Air Fryer Ground Chicken Stuffed Peppers

Summer is almost over and I’m not ready! Fresh veggies from the garden, pool days, and quickly cooked meals – it’s a dream. These Air Fryer Ground Chicken Stuffed Peppers were the perfect thing to make on a hot day, when you don’t feel like heating the house up a whole bunch! The bell peppers were stuffed the classic way, adding all that delicious filling into the whole pepper, then air frying until tender. The ground chicken was juicy, the veggies crisp but tender, and the rice was cheesy and packed with flavor. This is a simple family recipe that everybody loves!

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So, what’s the deal with stuffed peppers? Where did they come from?

Stuffing vegetables is not a new concept at all. In fact, it’s ancient! Greeks and Romans were stuffing veggies and leaves way back in 460 BCE! Pretty cool. The Ottoman Empire developed a technique called “dolma” where they would stuff things like eggplants, zucchinis, and eventually peppers!

In the 16th century, Spanish and Portuguese explorers brought peppers to Europe and from there, they became a staple in Mediterranean cuisine with Italy, Spain, and Greece all creating their own versions of the classic “stuffed bell peppers.” By 1870, recipes appeared in American and European cookbooks and today, it’s still a very popular recipe in households across the world. Families love the fact that you can take your leftover meat and rice and pack them into a bell pepper!

Did you know?

Air fryers don’t actually fry anything – they just pretend to. These countertop contraptions basically simulate frying by using very little oil and a whole LOT of air. The fan inside spins at roughly 1,500-3,000 RPM, blasting heat around the food rapidly, which creates that crispy, crunchy, deep-fried feel with a fraction of the fat! I think that’s so cool! What a time to be alive, right? A time with air fryers!

What ingredients do I need to make this?

For the peppers:

Large Bell Peppers
Olive Oil

For the filling:

Ground Chicken
Red Onion
Garlic
Bell Pepper
Jalapeño
Worcestershire
Olive Oil
Tomato Sauce
Shredded Mexican Cheese
Cilantro
Green Onion
White Rice
Paprika
Cumin
Chili Powder
Dried Oregano
Salt
Black Pepper
Cayenne

For serving air fryer ground chicken stuffed peppers:

Cilantro
Green Onion
Sour Cream
Lime Wedges

What equipment do I need?

• Air Fryer
• Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Silicone Brush
• Large Skillet
• Spatula
• Mixing Bowls
• Paper Towel
• Slotted Spoon
• Small Dish

How do I make them?

To prep the bell peppers:

To get started on this recipe, first wash and dry the bell peppers. Make sure they are large and flat bottomed; this way they’ll hold all of our filling without toppling over in the air fryer!

Next, slice the tops off of them, and remove the seeds and membranes. Set the tops aside to chop up later, then brush the peppers with olive oil inside and out.

Air fry the empty peppers for a few minutes at 350 F.

Pro Tip: Pre-frying the peppers like this ensures they don’t end up all watery!

While those air fry, let’s prep the rest of the ingredients.

To prep the rest of the ingredients for filling and serving:

Wash the rest of the veggies and herbs, then dry them off with paper towel.

Next, dice up the tops of the bell peppers, discarding the stems. Deseed and dice the jalapeño, dice the red onion, and mince the garlic and cilantro. Thinly slice the green onion, then set everything off to the side.

Get out a saucepan, fill it with water, and cook the white rice to package instructions. When it’s done, fluff with a fork and set aside until ready to use.

Next, let’s make the filling!

To make the filling:

In a large skillet on medium, heat some of the olive oil for the filling. Add the red onion, diced bell pepper, and jalapeño to the pan and sauté for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the mixture to a bowl, then set aside until ready to use.

In the same skillet, heat the rest of the oil over medium heat. Add the ground chicken to the pan, and cook for a few minutes, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks and cooking until no longer pink.

Next, reduce the heat to medium low, then add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire, the cooked veggies, rice, and all of the spices.

Stir to combine.

Bring the filling to a simmer, then simmer for a few minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat.

Stir in most of the green onion and cilantro, then add half of the Mexican cheese, stirring until melted.

To make the air fryer ground chicken stuffed peppers:

Remove the bell peppers from the air fryer with a tong, then carefully dump out the excess water.

Pro Tip: They will be very steamy and very hot – be careful!

Generously stuff the peppers with the filling, pushing it down and packing it in as you go.

Add the peppers back to the air fryer basket, pushing them all together in the middle, then top with remaining shredded cheese.

Pro Tip: Usually, we would want room for air flow in the air fryer, however, these peppers are large and stuffed to the brim! If we don’t push them to the middle like this, the rapid air flow might cause them to topple over and spill, especially when pulling the basket in and out. They will still cook beautifully this way and the cheese melts across the tops, similar to how it would in a baking pan in the oven!

Air fry at 350 F for several minutes, until cheese is melted and golden brown. Wait a few minutes before serving as these are going to be incredibly hot!

To serve:

Serve air fryer ground chicken stuffed peppers with remaining green onion and cilantro on top, a scoop of sour cream, and a squirt of lime juice. Enjoy!

Tips:

• The ground chicken in this recipe was really nice! It felt super lean and light. You could absolutely make this the same way with beef or turkey though! Just swap the proteins and follow the same instructions.
• Choose whatever color bell peppers you want for this recipe. I like a variety, but it’s totally your choice!
• These air fryer ground chicken stuffed peppers will keep for 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat them, simply microwave them for a minute or two, or put them back in the air fryer at 350 F for a few minutes. These can also be frozen for up to 3 months!
• No air fryer? No problem. You can cook them the same way in the oven. Just bake the empty peppers at 350 F for 4 minutes. Then drain, stuff, and bake them for 8-10 minutes more.

Are you loving bell pepper season too? Check these out!

• Stuffed Pepper Bowl
• One Pot Greek Orzo
• Crockpot Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Hoping to use your air fryer some more?

• Crispy Air Fryer Salmon Bites
• Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
• Lemon Garlic Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash