Chicken Stuffed Peppers

5 from 897 votes

Chicken Stuffed Peppers are made with a fajita style mixture that combines onions, garlic, tex mex spices and chicken, then oven-baked until soft and cheesy

Course Entree

Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex Mex

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 441kcal

Author Yumna Jawad

Equipment

Ingredients

3 green bell peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 pound chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper
1 cup precooked rice
2 tablespoon fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream for serving
Pico de gallo for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F, and prepare the peppers by cutting them in half lengthwise and removing the seeds and membrane; set aside in a baking dish cut side up.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until they start to soften, about 2-3 minutes.
Add garlic, chicken, chili powder, cumin and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
Add rice, cilantro, lime juice, and stir together until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Spoon the cooked chicken and rice mixture into the cut pepper halves, filling them to the top. Pour water into the baking dish to fill the bottom, being careful not to pour any water on the peppers.
Cover baking dish with foil and bake until peppers are softened, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with shredded cheese and return to oven to bake until cheese is melted, about 5 more minutes
Serve immediately, topped with pico de gallo and sour cream, if desired.

Video

Notes

Quantity: My images only show 4 pepper halves, but the recipe is enough for 6 pepper haves. I usually don't stuff the remaining rice mixture and keep it for my kids to enjoy as is.

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.

Freezing Instructions: You can also freeze the baked stuffed peppers for up to 3 months. Freeze them individually or all together in a baking dish. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through.

Make Ahead Tips: You can make the chicken and rice mixture ahead of time or use cooked rice like I did to speed up the process.

Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.

You can use any other colored peppers you'd like.
Instead of chicken breast, you can substitute ground chicken, flank steak, ground turkey or ground beef. If you want to make them vegetarian, I would recommend using black beans and corn instead of the chicken.
If you want to avoid rice, you can use cauliflower rice, quinoa, couscous or even bulgur.

Nutrition