A fiesta of flavors and colors, these stuffed poblano peppers are flavorful, gorgeous, and surprisingly easy to make.
These stuffed poblanos are bursting with flavor! The combination of peppers, shredded chicken, and melted cheese is phenomenal. And while it may look like a complex recipe, it's easy, especially if you use pre-cooked chicken. I often make a double batch because the leftovers are just as good as the freshly made dish.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Poblano peppers: They are widely available in supermarkets, usually in an area dedicated to spicy chile peppers.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt, dried oregano, and ground cumin. Sometimes, I add a teaspoon of smoked paprika.
- Shredded cooked chicken breast: You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken. It makes this recipe even easier than it already is. You can use white or dark meat, but please remove the chicken skin. Its texture won't work in the filling.
- Shredded cheeses: I use mozzarella and cheddar.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds a great flavor to this dish. But if you don't like cilantro, you can use parsley.
Variations
- Sometimes, I use a pound of cooked and drained ground beef instead of chicken.
- Instead of mixing mozzarella into the chicken mixture, you can mix softened cream cheese or a shredded Mexican cheese blend. I especially like cream cheese.
- You can experiment with other melty cheese. Fontina, asiago, and provolone all work in this recipe.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
You start by prepping the peppers. Remove a thin layer from their top, remove the seeds and membranes, then cut a slit down their side.
Cook tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices in olive oil. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in cooked shredded chicken, mozzarella, and cilantro. Stuff the chicken mixture into the peppers and bake them in a broiler-safe pan.
The last step is to sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of the peppers and broil them to melt the cheese.
I've now cooked these 4 times over the last two weeks, using poblano peppers and once using Hatch Chiles. It's been amazing every time. This last time, I used Oaxaca Cheese instead of mozzarella. It was even better.
Debra
Read more comments
I've now cooked these 4 times over the last two weeks, using poblano peppers and once using Hatch Chiles. It's been amazing every time. This last time, I used Oaxaca Cheese instead of mozzarella. It was even better. Recipe Tips
- Poblanos can irritate the skin. I recommend wearing gloves when handling them, especially if you know you're sensitive.
- Poblano skin is edible, but some people find it unpleasant to eat and prefer to remove it. I don't remove the skin.
- Heat level: Poblanos have mild to medium heat. Their heat level is usually too high for children or adults who dislike spicy food. If you're one of them, use bell peppers instead of poblanos, or make these stuffed bell peppers.
- Make-ahead tip: If making these peppers ahead of time, it's best to make them without the cheddar topping and add the cheese before reheating.
- Storage: Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power, or uncovered in a 350°F oven. To freeze the leftovers, place them on a wax-paper-lined platter, not touching, until they are frozen, and then transfer them to freezer bags in a single layer. You can keep them in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- If you can only find small peppers, you can use them to make this recipe, using 8-10 peppers instead of four. You can also mix different pepper sizes and bake them together. As you can see in the photo below, when filming the video for this recipe, I used three medium peppers and four small ones and baked them all together for 30 minutes. They all turned out great!
Serving Suggestions
Stuffed poblano peppers make a great appetizer when you serve one per person. But I often serve two per person as our main course. You can serve them with toppings such as salsa, sour cream, or guacamole, and add a simple side such as:
Recipe Card
Cheesy Chicken-Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Video
Ingredients
- Olive oil spray
- 4 poblano peppers - medium-sized, 1 pound total weight with refuse, 12 ounces cleaned weight
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tomatoes - medium, diced; 10 ounces
- ½ onion - medium, diced; 4 ounces
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast - shredded; 10 ounces
- 1 cup part-skim mozzarella - shredded; 4 ounces
- ½ cup cilantro - chopped
- ½ cup sharp cheddar - shredded; 2 ounces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed oven and broiler-safe baking sheet with foil and spray it with oil.
- Rinse and dry the poblanos. Cut a thin slice off the tops and remove the core and seeds. Cut a slit all the way down the side of each pepper. Set aside.
- Prepare the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, oregano, and cumin. Cook, stirring often, until the liquids have evaporated, 5-7 minutes. Off heat, stir in the chicken, mozzarella, and cilantro, mixing well.
- Divide the filling among the peppers, adding it from the top and pressing it to fill the entire pepper. Pack the filling into each pepper to prevent it from spilling onto the baking sheet.
- Place the peppers on the prepared baking sheet, slit side up. Lightly spray them with olive oil. Bake until the poblanos are soft and charred in places, about 30 minutes (the smell will be amazing!).
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and switch the oven to broil. Top the peppers with the cheddar cheese, sprinkling the cheese on the open part where you've cut the slit.
- Broil the peppers 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below) just until the cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Protecting your hands with gloves while handling poblano peppers is a good idea.
- In addition to oregano and cumin, I sometimes add a teaspoon of smoked paprika to the filling.
- If you can only find small poblanos, you can use them to make this recipe, using 8-10 peppers instead of four. You can also mix different pepper sizes and bake them all together.
- If you don't like spicy food, you can make this recipe with bell peppers.
- You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power, or uncovered in a 350°F oven until heated through.
- To freeze the leftovers, place them on a wax-paper-lined platter, not touching, until they are frozen, and then transfer them to freezer bags (in a single layer). You can keep them in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating them in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Kitty says
Next time imma leave a few seeds in cause it wasn’t spicy at all and I wanted that bite. This recipe was simple and very tasty. I will be making them again.
Jack Saguel says
Actually super delicious and healthy. Get those seeds out! Super good. We used sharp cheddar and salt-free seasoning with some garlic. Broiler at the last 2 minutes to get that great crispy top. The 93% ground turkey works perfectly. Highly recommend!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Jack! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for sharing your delicious tweaks.
Jan says
Made this tonight. It was great. Big hit with the family. I added a couple of pinches of red pepper flakes to the filling. We like it spicy. Great recipe.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Jan! I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for the review.
Regina says
Super easy. Tasted great. Not too much heat. Will make again!
Vered DeLeeuw says
wonderful, Regina! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the review.
Karrie says
Can this be made ahead of time or frozen?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Karrie,
You can keep these peppers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power, or uncovered in a 350°F oven. To freeze, place them on a wax-paper-lined platter, not touching, until they are frozen, and then transfer them to freezer bags in a single layer. You can keep them in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Kat M says
I substituted ground turkey for the shredded chicken and I diced yellow squash and added that, too. Delicious!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thank you for sharing your delicious tweaks, Kat! I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Debra says
I've now cooked these 4 times over the last two weeks, using poblano peppers and once using Hatch Chiles. It's been amazing every time. This last time I used Oaxaca Cheese instead of mozzarella. It was even better.
Vered DeLeeuw says
How wonderful, Debra! Oaxaca cheese sounds amazing - thanks for sharing this yummy tweak.