Southwest Chicken Stuffed Peppers
This healthy recipe for chicken stuffed peppers is super easy and dairy free! They’re made with ground chicken, black beans and brown rice, seasoned with taco seasoning for a spicy, Mexican twist on a classic family meal.
Why I love this chicken stuffed pepper recipe
We had stuffed peppers all the time when I was growing up. It was on regular rotation in our house, and even though I was not a fan of the peppers, I did love the filling.
For some reason, I’ve never bothered to make them myself until recently. The thought had never crossed my mind. Even when we were traveling, and I couldn’t just go over to my mom’s for dinner, I never craved them enough to bother making them. Who knows – maybe you can have too much of a good thing.
So when I finally decided to make them myself, I figured I may as well put my own spin on them. I added black beans and spicy green chilies, and threw in on of my favorite spice blends.
Of course, I skipped the cheese, but we didn’t miss it because these southwest stuffed peppers are packed with lots of great flavor.
Serve them with dairy free mashed potatoes and street corn salad (or kale salad)
More chicken recipes you’ll love: chicken salad recipe / grilled chicken thighs / crispy baked chicken wings / bbq chicken tacos
Here’s what you’ll need to make it
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Large baking dish or oven-safe skillet
About the rice: You’ll need two cups of cooked rice for this recipe. I like to use boil-in-the-bag rice for this, but you can make it however you like. Just make sure it’s drained and cooled before you add it to the filling.
You can use any kind of rice you like, I prefer to use brown rice for this recipe, but white rice will work really well too.
How to make stuffed chicken peppers
Make the sauce. In a small bowl, stir the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes together. Set aside for later. If you like extra sauce, feel free to double this.
Mix the filling. In a large bowl, mix the filling ingredients until they’re evenly combined. You can use a fork, but I prefer to use clean hands to get it done a bit faster.
Stuff the peppers. Slice your peppers in half and remove the seeds and ribs. You can remove the stems if you want to, but I think they look prettier with the stems. It’s totally up to you.
Next fill, each pepper with a scoop of stuffing. It’s okay if the peppers are “overflowing”. Place them in the baking dish and spoon a little sauce on top.
Bake the stuffed peppers. Cover the baking dish and pop it into a 375˚F oven for 45 – 55 minutes. During the last 10 minutes or so, remove the foil to release excess moisture and help the sauce thicken up.
Remove the peppers from the oven and garnish with extra cilantro (optional) before serving.
FAQS and tips for making chicken stuffed peppers
Yes, even though you’re cooking the rice ahead of time, you want the meat to be raw before stuffing your peppers.
Cooked stuffed peppers should last for 3 – 5 days in the fridge. If you plan on keeping them any longer, I recommend freezing them.
Absolutely! Stuffed peppers are a great freezer meal option and can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Yes. I recommend cooking stuffed peppers before freezing them.
More pepper recipes:
- Italian sausage and peppers pasta
- Roasted red pepper pesto
- Quick pickled sweet peppers
- Sausage and pepper sandwiches
More stuffed recipes:
- Baked stuffed pork chops
- Spinach & ricotta stuffed shells
- Italian turkey sausage and spinach stuffed shells
- Puff pastry sausage rolls
Ingredients
- 8 bell peppers halved with centers removed
- Cilantro optional, for topping
- 1 14- ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
- 1 15- ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
- 1 15- ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup chopped onion
- 3/4 cup dairy free cheddar shreds or shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning**
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- In a medium bowl, stir together sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients and 1 cup of the sauce mixture.
- Stuff peppers with filling and top each with a few tablespoons of sauce.
- Add stuffed peppers to the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 – 55 minutes, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Top with cilantro before serving.
Before leaving a comment or rating, ask yourself: