Prep Time: 25-30 minutes
Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
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When it comes to stuffed peppers, there are so many different ways to make them. There are also many different versions of this cuisine. My first experience making stuffed bell pepper was when I decided to make Mediterranean stuffed peppers. They were excellent by the way. I wish I could remember the website I visited to obtain the recipe, but it has been over ten years since then. This recipe involved ground turkey and quinoa, which was a different yet lovely experience. While I enjoy following other recipes, nothing satisfies me more than creating a masterpiece of my own; it’s my passion.
Recipe Origin
Being that I have stomach issues, I keep lighter (on the stomach) meats in stock, such as seafood and poultry. This allows me to make modified versions of what I’m cooking the family, such as chicken tacos instead of beef. This also allows me to prep homemade lunches for work and busy days. I was bored with the same old ideas and decided to search up “ground beef ideas” via Ecosia search and google search. I put ground beef into the search instead of chicken because it will give ideas that people only have used beef for. That doesn’t mean you can’t still try it with chicken or invent your own with chicken.
One of the first recipes to pop up was “stuffed bell peppers.” I immediately closed my search, remembering the HUGE green bell peppers that I just purchased. They were coincidentally the perfect size, shape, and ripeness for a stuffed pepper recipe. I sat around tossing many ideas back and forth. This is when I decided to take a look into my fridge, spice cabinet, and pantry to see what I already had. This is when my chicken taco recipe was born. I realized I had all the perfect ingredients, down to the cilantro and salsa, for chicken taco stuffed peppers.
Alternatives and Substitutes
This is a recipe that can be tweaked in many ways. Try making stuffed pepper bites instead, by stuffing the filling into hollowed-out mini sweet peppers. You can also put the stuffing into something else, such as mushrooms or zucchini. You also don’t need a specific color of bell pepper; any color will do; choose your favorite. The filling can also be used on a regular taco night, inside of regular taco shells. The ingredients to the pepper stuffing can also be tweaked.
Although I use yellow rice in my recipe, any rice will do. Try replacing the rice entirely with cauliflower rice (cauliflower in the shape of rice) or quinoa. If you don’t like rice, quinoa, nor cauliflower, simply leave it out. You can also replace the meat portion of this recipe with any other meat that goes great in a taco, such as beef, pork, or shrimp. Tofu is also another great replacement. Be sure to precook the tofu and season it thoroughly with taco seasoning. A couple more parts of this recipe are tweakable.
If you are not a fan of salsa, try adding nacho cheese to the pepper tops and oven dish base. You can also substitute the salsa with plain tomato paste or sauce. If you would prefer to spice it up, add taco seasoning to the tomato paste or sauce. Not a cheese eater? Consider topping with caramelized onions and/or peppers. You can also mix some taco seasoning with breadcrumbs, spread a layer of salsa or tomato sauce over the top of the stuffed pepper, then sprinkle the seasoned breadcrumbs onto the salsa spread, so that the salsa (or tomato sauce) will act as a binder and hold the breadcrumbs.
Kid Approved
This recipe also has the honor of being kid approved! If your child likes bell pepper and tacos, this recipe will be a go. It’s not too spicy yet loaded with flavor and spice. Three out of four of my children rate this meal a 10. My fourth child rated the meal 8.5. I give him a 10 back for his honesty. He is also my picky eater.
Ingredients
- Bell Peppers – any color; I used green
- Ground chicken
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1.5-2 TBSP ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- Kosher salt to taste (I use 2 tsp)
- 3/4 cups water
- Shredded cheese – Mexican blend or sharp cheddar
- Salsa – homemade or your favorite brand
- Cooked yellow rice
I use around 1/3 of a 15-16 oz package for my filling & save the rest for a meal side. - 2 cups black beans
- 2 cups sweet corn
- Olive oil, or cooking oil of choice
- Optional – chopped/diced onion
- Optional – cilantro
- Optional – crushed red pepper
Instructions
Be sure to cook and soften your beans, corn, and rice before starting, if you are starting fresh and raw.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cut your bell peppers in half, vertically or horizontally. I like to cut the tops off and hollow them out like cups.
Lightly coat the peppers with olive oil, a dash of salt, and a dash of pepper.
Place them upside down on the baking dish or sheet and bake the peppers for 20 minutes.
While the peppers are baking, this is a good time to cook the ground chicken if you haven’t.
Place the ground chicken in a ten-inch (or larger) skillet and cook thoroughly over medium heat while chopping the chicken into small pieces.
When the chicken is fully cooked, drain the grease and juices, then return the meat to the skillet over medium heat, along with the 3/4 cup of water and dry seasonings (cumin, ground mustard, pepper, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, optional crushed red pepper).
Bring the water in the skillet to a boil and stir for 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat down to Medium-low and finish cooking until the chicken has absorbed the seasonings and the water has thickened.
Now that your insides and peppers are ready, it is time to stuff them.
Keep your oven preheated to 350 degrees.
Add the seasoned and cooked chicken, rice, black beans, corn, onion, and cilantro to a large mixing bowl and blend all of the ingredients evenly and well.
Next, coat the base of your oven dish or sheet with salsa (1/4-1/3 inches thick)
This will help keep the peppers moist and flavorful while they cook and keep the base of the peppers from burning.
Fill your partially cooked peppers with your chicken taco stuffing and place them on the salsa coated baking sheet.
Coat the top of your stuffed peppers with a wealthy amount of salsa.
Sprinkle your shredded cheese on top of the salsa.
Your peppers are ready to go back into the oven.
Remember to keep the oven at 350 degrees.
Bake for another 15 minutes, then broil on high for 3 minutes to finish the tops, turning the cheese more golden brown, but still plenty tender.
That’s it; your chicken taco stuffed peppers are ready to eat and serve.
I love eating it along with my signature Taco Melt Chicken Pockets (pictured below).
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