Chicken Taco Stuffed Peppers

I am about to tell you about one of my favorite dinners ever.

Chicken taco stuffed peppers! Flavor explosion.

I love a stuffed pepper. I find them to be so satisfying and they’re so easy to make – they’re perfect for busy weeknights. And since our little fam seems to have nothing but busy weeknights, this is something I will make time and time again.

Dan and I have cultivated a true love for a specific combo of flavors. Chicken. Taco spices. Cheese. And a slew of fresh toppings: romaine, tomatoes, red onion, scallions, pickled jalapeños, and fresh lime juice. A drizzle of ranch is also required.

We use this combination of ingredients in a multitude of ways. Sometimes I’ll just make us simple chicken taco salads with these exact things. Or we’ll make our beloved and unbeatable nachos. Or enchiladas. Or meal-prep bowls. Or we’ll use these things to top off other dishes like tostadas.

We just can’t get enough of the flavors. We use this mix on or in so many things. At least once a week, a “chicken taco” something is happening.

So it was inevitable that we would get here. Of course I would attempt the same flavors and ingredients in a stuffed pepper. OF COURSE.

Lucky for all of us, it worked splendidly.

I like to use lean chicken breast for this, but you can use dark meat chicken, turkey, or even beef. Whatever floats your boat.

I cook the chicken with some red onion and the classic spices in a “taco mix”: chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder. I like to add in a little coriander and smoked paprika as well for some extra oomph. You could totally just use a store-bought taco spice packet, too. Again, whatever works for you!

I also add some pinto beans to the chicken filling for more heft and fiber. But this is also optional!

While the chicken is cooking, I roast off some halved bell peppers until they are mostly tender.

Then the chicken goes into the peppers and everything gets topped off with some cheese. You know what comes next.

The cheesy chicken taco peppers go into the oven until everything is warm, tender, and ooey gooey.

While that happens, I prep all those infamous fresh toppings that Dan and I know and love so well. Shredded romaine, some cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, chopped scallions, some pickled jalapeños, a lime for juicing, and some avocado slices to boot.

When the peppers are hot out of the oven, we top them with all of the fresh stuff, creating a salad of sorts. Everything gets drizzled with ranch and spritzed healthily with fresh lime juice.

And then it’s time to eat! Thank goodness. Just look at that beauty.

These are so, so delicious. They’re warm and gooey, spiced and savory, and fresh and crunchy all at once. Like, you won’t believe you are eating a roasted pepper. It tastes like a taco! And a taco salad in one! Like they had a baby.

A gooey, cheesy, spiced, ranch-drizzled baby.

Yes, please!

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