperature.
• Green Chilis - any brand of canned green chilis will work great.
• Garlic Salt - you can purchase garlic salt, or you can easily make your own by combining equal parts of garlic powder and salt.
• Monterey Jack Cheese - you can purchase a brick of Monterey Jack from the grocery store and just make ¼” slices of that.  Most of the 8oz bricks of cheese are roughly the right dimensions to begin with. You could also substitute a different type of cheese if you prefer.  Pepperjack would taste great, if you want a little extra spice.

Best Side Dishes to Go with Hasselback Chicken

This Green Chili Hasselback Chicken would pair great with a simple bread, like our Classic French Bread.  For Sunday dinner, try a warm potato dish to go alongside, like Steakhouse Style Baked Potato, Warm German Potato Salad with Bacon, or Cheesy Hashbrown Potato Casserole. 

You also can't go wrong with a simple roasted vegetable, like Oven Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon, or Roasted Green Beans.

Print

Green Chili Hasselback Chicken

This Green Chili Hasselback Chicken recipe gives a fun and delicious new twist to your everyday baked chicken.  It’s also incredibly simple, versatile and perfect for those busy nights when you don't have a lot of prep time.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Resting Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 889kcal

Ingredients

• 4 large Chicken Breasts boneless, skinless
• 4 oz Cream Cheese
• 4 oz Green Chilies canned
• 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
• 20-24 slices Monterey Jack Cheese cut into 1/4" thick 1" by 3" rectangles

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare the raw chicken breast by cutting away any tendons or fat. Then, using a sharp knife, slice 5-6 slices into the chicken breast horizontally, about halfway through the chicken breast. Be sure you do not cut all the way through the chicken!
• Once they are all sliced, place the chicken breasts into a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and sprinkle 1/2 tsp garlic salt evenly over the top.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, green chilies, and the remaining 1 tsp garlic salt.  Mix with a spoon or spatula until well-combined and creamy.
• Spread a couple of tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture evenly onto each slice of Monterey Jack Cheese, then carefully wedge each slice down into the slices of chicken.
• Once all of the slices have been filled with cheese, but your baking dish into your preheated oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
• When your chicken is done cooking, remove from the oven and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

FAQ:

Can this Recipe Be Made Ahead of Time?

You can make your green chili cheese filling ahead of time and store in the fridge until you are ready to use, or up to about 4-5 days. 

How to Store Your Leftover Hasselback Chicken

If you have any leftover chicken, you can store it directly in your baking dish, covered with foil.  To rewarm, just pull out your baking dish as you preheat the oven and rewarm covered at 350 for about 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through.

Other Ideas for Your Leftovers

If you are left with only a piece or two, you may not want to go through the effort of heating the oven just for that.  Instead, consider using your leftover Green Chili Hasselback Chicken into something else:

• Slice and add into a salad
• Dice into small chunks and add to a breakfast omelette or quiche
• Chop and add as a topping for pizza or nachos

Nutrition

Calories: 889kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 75g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 302mg | Sodium: 755mg | Potassium: 735mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 677IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 181mg | Iron: 4mg

Here are some more of the best chicken entree recipes!

• Baked Lemon Chicken
• Jalapeno Popper Hasselback Chicken
• Homemade Chicken Parmesan
• Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
• Oven Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
• Sun Dried Tomatoes Baked Chicken Penne Pasta
• Southwest Grilled Chicken Breast
• Homemade Monterey Chicken

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This Green Chili Hasselback Chicken recipe gives a fun, delicious and simple new twist to your everyday baked chicken.  Stuffed with green chilis, cream cheese, garlic salt and Monterey Jack cheese, it's bursting with flavor in each bite.