Chicken parmesan stuffed peppers are delicious, healthy, and filling. This recipe combines two all-time favorites: chicken parmesan and stuffed bell peppers — and the results are phenomenal.
These chicken parm stuffed bell peppers deliver flavorful, cheesy, saucy, chicken parmesan goodness wrapped inside soft and vibrant bell peppers. They are seriously loved by all who try them. Plus, stuffed peppers are easy to make ahead, freezes well, and great for meal prep.
Table Of Contents
Why You’ll Love Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Classic chicken parm ingredients. Chicken parmigiana is one of my favorite meals of all time. After all, what’s not to love about breaded and baked chicken with cheese and marinara sauce on top? Well, with these chicken parmesan stuffed peppers, you get to enjoy all the same flavors — chicken breasts, panko breadcrumbs, mozzarella, parmesan, and marinara sauce, but made healthier and wrapped up inside a delicious bell pepper.
- A filling and healthy meal. These chicken parmesan stuffed bell peppers are a one-dish wonder. They are wholesome and filling so you don’t need to worry about cooking up extra side dishes. Everything you want in a meal is inside those peppers — protein, vegetables, dairy, and grains.
- They’re great for meal prep. Stuffed peppers are easy to make ahead and store, and freeze really well too, which makes chicken parm stuffed bell peppers perfect for meal prep too. It makes the perfect low carb and healthy lunch throughout the week.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make delicious chicken parmesan stuffed peppers, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- bell peppers – Look for peppers that are large and round and easy to stuff. You can feel free to use any color that you want.
- cooked chicken – this is one of my favorite recipes to use up any leftover chicken. You can also substitute with leftover turkey.
- panko breadcrumbs
- cheese – for that classic chicken parmesan flavor, we will need both mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- parsley
- olive oil
- tomato sauce – you can also substitute with marinara sauce.
- salt and pepper
- garlic powder
- water – for the water bath for baking. This creates steam in the pan when baking, which makes the stuffed peppers tender more quickly.
How to Customize
The best thing about this recipe is that you can customize it and make it your own. Try:
- substituting eggplant for the chicken to make it vegetarian.
- adding fried onions, steamed spinach, broccoli, or mushrooms to the filling for a veggie-packed option.
- using your favorite cheese blends instead of or in addition to mozzarella and parmesan. For instance, give it a Mexican twist with a Tex Mex cheese blend.
- using more or less cheese and sauce to suit your tastes.
Steps
- Prepare the bell peppers. Cut the peppers in half vertically. Remove and discard the seeds. Place the bell peppers in a 9×13-inch casserole pan or large half sheet baking pan and set aside.
- Make the chicken parmesan stuffing. In a large mixing bowl, add chicken, breadcrumbs, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan, parsley, oil, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir well until evenly incorporated.
- Stuff the peppers. Fill up each pepper with the chicken filling and top with 1 tablespoonful mozzarella cheese.
- Make a water bath. Add water to the casserole dish and cover the dish with aluminum foil. This creates steam in the casserole dish when baking, which makes the stuffed peppers tender more quickly.
- Bake. Bake in 375F preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the foil. Continue baking uncovered for 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted. Let the stuffed peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- How to store: Keep leftover chicken parmesan stuffed bell peppers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- How to freeze: Stuffed peppers freeze and reheat well. Store the cooked stuffed bell peppers (or just the cooked chicken filling) in an airtight container with the cut side up for up to 3 months.
- How to reheat: Reheat cold stuffed peppers in the oven. Place them in an oven-safe casserole dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Reheat in a 350F preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat in air fryer for 10 minutes at 350F or in the microwave.
More Stuffed Peppers
GRILLED STUFFED JALAPENOS AND MINI SWEET PEPPERS
CHICKEN PARMESAN STUFFED PEPPERS
Yield:
8 servings
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
45 minutes
Total Time:
55 minutes
Chicken parmesan stuffed peppers are delicious, flavorful, healthy, and filling, and combines two all-time favorites. Great for meal prep and freezes well.
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers
- 1 + ½ cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or finely chopped
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup mozzarella, grated and divided
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup tomato sauce or marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup water (for baking)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Cut the peppers in half vertically. Remove and discard the seeds. Place the bell peppers in a 9x13-inch casserole pan or large half sheet baking pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add chicken, breadcrumbs, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan, parsley, oil, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir well until evenly incorporated.
- Fill up each pepper with the chicken filling and top with 1 tablespoonful mozzarella cheese.
- Add water to the casserole dish and cover the dish with aluminum foil. This creates steam in the casserole dish when baking, which makes the stuffed peppers tender more quickly.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the foil. Continue baking uncovered for 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Let the stuffed peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving.
