Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Peppers (Printable)

Bell peppers filled with chicken, rice, and cheese, baked until golden and tender.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 large bell peppers, tops removed and seeds discarded
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Protein

04 - 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie or leftover)

→ Grains

05 - 1 cup cooked white or brown rice

→ Dairy

06 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
07 - 1/4 cup softened cream cheese

→ Pantry & Spices

08 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
09 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (or oregano and basil mix)
10 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
13 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# How To Make:

01 - Set oven to 375°F and lightly grease a baking dish to hold the peppers upright.
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook chopped onion for 2–3 minutes until softened, then add garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds.
03 - In a large bowl, mix shredded chicken, cooked rice, sautéed onion and garlic, diced tomatoes, 1 cup cheddar cheese, cream cheese, Italian herbs, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until thoroughly combined.
04 - Fill each hollowed bell pepper with the chicken mixture and arrange upright in the prepared baking dish.
05 - Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese over the stuffed peppers and pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of water into the bottom of the dish to create steam during baking.
06 - Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
07 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly and peppers are tender.
08 - Let peppers cool briefly before serving.

# Top Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's the kind of meal that makes your kitchen smell incredible while barely requiring any hands-on time.
  • Built-in portion control and vegetables mean you can skip the side dishes entirely, which is honestly my favorite part.
  • One baking dish, minimal cleanup, and everyone at the table gets their own personal stuffed pepper—it feels fancy but tastes like comfort.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining the canned tomatoes—I learned this the hard way when my first attempt turned into a watery mess.
  • Softening the cream cheese before mixing makes a huge difference; it blends smoothly instead of leaving little lumps throughout the filling.
03 -
  • Buying pre-shredded rotisserie chicken and using day-old cooked rice from the fridge means this comes together faster than you'd think.
  • Room-temperature filling goes into the peppers more easily than cold filling, so let it sit for a minute or two before stuffing.
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