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Stuffed pepper recipes are one of my favorite ways to make a healthy meal that the whole family loves. They are easy, filling, customizable, and a great way to get veggies in. I created this chicken stuffed peppers recipe one day when I had a lot of these ingredients on hand — and I’m so glad I did, because they are now going to be on regular rotation at our house! They have similar flavors to chicken fajitas and are just as easy as lasagna stuffed peppers.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Stuffed Peppers Recipe
- Loads of Mexican fajita taste
- Tender peppers, juicy chicken, and cheesy topping
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
- Quick to prepare
- Great for healthy meal prep
- Naturally healthy, gluten-free, and low carb

Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for chicken stuffed bell peppers, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Chicken And Marinade:
- Olive Oil – You will need enough olive oil for the chicken, peppers, and filling. You can also use another neutral oil, such as avocado oil.
- Lime Juice – The acid in the lime juice helps to tenderize the chicken. I think fresh is best, but you can use bottled for convenience.
- Fajita Seasoning – I made my own homemade fajita seasoning, but store bought would work as well. For a different flavor profile, you could swap in Cajun seasoning or taco seasoning.
- Chicken – I cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into small bite-size pieces for this chicken stuffed bell peppers recipe. You could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. If you have leftover shredded chicken, rotisserie chicken, or even shredded pollo asado on hand, you could also just toss that with the seasonings and lime juice and use in the recipe without cooking it.
Peppers:
- Bell Peppers – I like to use a variety of bell peppers (a mix of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers), but you can use any color you prefer. Poblano peppers would also work.
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt
Filling:
- Olive Oil
- Onion – While I used a diced yellow onion, a sweet onion or white onion would work as well.
- Garlic – I recommend using fresh garlic, but you can use jarred minced garlic to save time.
- Cheese – I used a Mexican cheese blend for these stuffed peppers. You could easily substitute other melting cheeses, such as pepper jack or cheddar cheese. If you need to be dairy-free, you can simply omit the cheese or use a plant-based substitute.
- Cooked Cauliflower Rice – Use fresh or frozen riced cauliflower from the store to save time making these peppers. Make a big batch of homemade cauliflower rice and use in this recipe, or just cook a little longer after adding the cauliflower to make sure it softens. For even more flavor, swap the plain cauliflower rice with cilantro lime cauliflower rice instead. I choose cauli rice as a healthier option, but if it fits your lifestyle, you could use cooked brown or white rice instead.
- Fresh Cilantro – I love fresh cilantro and it works best with the Mexican flavors in these chicken stuffed peppers, but you can also swap in other fresh herbs, such as parsley or basil.

How To Make Chicken Stuffed Peppers
This section shows how to make chicken stuffed bell peppers, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Marinate the chicken. In a large bowl, use a whisk to mix olive oil, lime juice, and fajita seasoning. Add chopped chicken and toss to coat. Marinate chicken stuffed pepper filling in the refrigerator.
- Prep the peppers. Cut off the tops of bell peppers. Remove seeds and ribs. Brush the insides of the peppers with olive oil. Sprinkle very lightly with sea salt.

TIP: Level the bottoms if needed.
If the bell peppers don’t stand up, slightly chop the bottoms to level. Be careful not to slice too far and create holes in the bottom of the pepper, which will cause fillings to leak.
- Roast the peppers. Bake the peppers in a baking dish until they begin to soften and brown on the edges.


- Saute onions. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add garlic. Add minced garlic and stir until fragrant. Remove onions and garlic from the skillet.


- Cook chicken. In the same skillet, cook marinated chicken over medium heat until pieces are cooked through. Drain excess liquid from the pan. Remove from heat.
- Add cauliflower rice and cilantro. Stir in the cooked cauliflower rice and chopped cilantro.


- Stuff the peppers. Divide the chicken mixture among the prepared peppers. Top with Mexican cheese blend.
- Bake. Return chicken stuffed peppers to the oven and bake until the cheese melts.


Storage Instructions
- Store: Place stuffed bell peppers with chicken in an airtight container or wrap with foil and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
- Meal prep: For a make-ahead meal, you can cook chicken and rice stuffed bell peppers according to the recipe and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Alternatively for fresher results, you can assemble the peppers but don’t bake at the last step until right before serving.
- Reheat: Warm peppers in the oven at 350 degrees F, or in the microwave.
- Freeze: Place cooled stuffed peppers on a baking sheet and freeze for about 2 hours. Once solid, transfer to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight for faster reheating, or simply bake from frozen at 350 degrees F.

What To Serve With Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers
Chicken stuffed peppers make a meal all on their own, so you don’t have to add anything. If you want to, though, try these ideas:
- Toppings – Top with diced avocado or guacamole, green onions, and sour cream. You can also drizzle on a sauce, such as fresh tomato salsa, avocado salsa verde, or queso in place of the shredded cheese.
- Salad – Any healthy salads can work with these stuffed peppers, but they work particularly well with Mexican flavors. Try avocado corn salad or taco slaw.
- Soup – If you want an extra hearty meal, pair the peppers with black bean soup or taco soup.
More Stuffed Pepper Recipes
There are so many other delicious ways to stuff a pepper! If you liked these stuffed peppers, try some of these other recipes:
Tools To Make Stuffed Peppers With Chicken
- Large Saute Pan – This pan has an indicator that shows when the pan is perfectly preheated. Pretty cool!
- Baking Dish – Just the right size, with a pretty presentation for your chicken stuffed peppers right out of the oven.
Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Chicken Stuffed Peppers (Mexican Flavors!)
Chicken stuffed peppers are filled with fajita seasoned chicken, garlic, onion, cauliflower rice, and melty cheese. A flavorful, healthy meal!
Recipe Video
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Chicken and Marinade:
Peppers:
Filling:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, and fajita seasoning. Add the chopped chicken and toss to coat. Marinate for 20 minutes, or refrigerate overnight.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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Cut off the tops of the bell peppers. Remove the seeds and white flesh. In case peppers don’t stand up, slightly chop their bottoms to level. Brush the insides of the peppers with olive oil. Season very lightly with sea salt.
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Roast peppers for about 20 minutes, until they begin to soften and brown on the edges.
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Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until softened.
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Add minced garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Remove onions and garlic from the skillet.
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In the same skillet, cook the marinated chicken over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until chicken pieces are cooked through. Drain excess liquid from the pan. Remove from heat.
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Stir in the cooked cauliflower rice (or white rice) and chopped cilantro. (If using cauliflower rice, you could also add it uncooked and cook for a few minutes at this step.)
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Divide the chicken filling among the prepared peppers. Top with Mexican cheese blend.
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Return chicken stuffed peppers to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese melts.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chicken stuffed pepper
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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18 Comments
Abb
0These were so flavorful! Loved the filling. They were great leftover as well.
Jayne F
0So incredible! These have a great presentation and are so easy to make. LOVE!
Abeer
0This was a big hit with my kiddo who is a super picky eater. I have already made it twice this week..lol.
Sandra
0These are delicious and fairly easy to make.
Carri
0I made this recipe tonight. It was really good! I topped each pepper with some cheddar cheese before putting it under the broiler. Then I added a dollop of sour cream, salsa, and then the cilantro. My husband loved it too. So we will be repeating THIS recipe. The only thing I didn’t do was dry out the inside of the peppers after they were roasted. The juice / oil inside them looked good and I thought it would add to the flavor. No regrets! I also roasted them in a snug fitting square casserole dish in which I also cooked the rest of it in once stuffed. I didn’t want them to tip over as they were a bit pointed on the bottom. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes! I’ve tried a lot of them now.
Nini
0Really loved this except that it was pepper overload for us. The chicken was absolutely delicious as was the green pepper, onion, garlic mixture. It was putting it in a whole pepper that led to the overload. I’ll try again over a portobello mushroom or riced cauliflower that’s been spiced so it melds with the fajita mix. Cannot stress how delicious the chicken was!
Jackie
0Can I make ahead and freeze? If not, how long do they stay good in the fridge?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jackie, Yes, you can make them ahead and freeze. They are also good in the fridge for about 5 days.
Rayanna Tapia
0Looks so delicious! Seems a bit carb heavy though at 15g for one serving. I am new to all of this carb counting. Where do the 10 grams of sugar come from? Is it the lime juice?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Rayanna! A lot of those carbs are fiber, so you can look at net carbs instead. The carbs come from the peppers mostly, not the lime juice.
Audrey Kittoe
0I seem to be missing the directions to freeze this recipe..It looks delicious! Would you just wrap them in saran wrap after they cool?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Audrey, Yes, exactly!
Alisa Fleming
0Whenever I think of making stuffed peppers, I think of rice. So I love this grain-free idea! I think I would go with those green onion and avocado toppings you suggested.
Leslie
0Going on my menu plan for this week! I’m drooling just reading this!
Erin Dee
0This is going on the dinner menu! Looks delicious!
Kortney
0I loved stuffed peppers! They are such an easy way to whip up something that looks totally impressive haha – at least what I think looks impressive 😛
Wilhelmina
0This is such a great way to get my fajita fix!
Nellie Tracy
0Stuffed Peppers are my favorite! Love the fajita idea!