This recipe is one that I have been making on repeat lately.
These BBQ Chicken Nacho Stuffed Peppers are a thing of beauty, and they taste even better than they look. These are a mash-up recipe of BBQ chicken, nachos, and stuffed peppers, and I have to say, it’s a three-way match made in heaven.
Stuffed peppers are one of those meals that I can make without much thought. I always have bell peppers in my fridge (we love snacking on them, plus I cook with them constantly). The filling ingredients can be anything you dream up or have on hand. Really, just about anything will work inside a pepper.
I’ve done these hearty vegetarian ones (I love those so much), and this buffalo chicken version, AND a chicken taco variety. Clearly, we’re fans of stuffing things in peppers and calling it dinner.
You can make these your own so, so easily. Once you master the method (it’s easy), you’ll be making stuffed peppers regularly. They’re delicious, hearty and filling, and extra bonus: GOOD for you.
These BBQ Chicken Nacho Stuffed Peppers feature a spiced ground chicken breast mixture, BBQ sauce, cheese, and loads of fresh nacho-esque toppings. The combination of everything is warm and crisp, crunchy and creamy, and it’s just delicious. A truly satisfying meal!
Let’s get into how to make these babies!
Ingredients You’ll Need for These BBQ Chicken Nacho Stuffed Peppers:
- Bell peppers
- Avocado or olive oil
- Red onion
- Seasonings – chili powder, dried BBQ seasoning, garlic powder, and of course salt and pepper
- Ground chicken breast – any ground meat will work here!
- Canned pinto or black beans
- Frozen corn
- BBQ sauce – use your fave!
- Hot sauce
- Shredded cheese – I love cheddar here, but jack or pepper jack would also be great!
- Fresh toppings for serving – shredded lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, red onion, avocado, salsa, ranch dressing – the possibilities are endless! Whatever you like.
How to Make These BBQ Chicken Nacho Stuffed Peppers:
- First, halve the peppers lengthwise and clean out the seeds/membranes.
- Line them up in a baking dish and drizzle with a little oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 425°F for about 15 minutes while you prepare the filling and fresh toppings.
- For the filling, cook the ground chicken in a large skillet with some red onion, the seasonings, canned beans, corn, and the BBQ sauce. Cook until it is cooked through and saucy.
- Spoon the filling into the peppers. Top with the cheese. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the peppers are tender and the filling is gooey.
- Serve while hot and topped with all the fresh garnishes. Our favorites are a combination of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, red onion, avocado, and a drizzle of ranch and additional BBQ sauce. A spritz of fresh lime juice brings it all together!
Tips & Substitutions for these BBQ Chicken Nacho Stuffed Peppers:
- You can use any ground meat you like here. Chicken, turkey, pork, or beef would all work well with these flavors. If you want to keep it vegetarian, use your favorite ground meat alternative. Or you could even use shredded Rotisserie chicken from the store!
- Swap out your cheeses, as needed. Cheddar is what I used, but I think jack, pepper jack, or even mozzarella would be great here.
- You can swap out the meat here for cooked grains, cauliflower rice, or even ground meat substitute.
- To make these ahead, you could make the peppers and filling ahead, assemble, and then bake off when needed. I wouldn’t prep the fresh ingredients too far in advance, as they won’t be as crisp and bright.
- I love to serve these nacho-style on a big platter, topped with all the fun fresh garnishes. If you are making this and enjoying it over the course of a few meals, I do recommend holding off on topping the peppers with the fresh garnishes until you are just about to serve. This way, they don’t get wilted and lose that awesome crispy crunch that we need to make these really feel like a nacho experience. For our family, I’ll assemble and bake the peppers and then reheat as needed, topping as we eat.
You and your family will love these. Tangy and sweet BBQ chicken stuffed peppers baked until gooey and cheesy and then topped with fresh nacho garnishes. I mean, what’s not to love?!
BBQ Chicken Nacho Stuffed Peppers
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4–8 servings (depending on how hungry you are) 1x
Description
These BBQ Chicken Nacho Stuffed Peppers have quickly become a dinner staple in our house. Loaded with protein and healthy carbs, these are so satisfying! Peppers get stuffed with a BBQ chicken, bean, and corn mixture, topped with cheese, and baked until gooey. The best way to serve these is nacho style, on a big platter and topped with all the fresh things. So much fun and so, so delicious!
Ingredients
For the Peppers:
- 4 large bell peppers (any color), halved lengthwise and seeded
- 2 teaspoons avocado or olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the Filling:
- 2 teaspoons avocado or olive oil
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons dried BBQ seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 lb ground chicken breast (or cooked, shredded chicken breast)
- 1 (15-oz) can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed well
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/3 cup BBQ sauce (any kind – use your fave!)
- Hot sauce, to taste (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar, jack, pepper jack cheese (or a combo of these)
Optional Toppings for Serving:
- Romaine hearts or iceberg lettuce, shredded
- Cherry tomatoes, chopped or halved
- Scallions, chopped
- Additional red onion, chopped
- Avocado slices or guacamole
- Salsa
- Ranch dressing
- Additional BBQ sauce
Instructions
For the Peppers:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line the pepper halves up in a large baking dish.
- Brush the peppers all over, inside and out, with a little bit of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast the peppers for 15 minutes while you make the filling and prep the fresh toppings.
For the Chicken Filling:
- While the peppers are roasting, make the filling. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook for a few minutes to soften.
- Add the seasonings, the chicken, and a generous pinch of salt to the pan. Break up the chicken with a spatula or spoon and cook, continuing to stir and crumble the meat, for about 5-7 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
- Stir in the beans, corn, BBQ sauce, and hot sauce (if using). Stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, as needed. Remove the pan from the heat.
To Assemble:
- Take the peppers out of the oven and working carefully (everything will be very hot!), fill the peppers with the chicken mixture. Top each filled pepper with some of the shredded cheese.
- Bake the peppers for another 15-20 minutes or until they are tender on the outside and the filling is gooey.
For Serving:
- I love to top these off like I would a batch of nachos. I do a layer of shredded lettuce, some chopped tomatoes, scallions, and red onion, slices of avocado, and a few spoonfuls of salsa. For extra fun, I’ll also drizzle over some BBQ sauce and ranch dressing that has been whisked together for “special sauce” effect. The idea is to make these your own and top them however you prefer! Have fun with it.
- Enjoy while the peppers are still hot! The combination of hot and cold and gooey/cheesy and fresh/crunchy is amazing.
Notes
- You can swap out the meat here for any ground meat, meat alternative, or even shredded Rotisserie chicken. Feel free to swap in whole grains or rice or even cauliflower rice. The possibilities are endless when it comes to making stuffed peppers – make these your own.
- I love to serve these nacho-style, all loaded up on a platter and piled high with all the toppings. If you are making and eating this right away, this is such a fun way to serve. If you are making and eating over the course of a couple meals, I recommend holding off on topping the peppers with the fresh ingredients until you are ready to serve. That way, everything stays crisp and fresh and will really have the amazing texture experience of nachos.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: dinner
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
Wow making these!!! I love nachos/tacos/bbq anything and I like that there is no shell or chips.. way healthier!
really nice and all in one bite, love that there’s no chips,, just peppers, thank you!
Delicious and easy – whole family loved them!