These Ground Chicken Stuffed Peppers are a healthy weeknight dinner your kids will actually want to eat! Seasoned ground chicken and rice are simmered with fire-roasted tomatoes and spinach, then piled into bell pepper halves, and topped with lots of cheese for a family-friendly meal. It’s great for meal prep and freezer cooking too!
Ground Chicken Stuffed Peppers – The EASY Way!
Stuffed peppers are a classic dinner recipe, but I wanted to take the traditional version and lighten it up a bit. If you are looking for ground beef stuffed peppers, try our Lasagna Stuffed Peppers or our Stuffed Pepper Casserole!
For this recipe we swap out the beef, add ground chicken instead, and throw in some extra veggies and these lightened up Chicken Stuffed Peppers are every bit as delicious as the original.
As with the classic recipe, you’ll start by making a tasty filling. Ground chicken and rice take on any flavors you add to them, and in this case, we’re going with savory garlic powder and Italian seasonings. Lean into that Italian vibe with fire-roasted tomatoes, and then baby spinach gives the filling a sneaky veggie boost—seriously, your kids will not notice or complain because it wilts right into the saucy Chicken Stuffed Pepper filling!
Spoon the filling into your peppers, scatter that shredded cheese on top, and in 20 minutes, you’ve got a piping hot homemade dinner that everyone in the family will love.
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Light and Healthy – These Ground Chicken Stuffed Peppers have the familiar flavors of the classic recipe, with fewer calories and less fat.
- Satisfying – With protein, rice, veggies, and cheese (you can never forget the cheese!), Chicken Stuffed Peppers have everything you need for a hearty dinner.
- Meal-Preppable – Okay, that’s not a word, but you know what I mean! There are several different ways to make this a meal prep recipe, and it also freezes beautifully.
- Family-Friendly – The chicken filling is flavorful without being spicy and sweet bell peppers are palatable to most kiddos.
- Customizable – You can take this recipe in so many different directions! Add your favorite fresh herbs, swap the Italian seasonings for taco seasoning, or go the traditional route and use ground beef instead of chicken.
Recipe Notes
This Ground Chicken Stuffed Pepper recipe is as simple as promised! Just a few minutes of prep time for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Lean ground chicken – Ground turkey will work too!
- Yellow onion – If you happen to have white onions on hand, that’s also fine.
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Baby spinach – Baby spinach is a fabulous way to add vitamins and minerals in an inconspicuous way. You won’t use a whole bag, so save the rest and make sautéed spinach for dinner another night.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes – Fire-roasted tomatoes are more flavorful than the traditional variety, but if you’re in a pinch, regular diced tomatoes will work just fine.
- Bell peppers – Green, yellow, orange, red, or a combination.
- Cooked rice – I used white rice, but you can add some extra fiber by using brown rice.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh parsley – An optional garnish for a pop of color and flavor.
Recipe Tips
- Drain first, then season – Some recipes have you adding seasoning with ground meat, but I prefer cooking the meat and then seasoning it to make sure all the seasoning stays in the filling where it belongs!
- Cut the peppers in half lengthwise – They’re easier to stuff, quicker to bake, and less likely to fall over in the baking dish. If you prefer lopping off the tops of the peppers and standing them up, you can definitely do that if you’d like, but note that you’ll need to add a few more minutes to the cooking time.
- Add water or broth to the pan – This is so essential for perfect stuffed peppers. It will steam the peppers as they bake, softening them so they’re easy to cut into and keeping that filling nice and moist.
- Take the size of the peppers into account – You may only need 3 peppers if they’re very large, but if the grocery store only has smaller peppers, you’re likely to need 4 or maybe even 5 if you’re using home-grown bell peppers.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Make the filling in advance – You can store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Prep the peppers – The peppers can also be washed, cut, and seeded and stored in the refrigerator for a day or two.
- Or just assemble the whole thing – Make the filling, stuff the peppers, top them with cheese, and keep them in the fridge for up to two days. Let them sit at room temperature while the oven preheats, then add the broth or water to the pan.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Make Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers – If you have leftover Creamy Buffalo Chicken Chili, stuff it into the peppers and swap the mozzarella with blue cheese crumbles.
- Ground Chicken Stuffed Zucchini – Try stuffing zucchini instead! The filling for our stuffed peppers will go well in most other vegetables as well. Hollow out zucchini halves (you can add the insides to the filling so they don’t go to waste!) and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
- Low Carb Ground Chicken Stuffed Peppers – Swap the rice for cauliflower rice and this transforms into a low carb stuffed pepper recipe that is low-carb diet and keto-friendly.
- Enchilada Chicken Stuffed Peppers – Add in a can of red enchilada sauce in place of fire roasted tomatoes. I like to swap the spinach for black beans and corn as well.
- Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Peppers – To make these chicken stuffed peppers extra cheesy, add in a cup of mozzarella, chedder or colby jack cheese in with the ground chicken filling. Continue with recipe and top with cheese and bake as directed.
Freezer Meal Instructions
Making this Chicken Stuffed Pepper recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Prepare the Ground Chicken Stuffed Peppers all the way up until baking. Carefully transfer the stuffed pepper halves to a gallon-size freezer bag or airtight container.
- Let the stuffed peppers thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Place the peppers in a baking dish, add broth or water, and cook according to the recipe instructions until they’re heated through.
What to Serve with Chicken Stuffed Peppers
Since this dish has the classic flavors of Italian food, it will pair well with many of your favorite Italian-inspired side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light. I also have a MEGA list of serving ideas for stuffed peppers here.
Side Dish Ideas
- Brown Butter Broccoli – Can’t get enough veggies? We’ve got your back with this dressed up broccoli recipe.
- Antipasto Salad
- Pesto Cheese Bread – The bright, herbaceous flavor of pesto is the perfect complement to Chicken Stuffed Peppers.
- Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad – While a simple salad made with dressed greens works here, if you want something a little more elaborate, we love this caprese-inspired recipe.
- Easy Rotini Pasta Salad
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner.
Ground Chicken Stuffed Pepper Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making Chicken Stuffed Peppers, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
More Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my weeknight chicken recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
Ground Chicken Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground chicken
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 15 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juices, (1 can)
- 3-4 bell peppers, (see note)
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Garnish (optional)
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground chicken and onion, breaking it apart with a spatula, until cooked through – about 6-8 minutes. Drain any excess liquid. (depending how lean the chicken is, there may not be any.)
- Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and stir to combine. Then add the spinach, rice, and tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the spinach is wilted.
- Cut each of the bell peppers in half and remove the ribs and seeds. Place the peppers cut side up in a large casserole dish (9×13").
- Fill each pepper with a heaping scoop of the meat mixture, distributing the meat evenly between the peppers. Top with mozzarella cheese.
- Add about 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pan and bake 20-30 minutes or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Lean ground chicken – Ground turkey will work too!
- Yellow onion – If you happen to have white onions on hand, that’s also fine.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes – Fire-roasted tomatoes are more flavorful than the traditional variety, but if you’re in a pinch, regular diced tomatoes will work just fine.
- Bell peppers – Green, yellow, orange, red, or a combination.
- Cooked rice – I used white rice, but you can add some extra fiber by using brown rice.
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
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