These spicy chicken stuffed poblano peppers are filled with a combination of meat, veggies, and spices. A delicious, filling dinner without a huge amount of effort.
I'm sharing with you an updated version of one of our family's favorite recipes! We make these stuffed peppers with both chicken and ground beef and both turn out delicious. Stuffed peppers are totally a favorite of ours. After you make these Tex-Mex peppers, try Chicken Parm Stuffed Peppers, and Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers.
I do have a confession. These poblanos aren’t exactly stuffed. I sliced the peppers in half lengthwise to make it easier to fill them, but because poblanos are more thin and long, there's not a lot of real estate to "stuff." They are more like pepper “boats” than anything else. Regardless, the pepper works as a little vessel to hold the filling.
Poblanos can vary from not spicy and all to close to the spiciness level of a jalapeno pepper. I find the best way to check is to smell them. The super fragrant peppers tend to be more spicy. I love the spiciness they offer, but if you find that you prefer a milder heat, you can swap in bell peppers instead.
If you are interested in more recipes using poblanos, try this Instant Pot Poblano Soup or Ground Venison Chili.
Ingredients for stuffed poblano peppers
- olive oil
- shredded cooked chicken
- jalapeno
- onion
- canned diced tomatoes
- cooked rice
- corn
- black beans (canned or you can easily cook dry black beans in the instant pot)
- cumin
- chili powder
- garlic powder
- salt
- poblano peppers
- shredded monterey jack cheese
How to make cheese stuffed poblanos with chicken
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
While the oven is preheating, add oil to a skillet over medium heat.
Add in diced jalapeno and small onion. Allow to cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the veggies have softened.
To a medium sized bowl, add shredded chicken, sauteed jalapeno and onion, can of diced tomatoes, cooked rice, corn, black beans, half of the cheese, and spices. Stir to combine.
Cut place your halved poblano peppers in cut side up. Spoon filling into each pepper. You may have extra filling, depending on the size of your peppers. I just pour the rest over the top!
Top with shredded cheese and bake for 30-40 minutes, until peppers are tender.
Top Tip
I often use the same cast iron skillet to prepare veggies for the filling, that I do to bake the filled peppers. This really helps with clean up! If you don't have an oven-safe skillet-- create the filling in a regular pan and then bake the peppers in a glass baking dish.
Try them with ground beef
To be honest, we make these stuffed peppers most often with ground beef! It is super easy to do and so fast, especially if you forget to take something out for dinner. I often cook the ground beef from half frozen in the pan and it turns out great.
There are instructions in the recipe card below for how to adopt this recipe to use beef instead of chicken. You could totally use ground turkey, ground pork, or even ground venison.
How to serve
I love serving these mexican stuffed poblanos with all the fixins', similar to a taco night spread! My favorite toppings are below, use whatever you like!
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Pickled jalapenos
- Hot sauce
- Lime wedges
Storage
Store any leftover chicken stuffed poblano peppers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. These poblanos make amazing leftovers for lunches or dinners throughout the week and heat up really well in the microwave.
Spicy Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken or diced
- 1 jalapeno diced finely and seeds removed
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes 15 oz.
- 1 cup cooked rice
- ½ cup corn frozen or canned
- ½ cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 4 poblano peppers halved, with stem and seeds removed
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- While the oven is preheating, add oil to a skillet over medium heat.
- Add in diced jalapeno and small onion. Allow to cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the veggies have softened.
- To a medium sized bowl, add shredded chicken, sauteed jalapeno and onion, can of diced tomatoes, cooked rice, corn, black beans, half the cheese, and spices. Stir to combine.
- Cut and place your halved poblano peppers in cut side up. Spoon filling into each pepper. You may have extra filling, depending on the size of your peppers. I just pour the rest over the top!
- Top with shredded cheese and bake for 30-40 minutes, until peppers are tender.
Notes
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- While the oven is preheating, begin to brown 1 lb. ground beef in an oven-safe skillet.
- Once the meat has started browning, break it up with a wooden spoon. Add in diced jalapeno and small onion. Allow to cook for about 5-10 minutes, until the meat is mostly cooked through.
- Add in diced tomatoes, cooked rice, corn, black beans, and spices. Stir to combine.
- Cut and place your halved poblano peppers in cut side up. Spoon filling into each pepper. You may have extra filling, depending on the size of your peppers. I just pour the rest over the top!
- Top with cheese and bake for 30-40 minutes, until peppers are tender.
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