By making the Spanish-style rice and shredded chicken ahead of time, these chicken stuffed poblano peppers come together in a flash. It's beautiful, full of flavor and is all you need for a complete meal!
Doesn't it seem like peppers were just made for stuffing? I swear that if we weren't supposed to fill up that perfect single-serving sized pepper half with delicious stuffing then I just don't know why it's there.
In this poblano pepper recipe, we stuffed them with a delicious mixture of Spanish-style rice, shredded chicken, onions, garlic, cumin, chili powder, lime juice, and fresh cilantro and topped with with creamy Monterrey Jack cheese, but there are so many ways to adjust this great recipe to fit your tastes.
This delicious meal is a quick way to use that leftover Mexican rice, leftover chicken, or all those poblano peppers coming out of the garden.
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Ingredients Needed
- Cooked Shredded Chicken: This is a great way to use leftover rotisserie chicken, but you can also boil or roast your own chicken breasts and then shred them yourself.
- Poblano peppers: This is my favorite pepper, but you can use regular bell peppers if you prefer.
- Olive oil
- Aromatics like sweet onion, garlic cloves, chili powder, cumin, and fresh cilantro.
- Cooked Spanish rice: You can use the box variety or make your own using our Spicy Mexican Rice recipe.
- Lime juice: Fresh lime juice is always best, but bottled juice will work in a pinch.
- Monterrey jack cheese: You can also use a Mexican cheese blend or pepper jack if you want to add a kick.
- Optional: Set some sour cream, red salsa, and salsa verde out on the table so everyone can top their stuffed poblanos however they like.
Check the recipe card below for exact quantities and instructions.
How to make chicken stuffed poblano peppers
With the chicken and rice cooked ahead of time (see the next section for my secrets for making this in no time at all!), this recipe comes together really easily.
- While you're preheating the oven, slice the peppers in half lengthwise and clean out the ribs and seeds.
- Then, heat up the oil in a small skillet and cook your onions and garlic. Once the oven is preheated you can pop the peppers in cut side up to pre-roast them before stuffing.
- While they're roasting, mix together the rest of the ingredients (be sure to save half the cheese for putting on top!) and you're ready to stuff! Divide the chicken mixture evenly between the peppers and top with the remaining cheese.
- Put them back in the oven on a baking sheet or in a baking dish until the cheese is melted and the stuffing is hot. Serve them right out of the oven and enjoy!
Tricks for making this recipe a snap
The easy recipe calls for Spanish rice, which means you can make it with a box rice, or even Ready Rice that you just heat up in the microwave! Of course, if you're feeling super fancy you can always make Mexican Rice from scratch.
Another hack I use with any recipe that calls for shredded chicken is buying the pre-shredded rotisserie chicken in the deli at the grocery store.
Ended up with extra stuffing? It doubles as a chicken burrito bowl for lunch tomorrow!
For a fun look at this recipe, be sure to check out the web story!
Substitutions
These peppers are super versatile. You can really stuff them with anything that has a Southwest or Mexican-inspired flair. Here are some ideas:
- For a heart healthy option, sub quinoa for the rice
- For a low-carb option, try cauliflower rice
- Instead of chicken you could use ground beef, shredded beef, ground pork, or chorizo
- If you like spicy food, add in some fresh or pickled jalapeno peppers
- Sub cheddar, pepper jack cheese, or colby for the monterey jack cheese
- Corn, black beans, green onions, and Creamy Poblano Sauce would be great additions, too!
- If you don't have poblano peppers on hand, bell peppers would be delicious, too! We love red peppers or green peppers with this filling.
FAQ’s
You definitely want to cook the peppers in some way before stuffing them because otherwise the peppers will be too tough. I prefer roasting them in the oven for 15 minutes before stuffing them since the oven has been preheated anyway!
Poblano peppers hold their shape really well, so as long as they're not overcooked that shouldn't be a problem. If you're reheating them, I would opt for the oven over the microwave to ensure that they don't get soggy.
We love poblanos but bell peppers are also perfect for stuffing. The key is to get a good firm pepper that will have a flat surface to lay on while baking and enough room on the inside for all the filling.
I don't peel mine! If you're roasting poblanos until soft and then dicing them up into a dish I would peel them before dicing, but in this case you can just eat them peel and all!
What do you serve with chicken stuffed poblano peppers?
This recipe is actually a pretty all inclusive meal since you have your meat, grains, vegetables and dairy all in the peppers, but I know sometimes we just want a little variety on our plates.
I think these would be delicious with Smoked Queso Dip, esquites (Mexican corn salad), a cup of cheesy roasted poblano pepper soup or black bean soup, and of course a cucumber jalapeno margarita or pineapple agua fresca to wash it all down.
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Ingredients
- 6 poblano peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 1 cup cooked Spanish rice
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 3 tablespoon lime juice
- 3 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 2 cups monterrey jack cheese divided
- sour cream optional
- salsa optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Slice peppers lengthwise and remove seeds and ribs.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put poblanos cut-side up. Bake 15 mins.
- Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium high heat. Cook onions 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic for another 30 seconds.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, rice, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, lime juice, cilantro, and half the cheese and stir well to combine.
- Stuff the peppers with rice mixture and top with remaining cheese. Return to oven for 15 mins or until cheese has melted and stuffing is hot.
- Top with sour cream and salsa if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
More Mexican-Inspired Dishes
Alisa Infanti says
Pablano peppers are so good and adding chicken to them like this such a great idea!
Claudia Lamascolo says
What a great idea and so easy will make these again it was delicious!
Pam says
Thanks so much, Claudia!
MJ says
Made the rice and shredded chicken ahead of time as suggested and this was a yummy dinner that came together in a flash! Thanks!
Pam says
Nothing to it, right? Thanks, MJ!
Sisley White - Sew White says
I love stuffed peppers. They are so tasty and I love being able to eat the pepper with what is stuffed inside.
Topcat says
What is it I'm cooking in the olive oil, medium heat, for five minutes?? The onions?? Am I missing something?
Pam says
Yes, the onions. Sorry for the oversight. It does say that in the post, but you are correct that the word "onions" was left off the recipe card. It has been corrected now. Thanks for the heads up.