Pesto Chicken Stuffed Sweet Peppers (Printable)

Mini sweet peppers filled with creamy pesto chicken and mozzarella, baked until golden and bubbly.

# Components:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, finely shredded
02 - 1/3 cup basil pesto
03 - 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
04 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Peppers

07 - 12-16 mini sweet peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded

→ Topping

08 - 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
09 - 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease with cooking spray.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, combine shredded chicken, basil pesto, softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, and black pepper until well incorporated.
03 - Place halved and seeded mini sweet peppers cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
04 - Spoon the pesto chicken mixture evenly into each pepper half, mounding the filling slightly above the rim.
05 - Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese over the filled peppers.
06 - Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
07 - Allow peppers to cool for 3-5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste restaurant-quality but require zero intimidating techniques, just mixing and baking.
  • Mini peppers are naturally sweet and tender, so they don't need precooking—pure convenience.
  • One batch feeds a crowd or becomes elegant leftovers you'll actually want to eat cold.
02 -
  • Softening the cream cheese before mixing matters more than you'd think—cold cream cheese leaves lumps that won't blend smoothly into the filling.
  • Don't skip seeding the peppers thoroughly; any leftover seeds create an unpleasant crunch and can make the filling taste bitter.
03 -
  • Shred your own chicken from a poached breast if you want the filling to hold together beautifully—store-bought sometimes gets too fine and can get mushy.
  • Don't wait for the cheese to be dark brown; golden and bubbly is the sweet spot where it's melted but not overly browned.
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