I haven’t always been a big fan of stuffed peppers. They aren’t a food I grew up eating regularly, and they can be pretty unexciting. This recipe has definitely changed that for me. The spicy shredded chicken, black bean and corn filling is so delicious on its own that the Mini and i gobbled up the leftovers while waiting for the peppers to bake. The flavor combination is perfect, and these peppers are truly a meal in themselves. You can tailor the recipe to work with whatever you have on hand. I happened to have some leftover shredded chicken breasts and cooked quinoa in the fridge, but ground beef or poultry and rice would also be delicious. If you don’t love cilantro, just omit it from the filling and sprinkle some diced green onions on top. Canned enchila sauce will work in a pinch, but its worth the few extra steps to make it yourself. And double up on the recipe and keep it in the fridge or freezer to make these spicy chicken enchilas.
This recipe calls for taco seasoning, which I like to make myself at home. You can find my recipe for homemade chili and taco seasoning here. I prefer to bake my peppers in the oven, and I find that adding a little enchilada sauce and water to the dish before wrapping it tightly in foil keeps the peppers moist and tender. You could also try cooking these in a crock pot on low for 3 to 4 hours and achieve similar results. If you do, let me know how it goes! I’m all about not turning on my oven during the summer, so I might have to give it a try myself soon.
- For the enchilada sauce:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1½ cups tomato sauce
- 2 tbs chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- salt and pepper, to taste
- For the stuffed peppers:
- 4 large bell peppers, any color
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- ½ cup corn kernels, frozen or fresh
- ½ cup canned or cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked quinoa or rice
- 1-2 tbs taco seasoning
- ¼ cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 plum tomato, diced
- ½ cup enchilada sauce, plus more for topping and baking
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
- ¼ cup chopped, fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for topping
- ½ cup water
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sautee the garlic for 3 minutes Add the remaining sauce ingredients, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer while prepping the peppers.
- Wash the bell peppers and slice them in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and set them in a 9×13 baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix well. Stuff each pepper half with equal amounts of the filling and place back in baking dish, stuffing side up.
- Pour ½ cup water mixed with a few spoonfuls of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- When peppers are done cooking, remove from oven and be very careful removing the foil – they will be pretty steamy. Serve immediately topped with additional enchilada sauce, a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, and garnish with cilantro leaves and a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream.
