Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Our Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers may very well become one of your favorite Southwestern style dishes to make at home. Mild poblano peppers are roasted, then stuffed with a deliciously spicy chicken filling, and topped with pepper jack cheese. Served right out of the oven, these yummy stuffed peppers are garnished with salsa verde and fresh cilantro.
This Southwestern style dish is not too hot or too mild. It is perfectly spiced with a medium-mild heat that enhances the entire dish. For a complete meal, serve with rice, beans, or vegetables. If you prefer a mild spiciness, but don’t want to lose any of the flavor, it can be easily customized. To learn how, visit the Pimp Our Recipe section in our Blog Comments & Tips.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
CHICKEN STUFFED POBLANO PEPPERS
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the oven rack on the top third of the oven so the top of the peppers are about 5 inches away from the heat source (broiler), and preheat the broiler to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, lightly spray with olive oil cooking spray, and set aside.
- Rinse and thoroughly dry poblano peppers. Place the peppers on the prepared baking sheet, and broil peppers for 10 to15 minutes (turning every 4-5 minutes), or until the skin is charred. Remove from the oven, and tightly cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil. Let peppers rest covered in the baking pan for 10 minutes (no longer).
- Uncover the peppers (see Note #3), and carefully peel and discard the charred skin from the peppers. Carefully cut a slit lengthwise in the top center of the pepper, and remove and discard the seeds and membrane (see Note #4), leaving the stem on for presentation.
- Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with olive oil cooking spray, place the cleaned peppers in the baking pan slit side up (alternating the direction of the peppers), and set aside.
- Prepare all your ingredients so they are ready to add as you are cooking your filling. Chop onion, mince garlic, and chop cilantro (setting aside 1 tablespoon for garnish). Cut chicken breast into ½ inch cubes. Shred pepper jack cheese. Through a fine mesh strainer, drain can of diced tomatoes with green chiles (Ro-Tel Original), and drain can of diced green chiles. Set each ingredient aside. Place the rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place a 5 quart skillet (12 inch pan) over medium heat. Add olive oil, and once hot, add chopped onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and lightly golden on the edges. Add drained tomatoes and diced green chiles, and sauté for 3 minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Add minced garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt, and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add diced chicken, and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in only half of the Herdez Salsa Verde - Mild, and heat through. Remove from heat, add only half of the shredded pepper jack cheese, and toss to combine. Add the chopped fresh cilantro, and toss to combine.
- Using a spoon, stuff each of the poblano peppers with one fourth of the filling, and sprinkle the top with remaining shredded pepper jack cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese has melted, and the filling has warmed through. While stuffed peppers are baking, warm remaining Herdez Salsa Verde - Mild in a microwave safe cup or bowl.
- To serve, plate the peppers, spoon a little warmed salsa verde on the peppers, then garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, and serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe has a mild-medium spiciness, which is primarily from the can of Ro-Tel Original (diced tomatoes with green chiles). If you prefer little to no spicy heat, use Ro-Tel Mild (diced tomatoes with green chiles) instead. If you like it extra spicy, you can replace the can of mild diced green chiles with a can of medium or hot diced green chiles.
- An easy make ahead chicken recipe is our Ridiculously Easy Lime Chicken. Make the chicken the day before, and refrigerate. When ready to use, it’s easier to cut into cubes while it’s cold.
- After 10 minutes, the peppers will look a little wrinkled, and the skin will have started to separate from the peppers, which will make it easier to remove.
- Be careful not to cut through the pepper. Use a small spoon to help clean out the seeds from the pepper. It can be tricky to get all the seeds out, so it’s okay if there are a couple of stray seeds left (just don’t leave too many).
- Quick Method: See the Pimp Our Recipe section in our Blog Comments & Tips below for the quick and easy version to prepare the peppers for this recipe.
- Make Ahead Instructions: Recipe can be made ahead of time through part of Step 5. Prepare and stuff the peppers, top with cheese, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking, and bake according to instructions in Step 5. Please note that it will take longer to heat through, as the baking dish and peppers have been refrigerated.
- Serves 4 (1 stuffed pepper per serving).
Nutrition Facts
Calories
516.42Fat (grams)
25.88Sat. Fat (grams)
12.47Carbs (grams)
21.02Fiber (grams)
5.04Net carbs
15.98Sugar (grams)
11.21Protein (grams)
49.36Sodium (milligrams)
1206.08Cholesterol (grams)
139.53Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
Roasting Peppers
STEP 1
Place the oven rack on the top third of the oven so the top of the peppers are about 5 inches away from the heat source (broiler), and preheat broiler to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, lightly spray with olive oil cooking spray, and set aside.
STEP 2a
Rinse and thoroughly dry 4 whole poblano peppers. Place the peppers on the prepared baking sheet, and place under broiler.
STEP 2b
Broil peppers for 10 to15 minutes (turning every 4-5 minutes), or until the skin is charred.
STEP 2c
Remove from the oven, and tightly cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil. Let peppers rest covered in the baking pan for 10 minutes (no longer).
STEP 3a
Uncover the peppers (see Note below), and carefully peel and discard the charred skin from the peppers.
Note: After 10 minutes, the peppers will look a little wrinkled, and the skin will have started to separate from the peppers, which will make it easier to remove.
STEP 3b
Carefully cut a slit lengthwise in the top center of the pepper, and remove and discard the seeds and membrane (see Note below), leaving the stem on for presentation.
Note: Be careful not to cut through the pepper. Use a small spoon to help clean out the seeds from the pepper. It can be tricky to get all the seeds out, so it’s okay if there are a couple of stray seeds left (just don’t leave too many).
STEP 4
Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray, place the cleaned peppers in the baking pan slit side up (alternating the direction of the peppers), and set aside.
Filling
STEP 1a
Prepare all your ingredients so they are ready to add as you are cooking your filling. Chop 1 cup onion (½ large onion), mince 1 ½ tablespoons fresh garlic, and chop ½ cup fresh cilantro (setting aside 1 tablespoon for garnish). Cut 3 cups of cooked chicken breast (about ¾ pound - see Note below) into ½ inch cubes.
Note: An easy make ahead chicken recipe is our Ridiculously Easy Lime Chicken. Make the chicken the day before, and refrigerate. When ready to use, it’s easier to cut into cubes while it’s cold.
STEP 1b
Shred 2 cups pepper jack cheese (6 ounces). Through a fine mesh strainer, drain a 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Ro-Tel Original - See Note below), and drain a 4 ounce can of diced green chiles. Set each ingredient aside. Place the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
Note: This recipe has a mild-medium spiciness, which is primarily from the can of Ro-Tel Original (diced tomatoes with green chiles). If you prefer little to no spicy heat, use Ro-Tel Mild (diced tomatoes with green chiles) instead. If you like it extra spicy, you can replace the can of mild diced green chiles with a can of medium or hot diced green chiles.
STEP 2a
Place a 5 quart sauté pan (12 inch pan) over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and once hot, add chopped onion, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and lightly golden on the edges.
STEP 2b
Add drained tomatoes and diced green chiles, and sauté for 3 more minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Add minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and sauté for additional 1 minute.
STEP 3a
Add diced chicken, and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in ½ cup Herdez Salsa Verde - Mild, and heat through.
STEP 3b
Remove from heat and add only 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese, and toss to combine. Add the chopped fresh cilantro, toss to combine, and divide filling into four sections.
STEP 4
Using a spoon, stuff each of the poblano peppers with one fourth of the filling, and sprinkle the top with remaining 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese has melted, and the filling has warmed through. While stuffed peppers are baking, use a microwave safe cup or bowl to warm ½ cup of Herdez Salsa Verde - Mild (or more to taste) in the microwave safe cup or bowl.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
To serve, plate the peppers, spoon a little warmed salsa verde on the peppers, then garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, and serve immediately. For a complete meal, serve with rice, beans, or vegetables.
Notes:
Make Ahead Instructions: Recipe can be made ahead of time through part of Step 4. Prepare and stuff the peppers, top with cheese, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking, and bake according to instructions in Step 4. Please note that it will take longer to heat through, as the baking dish and peppers have been refrigerated.
Serves 4 (1 stuffed pepper per serving).
VIDEO
How to Make these Delicious Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers!
Blog Comments & Tips
Delicious Southwestern Style Dish!
Don’t be surprised if everyone at the dinner table slows down to savor the dish. Our Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers are so full of flavor, they may very well become one of your favorite Southwestern style dishes to make at home. The finished dish is not too hot or too mild. It is perfectly spiced with a medium-mild heat that enhances the entire dish.
To make this main dish extra tender, we roasted mild poblano peppers, then peeled and cleaned them. We stuffed them with a flavor filled stuffing that is made from baked skinless boneless chicken breast, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, green chiles, spices, a little salsa verde, some fresh cilantro, and pepper jack cheese. The combination of these flavors is astounding!
This recipe was inspired by a similar dish served at one of my favorite local Mexican restaurants. Although very good, their version is cooked in lots of oil and laden with lots of heavier elements, including a pork green sauce that is a bit too rich for me. The PMR Test Kitchens completely revamped the concept to make these stuffed peppers a lot healthier and even more delicious!
We used our Ridiculously Easy Lime Chicken recipe, and made it the night before. We found that using a well seasoned boneless skinless chicken breast, gave this dish a great foundation for the filling. Although we typically opt for fresh ingredients over canned or frozen, canned diced tomatoes with green chiles (specifically Ro-Tel Original) give this recipe a much better spicy flavor.
If you are someone who loves Southwestern or Mexican style dishes but don’t like spicy flavor, visit the Pimp Our Recipe section below to learn how to make this dish mild without losing any flavor.
Now you have the recipe, ingredients, and equipment, but how do you ensure the best results from our recipe?
Our 4 tips to making delicious Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers:
Start with same-sized poblano peppers. Char the peppers under the broiler, and let them rest covered for only 10 minutes (no more). Keeping them covered for more than 10 minutes will continue to cook the peppers. They will become too soft to handle and fall apart when you stuff them. You want them soft, but not mushy.
Use well seasoned boneless skinless chicken breast. The flavor of our Ridiculously Easy Lime Chicken is perfect in this recipe. It’s quick and easy and can be made the night before.
We highly recommend Ro-Tel Original. This particular brand of canned diced tomatoes with green chiles is perfect for this recipe, because it complements all the other flavors so well. It also provides a nice medium-mild spicy heat to this dish.
The baked peppers are delicious served right out of the oven with just a sprinkling of fresh cilantro. To take it up a notch, we highly recommend spooning on a little Herdez Salsa Verde - Mild. It completes the dish, and adds a bit of tanginess to the peppers.
Have any dietary preferences that won’t quite work with our recipe? It’s time to customize and Pimp Our Recipe.
Pimp Our Recipe:
Make it Spicier: This recipe has a medium-mild spicy heat. If you like it really spicy, there are three ways to do this by adding:
1 chopped fresh jalapeno (or serrano pepper for extra spicy) during Step 2b, at the same time you add the tomatoes and chiles.
If you don’t have any fresh peppers on hand, add ⅛ teaspoon (more or less to taste) of cayenne pepper instead, when you add the garlic and spices during Step 2b.
Or, replace the mild salsa verde in the recipe with Herdez Roasted Salsa Verde - Medium. Between the heat from the Ro-Tel Original and the medium heat of this salsa verde, it should be plenty spicy. If you can find regular (not roasted) Herdez Salsa Verde in medium or hot, that would yield the best results in flavor.
Make it Milder: Replace the original version with Ro-Tel Mild (diced tomatoes with green chiles). Replace the pepper jack cheese with shredded Monterey jack cheese.
Make it Vegetarian: Vegetarian version of this recipe is coming soon!
Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Happy Cooking!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to remove the foil from the roasted peppers at the 10 minute mark, to prevent them from overcooking and getting mushy.
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