Easy Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers

These Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers are so easy and baked with all the spicy, cheesy goodness the entire family will love. With a few simple tricks, these peppers will help clean out the kitchen of leftovers and will be yours in no time and with very little effort!

These stuffed poblano peppers with chicken have been a family staple for years and the fact that they are so simple to whip up makes them a dream.

Using up leftover chicken is one of my favorites–it’s so easy to add chicken from one dinner into another and make it new again. These peppers along with these green chicken enchiladas, chicken spinach artichoke casserole or BBQ Ranch Chicken Flatbreads are always a hit as well!

Why You Will Love These Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers:

1. A great way to use up leftovers. Shhhh. Do not tell. The trick to these chicken stuffed poblano peppers is upcycling some items in the fridge to make a new dinner. I use leftover rotisserie chicken for mine most of the time. However, sometimes we have a few chicken breasts and I will shred those up instead. The bonus is that I don’t waste food! Leftover chicken is also great for this Chicken Taco Casserole for another meal to make!
2. Two words: Minute. Rice. I cannot tell you the number of times I have ditched a dinner idea because I did not want to wait for the rice to cook. The little 90 second rice pouches at the grocery always save me in a pinch. They are a bit more pricey but sometimes convenience is what I need. If you are a good weekly meal prepper, you may just have rice in the fridge and that’s perfect too! The key is having some of the ingredients handy for this one.
3. The recipe uses lots of pantry staples. Several items in this recipe are things I always have on hand. That means I won’t find myself in one of those, “Oh shoot” moments when I realize I am missing a major ingredient. The beans, tomatoes, and even frozen corn are always in the house. Always.

Recipe Ingredients:

• poblano peppers: fresh poblano peppers are ideal for these chicken stuffed peppers. If you need a good substitute, annaheim peppers can work, but they are typically smaller and you will need more. You could sub bell peppers but I suggest halving them and then roasting them for about 10 minutes before stuffing and cooking.
• chicken: any leftover chicken works! We often shred leftover rotisserie chicken, but leftover grilled chicken or baked chicken is great as well.
• diced tomatoes: I like to use the canned version, no salt added and liquid drained.
• black beans: rinsed and drained of extra liquid. Make sure they are cooked.
• cilantro: one of my favorite parts of any recipe! If cilantro is not your thing, you can omit it.
• corn: frozen is typically what we use but you could use grilled cut from the cob, or canned as well. If using canned, drain the liquid.
• rice: any pre-cooked rice will work. Brown rice, white rice, jasmine rice, minute rice. Pick what you have on hand or need to use up!
• seasoning/spices: this stuffed poblano pepper recipe uses a combination of garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. You can add some smoked paprika for extra flavor as well!
• jalapeño: include the seeds for added heat, or omit them to lessen the spice. You can adjust the amount used to meet your desired spice level. A can of diced green chiles will work as well if preferred.
• cheese: for the best melty cheese, shred your own. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in cellulose and will not melt quite as well. But if that is all you have, you will still have success with this recipe, just my preference, really.

Step-By Step Instructions:

• Preheat the oven and prep all of the ingredients. Halve the poblano peppers and remove seeds, lining them on a baking sheet or in a 9×13 inch baking pan.
• Combine all of the filling ingredients: chicken, corn, beans, tomatoes, rice, cilantro, seasoning and jalapeño (if using).
• Stuff the peppers with the filling using up all of the filling.
• Bake for about 15 minutes until the peppers have softened and the chicken mixture starts to sizzle. Top with cheese and bake for about 5-10 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling.
• Top with extra cilantro and serve!

Possible Add-Ins:

The recipe for these chicken stuffed poblanos is a great base but you can add some other ingredients to take it to another level for sure. Try one of these:

• sliced black olives
• a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice
• chopped bacon (make sure it is pre-cooked)
• a bit of cooked chorizo
• pinto beans or kidney beans–can add or sub!
• stir in some sour cream or softened cream cheese
• add green onion
• add some roasted veggies–stir in roasted zucchini or mushrooms

How hot are poblano peppers?

Poblano peppers are considered a fairly mild pepper. As a reference, jalapeños are 5 times hotter than poblanos. There is an actual scale that is used to rank peppers by the level of heat they pack. On this scale the poblano’s max heat is considered 1,500 (SHU is the unit) and jalapeños are 8,000.

The poblano has a very mild amount of heat but there is still a very slight kick to them as compared to bell peppers that score a 0 on the pepper scale referenced here. I eat jalapeño poppers happily, but can definitely tell the major difference in the heat they bring even when cream cheese is added to balance them out.

Poblano peppers on the other hand are a smooth and subtle heat. Definitely my prefernce for a stuffed pepper. What about you?

Storage Instructions:

What to Serve With These Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Chicken:

To be honest, these chicken stuffed poblano peppers were certainly a meal on their own for us, but, I find some recipes can pair really well with a good stuffed pepper dinner.

• Cornbread. I almost feel that this should be a requirement the more I think about it. What a perfect combo! Perhaps a good jalapeño cornbread?? Or is that too much?
• Chips and Dip! These stuffed peppers were made to be paired with a good guac! Try this Spicy Mango Guacamole for a fun combo!
• While we are on the topic of dips, try this 3 Bean Cowboy Caviar with Avocado.
• Street Corn–that is exactly what you need to add to this meal!
• For a warm night on the patio, this Watermelon Avocado Salad would be a fun addition to dinner!
• And for sure you will want a fun margarita to sip on as well, right?!

Other Dinner Recipes:

• Simple Ground Turkey Skillet Dinner
• Easy Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup
• 15 Minute Sheet Pan Steak and Broccoli Dinner
• Simple Beef and Shells
• One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
• Baked Orange Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
• Parmesan Crusted Steak and Potato Sheet Pan Dinner

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