Chicken Stuffed Peppers

My chicken stuffed peppers are delectable delights that just get better and better with each blissful bite, y’all!! Practical enough for family meals yet fancy enough for foodie events, these veggie bowls filled with creamy, cheesy, chicken-y deliciousness are super scrumptious, show-stopping mains. Yep and yay…

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Chicken stuffed peppers feature shredded, cooked chicken stirred into a mixture of browned veggies, garlic, cream of chicken soup, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese.

This take on stuffed bell peppers is an original recipe of mine that I came up with on a whim using ingredients that I already had on hand. Honestly, I had a surplus of large green bell peppers in the fridge, and was seeking a new, never-been-done-before way to boil, stuff, and bake them.

I’m actually a huge fan of stuffed peppers, and enjoy them with shrimp and the traditional South Louisiana way using ground beef, red gravy, and rice.

However, I’ve never had them with chicken. So, I got busy in my kitchen. And, I developed this recipe that incorporates all of the regional flavors that I know and love into a brand new, blog-worthy dish.

So, I’m super happy to say that I accomplished everything that I set out to do, y’all!! These chicken stuffed bell peppers are literally overflowing with fantastic flavors and mouthwatering textures! True, they’re a bit of work. But, they are worth every minute of it!

So, expect big rewards for your labor, y’all, because this dish is one that’ll do you and your home-cook skills proud every time you set it down on the table. Indeed!!

Three chicken stuffed bell peppers on a round white plate.

What to Serve With Chicken Stuffed Peppers

Gluten free butter swim biscuits stretch the chicken stuffed peppers meal further, especially with a mix of kids and adults around the table.
Gluten free cornbread is another crowd pleaser that makes the meal extra-filling.
Corn maque choux adds a nice crunch to the meal and perfectly enhances the peppers’ taste and texture.
Cajun smothered yellow squash is a light but ultra-flavorful side that your guests will love just as much as the main dish.

Storage

Store the leftover chicken stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Freezing

These peppers do freeze well for up to 3 months, especially when placed individually in vacuum-sealed bags. You can also freeze them in airtight containers or zippered freezer bags.

Thawing

Thaw the frozen peppers in the refrigerator overnight if you want to enjoy them for lunch or dinner the next day. You can also soak them in a cold water bath or use the defrost setting in your microwave if you need to thaw them quickly.

Reheating

For best taste and texture, reheat the thawed chicken stuffed peppers in a preheated 350-degree F oven for about 15 minutes. You can also reheat them in the microwave, checking on them every 45 seconds to 1 minute to ensure they do not overheat.

Variations

While this recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, you can also make other variations of the dish using:

boneless, skinless chicken thighs
chicken tenders
ground chicken
chopped boneless chicken breast
pulled rotisserie chicken

Faqs

Can I use cooked rice or cauliflower rice instead of breadcrumbs?

Yes, you can. Start by stirring about ½ cup of cooked rice or cauliflower rice into the chicken mixture, then add more to taste.

What other cheeses besides Parmesan can I use?

While I do think that Parmesan is the best cheese to use in this dish, I believe that Romano, Asiago, or pepper Jack would also work well, too.

Can I use leftover chicken breast?

Yes, as long as the seasonings already on it complement the other ingredients called for in this recipe. For example, leftover chicken breast seasoned with onion powder and garlic powder would be perfect for this recipe. However, if the breasts were marinated in soy sauce and seasoned with ginger and turmeric, those flavors would likely not pair well with this recipe’s seasonings.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Labeled ingredients for chicken stuffed peppers in bowls on a dark brown wooden background.

How to Make Chicken Stuffed Peppers

To begin the recipe, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breast halves on a cutting board. Then, pound them with a meat mallet.

Raw pounded chicken breast pieces on a white cutting board.

Sprinkle the dried parsley flakes, paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne over the pieces.

Seasoned raw chicken on a cutting board.

Cut the tops off of each green bell pepper. Remove the seeds and inner white membranes, being careful not to take too much white off and split each pepper.

Then cut as much of the pepper as possible off the top piece. Chop the cut pepper pieces and add them to the bowl with the onion and celery.

A knife, cut green bell pepper, and bowl with chopped Cajun trinity veggies on a white cutting board.

The green peppers ready to stuff with chicken should look like the photo below.

Large raw green bell peppers with the tops cut off and the insides cleaned.

Place a large pot of salted water on the stove over medium-high heat. When boiling, submerge peppers in the water in batches of four. Boil until tender, then carefully remove each pepper and drain if necessary.

Repeat the process until all the peppers have been boiled and drained.

Boiled green bell peppers in a baking dish.

Place a large, well-greased skillet over medium-high heat. Add the raw, seasoned chicken breast halves to the pan.

Raw seasoned chicken pieces with avocado oil in a black cast iron skillet.

Cook on both sides until browned, and insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of each breast half until it reads at least 165 degrees F. Remove each piece from the skillet.

Cooked chicken breast halves in a black pan.

Let the chicken cool, then shred or chop into small pieces. (Keep in mind that the finer the shred or smaller the chop, the more the chicken will incorporate into the other ingredients later).

Seasoned shredded chicken on a round white plate.

Wipe the large skillet you used to brown the chicken clean.

Place it back on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the butter, chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper to the pan.

Raw chopped onion, green bell pepper, and celery in a black cast iron skillet with butter.

Cook, stirring often, until the Cajun trinity veggies soften and brown.

Add the garlic and cook for one additional minute. Then, remove the skillet from the heat.

Cooked Cajun trinity veggies and garlic for chicken stuffed peppers.

Add the cream of chicken soup, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and shredded or chopped chicken to the skillet.

Shredded chicken, Parmesan cheese, cream of chicken soup, and breadcrumbs in a skillet with browned garlic, onion, celery, and bell pepper.

Stir until combined.

The stuffing for chicken stuffed peppers in a skillet.

Finally, stuff each boiled pepper with the chicken mixture, and top with a bit more Parmesan.

Then, slide them into the oven and bake until browned and bubbly.

Chicken stuffed peppers topped with Parmesan cheese ready to go into the oven.

And that’s it, y’all!!

These chicken stuffed peppers are nothing short of show-stopping! Their tastes and textures live up to their looks, too, with a sophisticated medley of flavors that intensify gloriously with each bite.

The soft, seasoned chicken, perfectly browned veggies and garlic, toasty breadcrumbs, cream soup, and Parmesan cheese just balance each other so beautifully, y’all!! And the green bell peppers do so much more than hold it all together; they add striking color and their own signature succulence, leaving you feeling that you just experienced something truly special. For sure!!

Share with those who give more than they take, love more than they judge, and stay rather than turn away. Much food love, and see y’all on the yum side…

Five chicken stuffed peppers on a white antique-look platter with a whole parsley leaf garnish in the top left pepper.

More ‘Stuffed’ Recipes

Freshly baked chicken stuffed peppers in a baking dish with flowers and a napkin on the side.

For the Seasoned Chicken

4 chicken breast halves about 1 ¼ pounds
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon lemon pepper
salt and cayenne pepper to taste I used about ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne

For the Chicken Stuffed Peppers

8 large green bell peppers
3 tablespoons avocado oil or high-heat olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic about 4 medium-sized cloves
2 large celery ribs, trimmed of white parts and chopped
1 10.5-ounce can cream of chicken soup I used this one
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup Parmesan cheese plus a wee bit more for topping each pepper
1 to 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs see notes

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Pound the chicken breast halves with a meat mallet. Sprinkle both sides of the halves with the parsley flakes, paprika, lemon pepper, salt, and cayenne. Set aside.
Cut the tops off the peppers, then remove the seeds and inner white membranes. Be careful not to remove too much of the white membranes, or you may slice through the pepper.
Chop the green bell pepper tops into small pieces, and add them to a bowl with the chopped onion and celery.
Place a large pot of salted water over medium-high heat on the stove.
When boiling, add 4 of the peppers to the water. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the peppers have softened and turned from dark green to military green.Remove each pepper carefully with a large slotted spoon. If necessary, drain them in a colander in the sink until dry.Repeat the process with the other 4 large green bell peppers.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the avocado oil and the seasoned chicken halves.
Cook the chicken halves until browned on both sides, and a digital thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the halves reads at least 165 degrees F.
Remove the chicken from the heat and let it cool. Then, finely shred or chop each half. The finer you shred the chicken or the smaller you chop it, the easier it will incorporate into the other stuffing ingredients.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the butter and the chopped onion, green bell pepper, and celery to the pan.
Cook until the veggies are browned. Then, stir the garlic into the mixture and cook for one additional minute.
Remove the skillet from the heat.
Add the shredded or chopped seasoned chicken, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs to the mixture, then stir well until combined.
Arrange the boiled bell peppers in the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Fill each pepper with the chicken mixture, then top with a bit more Parmesan cheese.
Slide the baking dish into the oven, and bake the chicken stuffed peppers for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.
Remove from the oven, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

The prep work for this recipe takes the most hands-on time. Therefore, if you chop the onion and celery and remove the tops, seeds, and inner membranes of the green bell peppers the night before, you’ll shave about 20 minutes off the prep time when you are ready to make the recipe.
You can use a mix of medium-sized and large peppers if that’s what you have on hand, adding another pepper or two, if necessary. However, if you use really small peppers, too, you’ll have to put them in their own baking dish and take them out of the oven at least 5 minutes before you remove the larger ones.
Keep the cooked chicken stuffed peppers warm by adding about ⅓ cup to the bottom of the baking dish, securing the top tightly with aluminum foil, and setting the oven to 170 degrees F. You can also prep the peppers the same way and put them in your slow cooker on the warm setting.
Substitute ground chicken, chicken tenders, boneless, skinless thighs, or pulled rotisserie chicken for the chicken breast halves, if necessary. Make sure any leftover cooked chicken is seasoned with complementary spices that pair well with the other ingredients in the dish before using.
Romano, Asiago, or pepper Jack cheese is a suitable substitute for Parmesan cheese.
You can use cooked rice or cauliflower rice instead of breadcrumbs, if desired. Start with about ½ cup, then add more as desired.
Start with 1 cup of breadcrumbs, then add the remaining ½ cup if desired. If you’re 100% gluten free like I am, you can make homemade GF breadcrumbs by toasting gluten free bread or buns, then pulsing them in your blender or food processor until smooth. This is what I used in this recipe, and they worked beautifully.

The information shown is an estimate provided by a third-party, online computer-generated nutrition calculator, not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods and individual portion sizes, along with other factors.

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