Chicken Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 454 g (1 lb)chicken breasts (or cooked rotisserie chicken)
• 4bell peppers
• 1onion
• 1 clovegarlic
• 80–120 ml (⅓–½ cup)diced tomatoes
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon)fajita seasoning (or use the homemade seasoning below)
• to tastesalt and black pepper
• about 220 g (2 cups)cauliflower rice
• 2avocados
• 240 ml (1 cup)fresh salsa
• to tastefresh coriander
• 1lime, sliced
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon)chilli powder
• 7.5 ml (1½ teaspoons)ground cumin
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon)salt
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon)garlic powder
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon)onion powder
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon)paprika
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon), optionalcayenne pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the peppers

   Preheat the grill. Halve the peppers lengthways, remove the stems and seeds, rub the insides and outsides with a little oil, and arrange them on a lined baking tray.

2. 2

   Soften the peppers

   Grill the pepper halves for 3–4 minutes on each side, until slightly softened. If the skins char, let the peppers cool, then rub off the char with your thumbs.

3. 3

   Prepare the vegetables

   Dice the onion and garlic. Cook the cauliflower rice from frozen over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through and starting to brown. Slice the lime and avocados.

4. 4

   Season the chicken

   Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. If using cooked rotisserie chicken, use it in place of the raw chicken.

5. 5

   Cook the filling

   Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the chicken, stirring occasionally. Once it starts to brown, add the onion and cook together for another 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Simmer with seasoning

   Stir in the fajita seasoning and diced tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 2–3 minutes, then take it off the heat.

7. 7

   Fill and serve

   Spoon the chicken mixture into the pepper halves. Serve with the prepared cauliflower rice, salsa and sliced avocado, with lime and coriander.

What are chicken stuffed peppers?

Stuffed peppers are a flexible dish found in many cuisines, with fillings that vary from meat and grains to vegetables. This version takes Mexican-inspired cues from fajita seasoning, salsa, lime and avocado.

The peppers are briefly grilled before filling, while chicken and tomatoes make a quick savoury mixture. Cauliflower rice keeps the plate vegetable-led and gives the filling a simple accompaniment.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 386 calories, 30g protein, 29g carbs, 18g fat.

The chicken contributes most of the protein, while the peppers, tomatoes and cauliflower rice provide much of the carbohydrate. Avocado and the oil used for cooking contribute most of the fat. To balance the plate, serve a generous amount of the pepper and cauliflower rice alongside the chicken, and adjust the avocado or salsa to suit your appetite.

Choosing the chicken

Raw chicken: cutting the breasts into small, even pieces helps them cook at a similar rate in the frying pan. Season them with salt and pepper before they go into the pan.

Cooked chicken: leftover or rotisserie chicken can save time. Add it to the pan with the onion and warm it through before stirring in the seasoning and tomatoes.

Get the peppers ready

Halve the peppers lengthways so each piece forms a shallow cup for the filling. Remove the seeds and loose membranes, but keep the pepper halves intact.

Grilling them briefly softens them without making them too floppy to fill. If the skin chars, let the peppers cool before rubbing the darkened patches away.

Build the fajita flavour

The homemade seasoning listed here combines chilli powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika, with cayenne as an optional extra. Use the listed fajita seasoning instead if you already have it.

Tomatoes add moisture to the seasoned chicken as it simmers. Keep the simmer short, about 2–3 minutes, so the mixture is hot and cohesive without losing its fresh, spoonable texture.

Check texture and doneness

The peppers should be slightly softened after grilling but still sturdy enough to hold their filling. Watch for the edges beginning to darken and remove them if they soften quickly.

For raw chicken, check that the pieces are cooked through before serving. The cauliflower rice is ready when it is hot and beginning to brown, as described in the method.

Serve with fresh toppings

Spoon the filling into the pepper halves, then serve them with cauliflower rice and salsa. Add sliced avocado, lime and coriander at the table for creamy, bright and fresh contrasts.

Keep the salsa and avocado as toppings rather than simmering them with the chicken. That preserves their fresh texture alongside the warm filling.

Recipe notes & tips

• Line the baking tray before grilling to make it easier to handle any pepper juices.
• Keep the pepper halves similar in size so they soften at roughly the same pace.
• Stir frozen cauliflower rice over a low heat until warmed through and starting to brown.
• Prepare the onion and garlic while the peppers are under the grill.
• Slice the avocado close to serving time to keep it looking fresh.
• Taste the filling before serving and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Variations

• Use cooked chicken: stir shredded rotisserie chicken into the pan to warm it through.
• Adjust the heat: leave out the cayenne for a milder filling or include it for more warmth.
• Change the salsa: choose a mild or hot fresh salsa to suit your preference.
• Add extra coriander: scatter more over the filled peppers just before serving.
• Make it lime-forward: serve extra lime slices alongside the peppers.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Over-grilling the peppers: stop when they are only slightly softened so they remain easy to fill.
• Uneven chicken pieces: cut them to a similar size so they cook at a similar rate.
• Skipping the seasoning: season the chicken before cooking and taste the filling before serving.
• Cooking the tomatoes for too long: simmer the mixture for about 2–3 minutes, then take it off the heat.
• Adding avocado too early: slice it close to serving and use it as a fresh topping.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover cooked filling and peppers in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat until piping hot, and add fresh avocado, salsa, lime and coriander after reheating.

Frequently asked questions