These easy cheesy chicken enchilada stuffed peppers are perfect for busy weeknight dinners. You can even meal prep them for later – woot!
Thick rockin’ recipe is easy to make and oh so tasty!
It’s no secret that I’m positively obsessed with peppers.
At the moment I have buckets of them sitting on my counter from my garden’s very own pepperpalooza, so stuffed peppers are most certainly on the menu!
This recipe is proof that busy weeknight eats can be anything but boring. You’ll simply mix up the filling in a bowl (rotisserie chicken is an excellent shortcut for this!) and stuff it into halved bell peppers with a little sprinkling of cheese on top. Bake until tender and bubbly and then top with all your favorite enchilada toppings. Love them so!
They’re also gloriously make-ahead so feel free to get your meal prep on for an easy peasy weeknight dinner.
Ingredient Spotlight
Red, green, yellow, and orange bell peppers are all work great for stuffed peppers. Red tends to be the most popular choice as the world seems super divided on green bell peppers but I personally adore them!
You can use rotisserie chicken, shredded or chopped chicken breast, or even chicken thighs for this easy peasy recipe.
For the beans, I opt for canned chili beans, which come in mild, medium and hot varieties and are basically seasoned pinto beans in a flavorful sauce. They are my secret weapon to add extra flavor to recipes! If needed, you can use drained/rinsed black beans, pinto beans, or even white beans for this recipe and simply amp up the spices by adding extra when mixing together the filling.
Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
I feel like I really need to stress the awesomeness that is this dish. I’d scream it from the rooftops in all caps if it wasn’t uber obnoxious. In case you ever doubted it, a stuffed pepper spin on chicken enchiladas is the foodie equivalent of finding a twenty dollar bill in an old jacket. It’s like getting free guac at chipotle awesome, and you know few things can top that!
These stuffed peppers are a fantastic use for leftover chicken, especially if you prep your proteins for the week. The entire cheesy chicken and veggie filling can be made ahead of time and kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days in advance and stuffed into bell peppers and baked when you’re ready to chow down! Hello awesome!
Each overstuffed pepper is gluten-free and a fantastic source of fiber and protein, plus it is packed with a variety vitamins courtesy of the veggies.
Feel free to pair them with rice, a side salad or a bowl of tortilla soup!
Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 3 bell peppers
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 10 oz (1 can) red enchilada sauce
- 4 oz (1 can) diced green chiles
- ⅓ cup frozen corn
- ¾ cup chili beans (canned chili seasoned pinto beans)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup shredded Mexican Blend cheese (divided in half)
TASTY TOPPINGS
- ⅓ cup pico de gallo or salsa
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 3 TBSP chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Measure out filling ingredients and pre-heat oven to 350°F.
- Slice each bell pepper in half. Hollow out each pepper, removing stem, seeds, and inner membrane.
- In a large bowl, combine 2 cups shredded chicken, 1 can enchilada sauce, 1 can green chiles, ⅓ cup frozen corn, and ¾ cup chili beans.
- Season the mixture with 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp garlic powder and ½ tsp salt. Add half of the cheese and mix well.
- Spoon filling into each pepper half and place on a lipped baking dish or casserole pan. Top with remaining cheese.
- Pour ¼ cup of water around the peppers (to steam the and soften the peppers while baking) and cover with foil. Bake for 50 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached.
- Once they've reached your perfect level of tenderness (I like mine slightly al dente but you can go as soft as you'd like!) top with sour cream, pico de gallo, and fresh cilantro. Guacamole, green onions, salsa make excellent toppings too if you'd like!
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Belle of the Kitchen.
Tasty Toppings
I love topping my peppers with a dollop of sour cream, fresh herbs (scallions and cilantro are my go-to!) and pico de gallo.
Jarred or homemade salsa and guacamole are also fantastic toppers!
Easy Homemade Pico de Gallo
- 2 cups finely diced roma tomatoes (plum tomatoes)
- 1 cup finely diced onion (white or purple)
- 1 jalapeño (seeds/stem removed)
- ¼-⅓ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- ½ lime , juiced
- ½-¾ tsp salt or season to taste
If you get a chance to try these easy cheesy chicken enchilada stuffed peppers, let me know! Leave me a comment or review using the form below. I’m always so excited to hear from you!
