Stuffed with all the best parts about a cheesy chicken enchilada, these chicken enchilada stuffed peppers are easy to make and amazing loaded up with all your favorite toppings!
Cinco de Mayo is right on the horizon and it’s time your stuffed pepper game started looking like it!
So we’re stuffing these bad boys with all the chicken enchilada works, covering everything with cheese, and then letting your toppings game go wild.
Suffice to say, these belong on the permanent dinner rotation and I have yet to meet someone who isn’t obsessed.
In even better news, these stuffed peppers seriously could not be easier to pull off for ANY dinner situation!
Plus we have all the nifty make-ahead options for my fellow friends that are into the least amount of effort once dinner rolls around. There’s nothing better.
These Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers feature…
- Tender roasted peppers
- A flavorful chicken and rice enchilada filling
- All your favorite toppings including fresh cilantro, sour cream, and tomato
- Less than an hour to make with lots of make ahead options
Making the Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Vegetable oil
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Tomato sauce
- Green chiles
- Cooked rice
- Peppers
- Colby jack cheese
- Cilantro, sour cream, and tomato for topping
Choosing Your Peppers
This recipe is very forgiving on the type of pepper you can use and you have several options! We typically use 3 large sweet bell peppers, but you can also use green peppers or even poblanos for a bit of a spicier option.
Be aware if you use poblanos, you will likely need to use more than 3 peppers since these peppers are a bit smaller than bell peppers.
Tips for Perfect Stuffed Peppers
- Cut peppers in half – use a paring knife to gently carve out the core of each pepper half – you can leave the stem on the peppers for a decorative touch or remove it, totally your call!
- Use leftover cooked rice – these stuffed peppers are an amazing use for leftover rice and our preferred use for it.
- Season chicken and rice filling well – lots of fresh garlic, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, and paprika add so much flavor to the filling.
- Fill peppers very full – it may seem like you have an excessive amount of filling but we’re gonna PACK it into the peppers! Spoon the filling into each pepper half and pack it down to fit as much as you can.
- Bake peppers at 400F – 20-25 minutes is all it will take to brown the cheese and cook the peppers to a perfect tenderness.
- Top peppers with toppings – don’t forget about your toppings! We love fresh cilantro, sour cream, and tomato piled high on top of each pepper.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this recipe.
- Make it spicy – add a small minced serrano pepper to the filling for a spicy kick.
- Change up the meat – try ground sausage, beef, or chicken in place of the chicken breasts.
- Skip the meat altogether – feel free to add a few handfuls of sautéed mushrooms or zucchini in place of the chicken for a vegetarian-friendly option.
- Try a different cheese – a sharp cheddar, Monterey jack, or queso fresco would be a delicious cheese option for these peppers.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead instructions.
- Prep the peppers – halved and cored peppers may be stored in refrigerator up to 3 days.
- Make the filling – the chicken and rice filling may be made up and stored in refrigerator up to 3 days.
- Assemble the peppers – follow recipe instructions through Step 4, then cover pan with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator up to 3 days. Follow recipe instructions for baking peppers, adding an extra 5 minutes to bake time if baking from cold.
- Storing baked peppers – once the peppers are baked they can be stored in refrigerator up to 6 days.
These peppers are just stuffed to absolute PERFECTION. The chicken and rice filling is packed with so much flavor and the peppers bake up so perfectly tender.
You know you’re winning when you can’t even see the actual pepper underneath all the toppings and we highly recommend you do exactly that.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More enchilada goodness that you will definitely want to try next!
- Make Ahead Beef Enchiladas
- Skillet Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Poblano Sweet Potato Black Bean Breakfast Enchiladas
Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-in cubes
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika (regular or smoked)
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 can (4 oz) green chiles, undrained
- 2 cups cooked white or brown rice
- 3 large sweet or green peppers, halved and cores removed
- 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
- Fresh cilantro, sour cream, and tomato for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until chicken is no longer pink and onions are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, and paprika to skillet and cook 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add tomato sauce, green chiles, and rice to skillet and cook several minutes until heated through. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Arrange pepper halves in baking dish and fill with rice mixture. Top each pepper with shredded cheese.
- Bake peppers at 400F 20-25 minutes until peppers are tender and cheese is melted. Serve peppers warm with cilantro, sour cream, and tomato on top. Enjoy!
Clare says
I love your idea, love the spices, going to make this dish for sure. Thank you 😊
Sarah says
excited to hear how they turn out for you, Clare! 🙂