Super Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe

Learn how to make delicious bell peppers stuffed with seasoned chicken and rice, a perfect blend of flavors that's both healthy and satisfying. This Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe will show you how to prepare a wholesome meal packed with protein, veggies, and spices, ideal for weeknight dinners or meal prep.

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They go by many names. Bell peppers, red peppers, sweet peppers... But we look at them a little differently. We like to think of bell peppers as nature's little fast food containers. They're the perfect size to stuff with yummy fillings and, once cooked, they can be easily frozen for an easy meal prep dinner in the future.

We like to start this recipe with an even half dozen red bell peppers. If you don't have (or like) red peppers you can use yellow and orange too. They're all fairly sweet and work well with this recipe. You'll most likely want to stay away from green bell peppers though. The green peppers tend to be more bitter and give the dish an earthy flavor many people don't like.

Make sure to wash the peppers, carrots, onion and mushrooms before prepping. This is mostly to remove dirt and bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses. It's also good practice if you're not using organic veggies to wash away any pesticides or herbicides used to grow the produce.

Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds, then move to the other vegetables. Dice the onion, mushroom and garlic, then shred the carrot. Set aside the veggies and move to the chicken thighs, dicing them into small pieces. An easier way to make this dish is to substitute the chicken thighs with ground chicken. It's got a bit different texture, but it's just as tasty.

Next, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Now add the veggies and chicken to the skillet, cooking until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper to the skillet and mix well.

In a separate pot (or a rice maker) boil 1/2 cup of round grain rice, such as arborio or jasmine) for 7-10 minutes until the rice is slightly undercooked. Do you have to use round grain rice? Absolutely not. There are many options here, including long grain rice, instant rice and even quinoa.

When the rice is cooked, combine the veggies, chicken and rice in a large bowl. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and begin stuffing the peppers. There's no secret here, just grab a spoon and dig into the mixture, packing as much into each pepper as possible. When done, replace the tops and set each stuffed pepper in a baking dish. We like to add a little water to the bottom of the baking dish to promote even cooking and help prevent the peppers from burning.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. When the time up, remove the baking dish from the oven and discard the aluminum foil. Place the baking dish back in the oven, and continue baking until the tops are brown.

Remove the stuffed peppers from the oven and serve hot or, let cool, and freeze for an easy-to-reheat dinner down the road. For serving, we like to use a little enchilada sauce (red or green), barbeque sauce or even some leftover spaghetti sauce. We typically add a little cheese too, but skip that part if you're trying to eat healthy.

What we like about this Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe!

Stuffed Bell Pepper Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can also substitute with 1-1/2 lbs ground chicken)

• 1/2 cup round grain rice (such as Arborio or Jasmine)

• 6 bell peppers (red, orange or yellow)

• 5 mushrooms

• 1 onion

• 1 carrot

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp cumin

• Salt, to taste

• Black pepper, to taste

How to make Stuffed Bell Peppers

1. Wash the bell peppers, cut off the tops, and remove the seeds.

2. Wash and peel the carrot and onion.

3. Cut the onion into small cubes and grate the carrot.

4. Finely chop the garlic.

5. Cut the chicken breasts into small pieces.

6. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.

7. Add the chopped vegetables and chicken pieces to the skillet and cook until the chicken is no longer pink.

8. Add the paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper to the skillet and mix well.

9. In a separate pot, boil the rice for 7-10 minutes until it's slightly undercooked. Rinse the rice and set it aside.

10. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked rice with the chicken and vegetable mixture. Mix everything thoroughly and season with salt and pepper to taste.

11. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).

12. Stuff each bell pepper with the chicken and rice mixture and replace the tops.

13. Place the stuffed peppers in a baking dish. You can add a little water or tomato juice to the bottom of the dish.

14. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

15. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking until the tops of the peppers are lightly browned.

16. Enjoy your delicious stuffed peppers with chicken and rice!

Tips and Tricks

• Use red, orange or yellow bell peppers for this dish since they're the sweetest. Green bell peppers tend to produce a slightly bitter flavor, which most people don't like.

• You can speed up the prep process by using 1-1/2 lbs ground chicken instead of dicing 4 entire chicken thighs.

• Add a bit of water or tomato juice to the baking dish before covering with foil. The liquid helps promote even cooking and prevents burning.

• Don't be afraid to experiment. If you're not a fan of chicken, this dish works well with beef or turkey. You can even switch the rice for quinoa or cauliflower rice.

FAQs

1. How long will these Stuffed Bell Peppers last in the freezer? According to the USDA, cooked meat and poultry can be stored in the freezer, in an airtight container, for up to 6 months.

2. I'm not a fan of chicken. What else can I use? The easy answer is beef or turkey. But if you're looking to go 'meatless' we'd recommend lentils, black beans, pinto beans or plant-based meat substitutes.

3. I don't have round grain rice. What else can I use? Luckily, the type of rice isn't critical in this recipe. You can substitute for long grain rice, instant rice or even quinoa.

4. My stuffed peppers are dry. What can I do? We've run into this before as well. It's an easy fix though. Just add some enchilada sauce (red or green) or tomato sauce to the mixture. You can even top the stuffed peppers with the sauce at the end if you prefer.