This recipe for Chicken Stuffed Peppers is made with tender bell peppers filled to the brim with a creamy, seasoned chicken filling and topped with melted cheese!
A COLORFUL AND LIGHTER DINNER RECIPE
Chicken Stuffed Peppers are such a fun meal to make and they’re a lighter alternative to the traditional Gound Beef Stuffed Peppers. They’re so easy to customize and are packed with so much flavor. Whether you’re looking for a fresh take on dinner or that doesn’t skimp on flavor, this dish checks all the boxes and more! My favorite part is that you only need 10 minutes to prep this meal. A perfect recipe for busy weeknights!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
So, these peppers are slightly different than your typical whole peppers that have been stuffed. With this recipe, I wanted something a little easier to eat and I always find myself slicing the peppers in half to eat them anyway. So, I halved them first and filled them. You can still eat two halves to equal your one “normal” whole pepper though. You may find that it is easier to just eat them whole, in which case, go ahead and just cut the tops off, fill them and then cook and serve whole as usual.
If you are one of those people who prefer a “saucier” stuffed pepper, that’s no problem. I would just suggest that you heat up a little tomato sauce (not a paid affiliate link) that’s typically seasoned with garlic, basil, and oregano and then drizzle that over the peppers.
Yes, these are great to make the day before and pop in the oven to reheat them before serving. This is especially great when you know you have guests coming over.
Sure! If you typically enjoy rice in your stuffed peppers, feel free to add some in these. I would add about a cup of cooked rice into the filling and I wouldn’t drain the tomatoes either, so they can help keep everything nice and moist and help prevent anything from drying out.
Yes, you can prep and start the recipe as usual, then I’d use my Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers recipe to finish it off.
Sure. You can prep and start these peppers as usual and then finish with my Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers recipe instead.
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. This is an amazing dish for meal prepping.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- red, yellow, orange and green bell peppers– while I used all the colors of bell peppers in this, if you prefer a specific one over a variety of them, you can absolutely just use that specific one, or combination of them. I basically just grabbed one of each.
- shredded cheddar cheese – you can use any shredded cheese you prefer. Colby, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or even mozzarella all work here.
- cream cheese – Don’t worry, I have a few Tips to Soften Cream Cheese Quickly if needed.
- yellow onion
- paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder – you can use any seasoning you prefer. If you want these more Mexican inspired, you could use fajita or taco seasoning.
- salt and pepper
- red pepper flakes– this is totally optional. It just adds a small kick to the filling.
- cooked and diced chicken – this is a great recipe to use leftover chicken in. I also like to make some Air Fryer Chicken Breast if I need some chicken ready to go quickly. Or if I’m thinking about it early enough, I will make some Instant Pot Shredded Chicken. Canned chicken could be used if in a pinch. Additionally, you could use cooked ground chicken.
- diced petite tomatoes – note: if you like your filling to be a little more “juicy” then don’t drain the tomatoes.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN STUFFED PEPPERS
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Cut each of the peppers in half lengthwise. Seed and core the insides. Place the bell peppers (cut side up) in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, cream cheese, onion, paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes. Mix until combined.
Add the chicken and drained diced tomatoes to the bowl. Mix until combined.
Evenly distribute the chicken mixture into each of the peppers. Top with the remainder of the cheddar cheese.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Remove the foil. Turn the oven to broil on high for just a couple of minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Note: never walk away from your oven when food is broiling. It can burn very quickly so keep a close eye on it as it is broiling. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top (optional).
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Preheat the oven to 350° F. Cut 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper and 1 green bell pepper in half lengthwise. Seed and core the insides.
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Place the bell peppers (cut side up) in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
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In a large bowl add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature, ¼ cup finely diced yellow onion, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon coarse kosher salt and ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Mix until combined.
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Add 4 cups cooked and diced chicken and 14.5 ounce can diced petite tomatoes, drained to the bowl. Mix until combined.
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Evenly distribute the chicken mixture into each of the peppers.
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Top peppers with the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
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Bake for 30 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Remove the foil.
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Turn the oven to broil on high for just a couple of minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Note: never walk away from your oven when food is broiling. It can burn very quickly so keep a close eye on it as it is broiling. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top (optional).
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Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley on top (optional). Then enjoy!
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- Like your stuffed peppers served with sauce? Pick up a can of tomato sauce that is seasoned with basil, garlic and oregano. Heat it up and drizzle each serving with some of the sauce.
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
