Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers (Printable View)
Bell peppers packed with spiced chicken, sautéed veggies, and melted cheese for a vibrant low-carb dish.
# What You Need:
→ Protein & Dairy
01 - 2 large chicken breasts (approximately 12 oz), cut into thin strips
02 - 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (approximately 4.2 oz)
→ Vegetables
03 - 4 large bell peppers, halved and seeded
04 - 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
06 - 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Seasonings
08 - 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
09 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
14 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
15 - Juice of 1/2 lime
→ Optional Toppings
16 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
17 - Sour cream or Greek yogurt
18 - Sliced jalapeños
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place bell pepper halves cut side up in a baking dish, lightly brush with olive oil, and bake for 10 minutes to soften.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken strips and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned.
03 - Add sliced onion, red and yellow bell peppers, and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is fully cooked.
04 - Incorporate chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, black pepper, and lime juice into the skillet mixture. Cook for 1 additional minute to meld flavors.
05 - Remove softened peppers from oven and evenly fill each half with the chicken and vegetable mixture.
06 - Sprinkle shredded cheese over each stuffed pepper half evenly.
07 - Return stuffed peppers to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling.
08 - Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve with optional sour cream, Greek yogurt, or sliced jalapeños.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- They taste indulgent but come together faster than ordering takeout, and no one needs to know they're low-carb.
- Your kitchen will smell like a Tex-Mex restaurant, and you'll actually feel like you cooked something fancy on a weeknight.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully, which means you're basically giving yourself an easy lunch tomorrow.
02 -
- Don't skip the initial 10-minute pepper softening step or you'll bite into something that's cheese-stuffed but still tough in the middle—they need that head start.
- The spice mixture tastes nothing like fajitas until you add the lime juice, which somehow ties everything together in a way that seems impossible until it happens.
03 -
- If you're marinating your chicken before cooking, even just 15 minutes in lime juice and spices is the difference between good and people asking for seconds.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when you're sautéing—give your chicken and vegetables enough space to actually caramelize instead of just steaming next to each other.