Mexican-Style Chicken-Stuffed Peppers

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 (5 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• cup water
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 pinch ground cumin, or to taste
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 1 cup cooked rice
• cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 large green bell peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 medium avocado, sliced, or to taste
• cup sour cream, or to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 385F (200C).
2. In a large frying pan, heat butter and vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
3. Add the chopped onion to the pan and saut until softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the chicken pieces, cooking until browned and no longer pink in the center, about 7 to 10 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to medium, then add water and chili powder. Stir in garlic, salt, cumin, and red pepper. Cook for 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.
6. Mix in the cooked rice and black beans, stirring everything together well.
7. Transfer the chicken and rice mixture to a bowl and set aside.
8. Pour most of the crushed tomatoes into a large baking pan, ensuring a layer about 1 inch deep.
9. Stuff the bell pepper halves with the chicken mixture, slightly overfilling each pepper. Arrange the peppers in the baking pan, open-side up, in the tomato sauce.
10. Pour the remaining crushed tomatoes over the peppers, covering them just enough to be submerged.
11. Sprinkle the shredded Mexican cheese blend over the top of the stuffed peppers.
12. Cover the pan with foil and bake in the preheated oven until the peppers are tender, about 50 minutes.
13. Once baked, serve the stuffed peppers hot, garnished with sliced avocado and a dollop of sour cream.

Cook's Notes

For a vegetarian version, omit the chicken or replace it with additional rice and beans.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)