Main Dishes
Pita Pocket Recipe with Jalapeno
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
4 hours
Yield
12 mini pitas
This delicious Pita Pocket Recipe with Jalapeno has the perfect medium kick and is so easy to throw in your slow cooker before work and have a delicious meal ready when you're home!
Get ready for an easy slow cooker Pita Pocket Recipe with Jalapeno that is the ultimate comfort dish for the fall and winter (with an added kick)! These creamy, cheesy, jalapeno chicken pita pockets are the perfect mix of cozy and spicy. They are packed with shredded chicken, cheese, and a blend of herbs and spices. The best part of this dish is that your slow cooker does most of the work, so it’s a great meal to throw on before work and have ready when you get home.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Pita Pocket Recipe with Jalapeno
- Easy: Let your slow cooker do the heavy lifting while you kick back. This recipe is minimal effort but maximum flavor.
- Spicy: The combo of jalapenos, cheddar, and cream cheese makes every bite rich, spicy, and so yummy!
- Crispy: Toasted pita pockets have the perfect crunch on the outside that pairs perfectly with the stuffing.
🍲 Ingredients
Jalapenos: Jalapenos add the perfect bit of heat and flavor to these Pita Pockets. They’re also packed with vitamin C and antioxidants, which can help support your immune system during cold and flu season, and have anti-inflammatory benefits.
Chicken thighs: Juicy, tender, and full of flavor, chicken thighs are a great source of protein that helps keep you full and energized. They’re rich in iron and zinc, which support muscle repair and overall health. They are also very forgiving when put in the slow cooker and really absorb the flavor.
👩🍳 How to Make this Pita Pocket Recipe with Jalapeno
- To a slow cooker add the chicken broth, heavy cream, salt, ground pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili flakes, diced jalapenos (1/4 cup diced for less spicy, 1/2 cup diced for spicier), diced green onions and lemon zest and whisk together to combine.
- Add the chicken thighs to the mixture in the slow cooker and toss a few times to coat the chicken.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. After 3 hours of cooking on high and the chicken is cooked through and tender, shred the chicken with two forks in the slow cooker.
- Leave the slow cooker on high, add the cream cheese, black beans, and 1-2 cups grated cheddar cheese (we love using 2 cups!). Stir to combine, then cook for one more hour on high with the lid off to allow the sauce to thicken.
- After 1 hour cooking with the lid off, turn the heat off and stir in the fresh minced dill and fresh minced chives.
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Assemble the pita pockets: Cut each pita in half, using your fingers to open the pocket in each half and then fill them with enough of the chicken mixture to make it 1 inch thick. Place on a plate, stuffing-side up, until you have stuffed your desired number of pita halves.
- Once assembled, cook the pitas: Place a pan on medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When the pan is hot add 8 pita halves cut side / filling side down and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden and crispy. Add the pitas to the parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat until all pita halves have been cooked, adding more olive oil to the pan as needed.
- Once all the pitas are on the sheet pan, spray each half with cooking spray or olive oil spray and bake for 10 minutes until crispy.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce like ranch!
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Adjust the Heart: Control the heat by tweaking the jalapenos — ¼ cup for a mild kick or ½ cup (or more) if you love it spicy. You can also swap them for canned green chilies for a gentler flavor/spice.
- Get the Perfect Crisp: Make sure your pan is hot before searing the pita pockets. This is the secret to that golden, crunchy exterior without overcooking the filling.
- Use Room-Temp Cream Cheese: This helps it melt smoothly into the sauce and avoids any lumps.
- Don’t Skip the Lid-Off Step: Letting the slow cooker simmer uncovered thickens the sauce and makes it extra creamy.
🗒 Variations
If you like this Pita Pocket Recipe with Jalapenos, then you’ll love some of these other pita pocket recipes:
- Marinated Chicken Thighs Grilled in Mini Pitas
- Arayes (Middle Eastern Stuffed Pita)
- Greek Gyro Meat (perfect to stuff in a pita pocket)
🍽️ Best served with
- Quick Pickled Onions
- Guacamole
- Pita Pocket Recipe (make your own from scratch)
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the pitas and filling separate and reassemble when ready to eat.
🤔 Common Questions
Absolutely! You can make the chicken filling up to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge. Just reheat before assembling your pita pockets.
Yep! Chicken breasts will work fine. Just note they may turn out a bit less juicy, so keep an eye on the cooking time to avoid drying them out.
For sure! Let it cool completely, then freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat before stuffing your pitas.
It’s got a mild-to-medium kick, depending on how many jalapenos you use. For a milder version, stick to ¼ cup and remove the seeds before dicing.
Pita Pocket Recipe with Jalapeno
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy (35% cream)
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- 2-4 jalapenos, deseeded and diced (1/4 – 1/2 cup diced)
- 1/3 cup diced green onions
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 10 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 900 grams / 2 lbs
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 1-2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
- 398 ml can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp fresh minced dill
- 2 tbsp fresh minced chives
- 12 mini (3-4 inch) pita pockets, halved
- Optional: ranch sauce for dipping
Instructions
- To a slow cooker add the chicken broth, heavy cream, salt, ground pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili flakes, diced jalapenos (1/4 cup diced for less spicy, 1/2 cup diced for spicier), diced green onions and lemon zest and whisk together to combine.
- Add the chicken thighs to the mixture in the slow cooker and toss a few times to coat the chicken.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. After 3 hours of cooking on high and the chicken is cooked through and tender, shred the chicken with two forks in the slow cooker.
- Leave the slow cooker on high, add the cream cheese, black beans, and 1-2 cups grated cheddar cheese (we love using 2 cups!). Stir to combine, then cook for one more hour on high with the lid off to allow the sauce to thicken.
- After 1 hour cooking with the lid off, turn the heat off and stir in the fresh minced dill and fresh minced chives.
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Assemble the pita pockets: Cut each pita in half, using your fingers to open the pocket in each half and then fill them with enough of the chicken mixture to make it 1 inch thick. Place on a plate, stuffing-side up, until you have stuffed your desired number of pita halves.
- Once assembled, cook the pitas: Place a pan on medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. When the pan is hot add 8 pita halves cut side / filling side down and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden and crispy. Add the pitas to the parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat until all pita halves have been cooked, adding more olive oil to the pan as needed.Once all the pitas are on the sheet pan, spray each half with cooking spray or olive oil spray and bake for 10 minutes until crispy.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce like ranch!
Notes
- These are a great game day appetizer!
- If you love this recipe, try our Arayes (Middle Eastern Meat-Stuffed Pita) or our Greek-Inspired Smash Burger Tacos
