Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers – A New Take On Two Classic Dishes

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers is a delicious and nutritious recipe that holds all of the classic flavors of the iconic Italian dish. However instead of it being served over a bed of pasta, the ingredients are placed inside bell pepper halves.

Then they are baked in the oven until the peppers are soft and the cheese turns light golden brown in color. It is a much healthier way to enjoy the amazing flavor of the dish without all the extra calories of it being served over a bed of pasta.

Unlike the iconic recipe, the chicken used here is not breaded. Instead, cooked and shredded chicken is used as the protein.

It is a fantastic recipe to make when you have leftover rotisserie chicken in your refrigerator. In fact, dinner can be in the oven in less than 10 minutes!

And who couldn’t use a recipe like that on a busy weeknight. However, I also make this dish when I have an extra chicken breast or two in the refrigerator that needs to be used before going bad.

Before preparing the peppers and measuring out the other ingredients I put the chicken breast in my 3 quart Instant Pot Mini. By the time that I have everything else prepared, the chicken is cooked and ready to be shredded.

And within 5 minutes, a healthy dinner for two is in the oven!

More Reasons To Love This Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers Recipe

1. Healthy Recipe: Bell peppers are extremely healthy vegetables that are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are a great source of fiber. They are also low in calories, making them a great choice for those who are watching their weight.

In addition, the shredded chicken in the recipe also provides valuable protein without the extra calories of the breading that is typically used. And if you use a sugar free marinara sauce the dish just got healthier!

Although the recipe calls for Panko breadcrumbs which serves to absorb some of the excess moisture, you can leave it out if you are on a low-carb diet. Or you can substitute the breadcrumbs with ground pork rinds or buy or make your own Keto breadcrumbs from Keto bread.

2. The Flavor: When made into its classic Italian form, Chicken Parmesan is widely known for its delicious, savory flavors. By stuffing those same flavors into a bell pepper, you get a dish that’s both familiar yet new and exciting all at the same time.

3. Easy To Prepare Recipe: With less than 10 minutes of preparation time this recipe is made and ready to go in the oven. Although the ingredient list can look long, you most likely have all the spices that you need to flavor the dish already in your kitchen.

Then all that is left to do is to cover the dish and put it in the oven to bake. 30 minutes later, take off the foil cover and let the cheese start to brown.

Then you are ready to enjoy a healthy recipe that is a delicious twist on a classic dish.

No Need To Boil The Peppers Before Stuffing Them

Anytime that I share a stuffed pepper recipe I always get asked if you have to boil or bake the peppers first to get them to be soft. And my answer is always the dreaded, ‘It depends”.

However, it really does depend on how you like your bell peppers done. Some people prefer the peppers to be extremely tender, and others prefer the peppers to be more firm.

Therefore, it is really up to you on what type of texture that you want the Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers to have. Although for my favorite Classic Stuffed Peppers recipe I do bake the peppers prior to stuffing them, for this recipe I prefer not to keep the peppers a little more firm.

I like the slight bit of crunch that the peppers provide as it pairs well with the other textures of the ingredients. However, you can definitely par-cook the peppers before stuffing them.

Optional Step

You can either boil or bake the peppers to make them more tender. Start by preparing the pepper by cutting it in half from top to bottom.

You can leave the stem intact if you wish, however, be sure to remove the seeds and ribs.

To boil the peppers: Place the pepper halves in boiling water and let them cook for 2-3 minutes. Then immediately remove them and put them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

To bake the peppers: Preheat the oven to 400°F(200°C). Then fill a baking dish with 1/2-inch of water. Place the pepper halves upside down in the water and cover the dish with foil. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Then carefully remove the peppers and let them cool enough until they can safely be handled. Then stuff the peppers as instructed in the recipe.

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers Recipe

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large or 2 small bell peppers, any color
• 3/4 cup cooked chicken, shredded or diced
• 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (for low carb substitute ground pork rinds or Keto breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)

Cut the peppers in half from top to bottom. Remove and discard the ribs and seeds. Then place the bell peppers, cut side up in baking dish.

In a medium size mixing bowl add the cooked and diced chicken, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, oil, tomato sauce, garlic powder, dried Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir well until combined.

Fill up each pepper with the filling. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top.

Pour the water in the baking dish and cover the pan with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil cover and continue to bake for 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the chicken parmesan stuffed peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Other Stuffed Pepper Recipes That You Might Enjoy

• Tuna Melt Stuffed Peppers
• Classic Stuffed Peppers For Two
• Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers
• Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Enjoy! Mary

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