Description
These Greek Chicken Stuffed Peppers are a vibrant and delicious Mediterranean-inspired dish perfect for a nutritious and satisfying meal. Packed with ground chicken, fresh vegetables, kalamata olives, and tangy feta cheese, this recipe is ideal for summer dinners or any night of the week when you crave flavorful, wholesome food.
Ingredients
Rice
- ⅔ cup uncooked white rice (about 2 cups cooked)
Peppers
- 3 bell peppers, halved horizontally and seeded
Chicken Filling
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken breast
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ½ cup kalamata olives, chopped
- ½ cup feta cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- ½ cup water
To Serve
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare rice: Preheat your oven to 350℉ (177℃). Cook the white rice following the package instructions until tender and set aside.
- Prepare peppers: Slice each bell pepper horizontally in half. Remove stems, ribs, and seeds carefully. Place the pepper halves cut side up in a 9×13-inch baking dish to prepare for stuffing.
- Cook the chicken mixture: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground chicken, sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper, and cook until fully browned and no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain any excess liquid from the skillet.
- Add vegetables and seasoning: Stir in the Italian seasoning, diced red onion, minced garlic, and diced zucchini. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to combine flavors.
- Combine filling ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the cooked rice, chicken and vegetable mixture, quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped kalamata olives, half of the feta cheese, and chopped fresh dill. Stir thoroughly until well combined.
- Stuff peppers: Fill each pepper half generously with the chicken and rice mixture. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining feta cheese and additional dill for garnish.
- Bake: Pour ½ cup of water into the baking dish to create steam while baking. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the stuffed peppers before serving. Enjoy alongside homemade or store-bought tzatziki sauce for a full Mediterranean experience.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, substitute ground chicken with cooked lentils or crumbled firm tofu.
- To enhance the flavor, you can add a splash of white wine to the chicken mixture while cooking.
- Make ahead: You can prepare the filling and stuff the peppers a day in advance; just bake them before serving.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheat nicely in the oven or microwave.
- If bell peppers are not in season, poblano or cubanelle peppers make good substitutes.
