Mild poblano peppers stuffed with chicken, peppers, corn and onions for a quick and easy low carb taco fix! Sprinkle a little queso fresco on top before baking them and weeknight dinners will be served.
Stuffed pepper recipes usually feature peppers and are basically a casserole in a pepper. That can be good, but I find this one a bit too heavy.
These Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers are a lot lighter but packs a lot of fajita flavor. These peppers are easy to customize if you want them cheesier, spicier, or whatever else you’d like! Leftovers store perfectly for a quick dinner over the next few days or even wrapped up for lunch.
What are poblano peppers?
Poblano peppers are very mild, (usually) dark green peppers that grow long and wide. Every once in a while you can find one that’s a bit spicy, but most are mild. They have a deeper and richer flavor than peppers and aren’t as sweet or watery.
The most common use of poblanos is the classic chili relleno dish, where the peppers are stuffed, battered, and fried. But battered and fried isn’t the only way to enjoy them. Poblanos work great in Chile Relleno Casserole, roasted in cream sauce, or instead of peppers in this Chicken Fajita Stuffed Poblano and Peppers Recipe!
Tips and tricks for preparing the best stuffed peppers
To prepare poblano peppers for stuffing, I like to place them on a baking sheet and see how best they lay flat. If you try to guess, you might cut off what should have been the bottom of your peppers!
Once you figure out the bottom, you can easily cut off the top piece of the peppers. You don’t cut the peppers in half here, you just remove the top part of the peppers to make a container for the stuffing. I guess I cut off about 1/4 of the peppers.
Those peppers you cut off? Don’t throw them away! Chop them up and add them to your filling.
Then, scoop out or cut out the stem and seeds of the poblanos. You can go ahead and throw these.
How to cook stuffed peppers
To make my fajita stuffed peppers, I like to cook my chicken and veggies separately, then stuff the stuffing into the peppers along with queso fresco.
When stuffing the peppers, don’t be gentle! Poblanos have a lot of cracks and crevices, and you really want to get as much filling in as possible. Use your fingers or a small spoon to really fill them until they overflow.
Swaps, Proposals and Substitutions
These stuffed peppers are endlessly customizable. You can mix the peppers, cheese, and filling to use what you have around the house.
- Instead of poblanos, use red, green, orange, or yellow peppers.
- Try cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack for a more melt-in-your-mouth cheese situation.
- Add 1/4 cup of cooked rice to each stuffed pepper for more of a classic casserole-style stuffed pepper.
- For a veggie version, try sautéed mushrooms tossed in the same spice mix as the chicken.
How to make stuffed peppers ahead of time
You can bake the peppers and just reheat them when you’re ready for dinner, or you can stuff the peppers but wait to bake them. It’s up to you.
- For pre-baking and warming up: The peppers keep well covered in the refrigerator for three to four days and can be warmed up wonderfully in either the microwave or the oven.
- To prepare and bake before serving: Another option is to prepare the filling and stuff the peppers, but don’t bake them right away. This will make the pepper a little fresher than baking it all the way in advance. You can fill them and store them unbaked in the fridge for up to four days.
What to serve with stuffed peppers
These are a pretty complete meal on their own, and two of them will fill me up with no problem. To complete the plate, I serve a stuffed pepper with some white rice or rice and beans.
Looking for more stuffed pepper recipes?
- Stuffed Peppers with Cajun Seasoning in the Pressure Cooker
- Stuffed Peppers with Cheesy Quinoa and Black Beans
- Baked Stuffed Jalapeños
- Mama’s stuffed peppers
- Stuffed Peppers with Cajun Seasoning in the Slow Cooker
- Sweet mini peppers stuffed with mozzarella
Chicken Fajita Stuffed Poblano Peppers
ingredients
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8 poblano peppers
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1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken (thighs or breasts)
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2 tablespoons chilli powder
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 small white onion, chopped
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1/2 cup candy corn
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1 cup crumbled queso fresco
- Serve:
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Sliced spring onion
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sour cream
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salsa
method
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Preheat the oven:
Preheat the oven to 350 ̊F.
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Prepare peppers:
Place the peppers on a large baking sheet or casserole dish. Ideally, the peppers should not touch each other while baking.
Let the peppers sit naturally, then use a knife to cut off about 1/4 of the top of the peppers, leaving about 3/4 of the peppers intact.
Save the 1/4 of the pepper you removed, you will chop it and add it to the filling later. Cut out any seeds in the peppers and discard them. It’s okay if you also have to cut out the stem to get the seeds.
Chop the pieces of poblano that you sliced. You will add them to the filling later.
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Season chicken:
Cut the chicken into thin strips. In a bowl large enough for the chicken, mix together the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, garlic powder, and olive oil. mix well; add the chicken strips and toss to coat.
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Cook chicken:
Transfer the chicken to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes, stirring regularly. When the chicken is cooked, transfer the chicken from the pan onto a clean cutting board and set aside.
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Cook the veggies and chop the chicken:
Add some extra oil to the pan (if the pan looks dry). Then add chopped onions, chopped reserved poblano peppers, and corn. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are done.
Roughly chop the chicken into smaller pieces about 1/2 inch in size. Add the cooked chicken back to the pan and stir.
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Fill peppers:
Add about a tablespoon of queso fresco to each pepper, then fill each pepper with the chicken and vegetable mixture. Use a tiny spoon or your clean fingers to really push the filling into the crevices of the peppers. Pile the stuffing high into each pepper and garnish with additional queso fresco.
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Bake peppers:
Bake the peppers at 350 ̊F for about 30 minutes. The peppers are done when they are tender and shriveled around the edges. The cheese should also be melted in the center of the peppers.
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Surcharge:
Serve the peppers fresh out of the oven with sour cream, salsa and scallions.
LEFTOVERS! Leftover peppers can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and reheated in either a 350 ̊F oven until cooked through or in a microwave. Peppers can also be assembled 2-3 days in advance and baked right before serving.
