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These ground chicken stuffed bell peppers are packed full of Italian flavor. It is super easy to make and impress even the pickiest of eaters.
If there is one thing I love, it’s stuffed peppers. The funny thing is I rarely make them. Why? I don’t know.
I think it’s because it’s just something my mom never made. So, in return, it doesn’t always occur to me to make them. Isn’t it funny how things work out like that?
These ground chicken stuffed bell peppers are a spin on the classic stuffed pepper. They use ground chicken instead of beef, loaded with many Italian-inspired spices and cheeses.
They are packed full of flavor and a breeze to make. Plus, they reheat beautifully and are the main course, carb, and vegetable rolled into one. How easy and delicious does that sound?
Are you looking for something similar but with different flavors? Try these Mexican chicken stuffed peppers!
As most of you know, I’m a massive lover of ground chicken.
It cooks up quickly, costs less than lean ground beef, and can handle even the biggest and boldest of flavors.
I’ve used it in everything from one pot buffalo chicken pasta to Thai chicken burgers.
Talk about versatile.
For this recipe, I went the Italian route because I knew that those classic Italian flavors of garlic, basil, tomato, and Parmesan would pair perfectly with the subtle flavor of ground chicken. And boy, was I right!
How to stuff green peppers
There are a lot of different ways that people make stuffed peppers.
Some prefer to cut them in half and stuff them “open face” style, and some prefer to cut off the tops and scoop the stuffing into the whole pepper.
There is really no “wrong” way to do it. I just think the open-face style is easier and quicker to make.
Plus, it gives you a better cheese-to-filling ratio, which has always been very important to me.
Which color bell pepper should I use?
While the different colored bell peppers differ in flavor and vitamin content, you can generally use whatever you have on hand for this recipe.
Red bell peppers are green bell peppers left to ripen on the plant.
So, that means they are usually a little sweeter than the popular green bell pepper.
Orange and yellow bell peppers are also the same but were picked somewhere in the middle of their ripening stage.
It comes down to what you like the best. As you can see, I used green bell peppers in this recipe because that is what my local farmers market had in stock.
How can I change up this recipe?
Many little changes can be made to customize this recipe for you and your family.
Here are a few changes that are delicious and fun!
- Don’t feel like stuffing your bell peppers? Chop them up and cook them all together for a flavor-packed one-skillet stuffed pepper meal.
- Are you not in the mood for Italian flavors? Swap the basil and Parmesan for chili powder, cumin, and Monterey Jack cheese. You’ll have a whole Tex-Mex flavor going on!
- Can’t find ground chicken? Try using ground turkey or lean ground beef.
- Is white rice not your favorite? You can easily swap our white rice for brown rice or other hearty cooked grain.
Love these ground chicken stuffed bell peppers?
Try a few of my other delicious ground chicken recipes!
- Baked Chicken Francese Meatballs
- Raspberry Herb Chicken Sausage Patties
- Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Burgers
- One Pot Ground Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Greek Chicken Meatball Gyros
- Ground Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Thai Ground Chicken Lettuce Cups
Ground Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers, any color
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 small zucchini, finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (15 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1-½ cups prepared white rice
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Prepare your peppers by cutting in half lengthwise and removing the seeds and white membrane. You can opt to cut off the stem if desired.
- Add your halved peppers to your prepared 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- In a 12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat add your ground chicken, yellow onion, grated zucchini, garlic, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Break up the meat while it cooks making sure to incorporate the seasoning thought the meat.
- When the meat is fully cooked add in the tomatoes, white rice, and Parmesan cheese.
- Cook for about 5 minutes longer to incorporate the flavors and cook off some of the juice brought to the dish by the canned tomatoes.
- Once warmed through remove from the heat.
- Spoon the filling into the halved bell peppers. Make sure to stuff them well until the filling slightly domes over the top of the cut pepper.
- Pour in a small amount of water that just covers the bottom of the pan.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil, top peppers with shredded cheese, and bake for additional 10 minutes to help melt the cheese.
- Once melted, remove the peppers from the oven, and serve hot.
Notes
- Adding water to the bottom of the pan ensures the peppers steam and come out soft. If you prefer a firmer pepper you can opt to skip the water step.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were awesome! Definitely will make again
Enjoyed your chicken stuffed peppers very much. First time chicken used. We do believe we have gone over to the chicken as our favorite protein in this dish. Will definitely make again!!
Absolutely loved this recipe. My husband ate the bell peppers two nights in a row. Instead of tomato sauce, I added a can of green bell peppers from Trader Joe’s. Thank you for your recipe!