This quick recipe for protein-packed Mexican stuffed peppers with chicken is my hero dinner for busy weeknights! They’re made with quinoa, pinto beans, melty cheese, and a bold enchilada sauce to kick up the flavor factor (no bland peppers allowed!). The hearty filling comes together quickly on the stovetop before spooning it into the peppers and baking til bubbly. Dinner’s served!
Oh stuffed peppers, how I adore thee. Truly such a magical vehicle for that protein, veg, and flavor combo we all find ourselves craving at 5:07pm on a Tuesday.
The secret’s in the sauce, literally. Most recipes call for tomato sauce but we’re zesting it up with bright enchilada sauce for a flavor home run. Same idea as my vegetarian enchilada stuffed peppers!
Ready to make weeknight din a wee bit more manageable? Let’s do this thang!
The low down on star ingredients
- Bell peppers: Colorful bell peppers are an ideal veg-centric foundation. Most recipes for homemade stuffed peppers don’t call for salting the peppers themselves but it really makes a big difference in the end result so don’t skip it! In this recipe, we’re not baking them just long enough to be fork-tender but not too soft.
- Ground chicken: I honestly think ground chicken tastes way better than ground turkey in general, so it’s my #1 choice in stuffed peppers. It’s leaner and less greasy that ground beef, but that’ll work just fine in this recipe if you’re a beef lover.
- Enchilada sauce: I developed this recipe specifically with this to make it stand out in a sea of meh-tasting stuffed peppers. Why use bland tomato sauce when you can use mega flavorful enchilada sauce?! Make sure to only use a cup since some are 12oz or even 16oz. (Pssst: my 30-Minute Green Chicken Enchiladas are another weeknight win!)
- Beans: Beans add much-needed textural intrigue so the filling isn’t all one texture. They are, in my opinion, not optional. Plus, I love beans here for the added fiber boost.
- Quinoa: Adding a whole grain to the mix makes it heartier and more filling. I recipe tested this with pre-cooked brown rice as well and it worked great.
- Cheese: I made a version of these without cheese and trust me, during testing it was clear that cheese is a secret weapon for flavor. And who doesn’t love that signature melty cheese topping with the bonus crispy bits on the bottom of the pan?
Let’s make it!
Storing and making ahead
Got leftovers? Store in the fridge for up to 5 days and pop in the microwave to reheat.
You can totally freeze the cooked and cooled stuffed peppers, too. Or you can freeze the filling, thaw in the fridge when you’re ready to use it, and use fresh peppers per the recipe.
The whole recipe can be made ahead up to a day in advance. Fill par-baked peppers with cooled filling, cover the whole dish tightly, then store for up to 2 days. Let them come to room temp before the final 10-15 minute bake. Easy!
I hope you’re as obsessed with this fun stuffed pepper recipe as I am!
I’d be super grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a quick star rating and review below. Comments mean the world to me and your honest feedback helps me to continue to share recipes you’ll crave!
30-Minute Mexican Stuffed Peppers (with Ground Chicken!)
-
Prep Time:
5 minutes -
Cook Time:
25 minutes -
Total Time:
30 minutes -
Yield:
4 servings 1x -
Category:
Mains -
Method:
Oven -
Cuisine:
Mexican-Inspired -
Diet:
Gluten Free
Description
This quick recipe for protein-packed Mexican stuffed peppers with chicken is my hero dinner for busy weeknights! They’re made with quinoa, pinto beans, melty cheese, and a bold enchilada sauce to kick up the flavor factor (no bland peppers allowed!). The hearty filling comes together quickly on the stovetop before spooning it into the peppers and baking til bubbly. Dinner’s served!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a 9x13in baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Slice peppers in half through the stem. Use your fingers to pop the stem out and remove any big white membranes. (I like to rinse the peppers to remove the seeds.) Place cut side up in baking dish and sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, warm a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add chicken and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Add enchilada sauce, beans, quinoa, optional chiles, cumin, smoked paprika, ¼ tsp salt, and pepper to taste. Stir and gently simmer for another 3-5 minutes, or until sauce is mostly absorbed (see photos for reference). Stir in ½ cup cheese. Taste filling and add more salt to taste if needed (it’ll depend on how salty your sauce is).
- Divide a heaping ½ cup filling into each pepper half. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until peppers are tender to your liking (we don’t want mushy!). Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve as is or with guacamole and Greek yogurt. YUM.
Notes
*If you don’t have cooked quinoa, start by rinsing ½ cup uncooked quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. Place in a small pot with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil then simmer on low, covered, for 15 minutes and fluff with a fork.
Make it vegetarian! Swap your favorite plant-based meat alternative, or you could even use tempeh!
