Southwest-style Chicken Stuffed Peppers to Die For

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These chicken stuffed peppers are a great alternative to taco night if you are trying to eat healthier or just want to mix things up! The best part is they come together in under 30 minutes! 

A Week Night Time Saver: 

While I absolutely love the bold flavors in this dish, my favorite part is how easy it is to make! For those of you with school-aged children, these Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers make a fabulous back-to-school dinner. Stuffed Bell peppers have been a go-to weeknight meal for me for years. I love that they feel special and gourmet but require hardly any time at all! To cut the time down even more, you can make the chicken mixture ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Then, when dinner time rolls along you only have to spoon it into the peppers and bake them.

Do I Have To Boil The Peppers Before Stuffing Them? 

Although some stuffed pepper recipes call for blanching or boiling the peppers before stuffing and baking them, this recipe does not. I prefer to use raw peppers because it not only saves time but keeps the peppers from becoming too soft and mushy as they bake. However, if you prefer a softer pepper feel free to blanch or boil the pepper before stuffing it. 

How Can I Keep My Peppers From Getting Soggy? 

Few things are worse than mushy vegetables! In order to keep the peppers nice and crisp, it is important that you do not overbake them. You want your peppers to be softer than they are when completely raw, but not soggy. 15-20 minutes is plenty of time for the peppers to soften without becoming mushy! Additionally, avoid filling them with excessive liquid. The rice should soak everything up, but if Your chicken mixture contains a lot of leftover liquid from cooking, just drain it off. 

chicken stuffed peppers

How Do I Make This Dish?

As I’ve said earlier, I absolutely love how quick and simple this dish is! To make Southwest-style Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers, start by preheating your oven to 425. Next, slice three-four bell peppers in half and place them face up in a baking dish. After that, season your ground chicken and brown it in a tablespoon of avocado oil until it is crispy. Add the Rotel, rice salsa, and cheese to your chicken and stir to combine. Next, spray the halved peppers with avocado oil and spoon the chicken mixture into the peppers. Finally, bake the peppers for about 15 minutes and enjoy!

A Balanced Meal: 

While these peppers are FAB served with chips and guac, salsa, or any other number of sides, I love that they are a balanced meal in themselves. The chicken provides protein, the rice gives you your carbs, the peppers themselves are rich in fiber and nutrients, and the cheese provides a little fat. That way, even if you don’t have time to make any sides you can still serve your family a balanced and nutritious meal. 

What Should I Serve Southwest-style Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers With?

As I mentioned before, this dish is a balanced meal in itself! However, adding a few simple sides makes it next-level delicious! To keep with the Southwest theme, I love to serve this with my Five Ingredient Guacamole. I also love to serve these with chips and salsa, chips and guac, or a side of roasted veggies. My Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Medley make the perfect side to just about any dish, and this is no exception! 

Can I Meal Prep This Dish? 

You can absolutely meal prep these Southwest-style Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers! They make a fabulous school or work lunch and are great to make ahead to make dinner a breeze. To make these ahead, simply make them as usual and then store them in an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for four days and in the freezer for several months. 

If you try this, please let me know what you think! I can almost guarantee that everyone in your family will love it. As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Be blessed, and stay savvy!!!

If you like this recipe, check out these as well:

 

Mexican-style Chicken Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

  • 3-4 bell peppers
  • 1 lb groun chicken
  • 1 can of Rotel
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • Optional- a little salsa if you have it on hand
  • 1/2 cup cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425
  2. Slice three-four bell peppers in half and place them face up in a baking dish. 
  3. Season your ground chicken and brown it in a tablespoon of avocado oil until crispy. 
  4. Add the Rotel, rice salsa, and cheese. Stir to combine.
  5. Spray the halved peppers with avocado oil.
  6. Spoon the chicken mixture into the peppers.
  7. Bake the peppers for about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

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