Pesto Chicken Stuffed Sweet Peppers (Printable)

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

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken & Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or chopped
02 - 1/3 cup basil pesto
03 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
06 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste
07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Peppers

08 - 16 mini sweet peppers, halved lengthwise with seeds removed

→ Garnish

09 - Fresh basil leaves, finely sliced
10 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine shredded chicken, pesto, mozzarella, Parmesan, minced garlic, black pepper, and olive oil. Mix until evenly coated.
03 - Place halved mini peppers cut side up on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Spoon pesto chicken mixture evenly into each pepper half, pressing gently to fill.
05 - Sprinkle extra mozzarella or Parmesan on top of each filled pepper if desired.
06 - Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly and peppers are tender.
07 - Remove from oven. Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan. Serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They look fancy enough to impress guests but come together faster than you'd think, making you feel like a culinary genius on a weeknight.
  • The peppers stay tender but hold their shape, creating little vessels that catch all the creamy, herbaceous filling without falling apart.
  • One bite and you'll taste why this became my go-to when I need something that feels special but doesn't demand hours in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't skip removing the seeds from the peppers or they'll scatter into your filling and make it gritty; halve them lengthwise and gently scoop with a small spoon.
  • If your filling looks too wet before baking, it means you've used too much pesto or olive oil—excess liquid will cause the peppers to collapse instead of staying firm.
  • The peppers continue cooking slightly after you remove them from the oven, so aim for them to be just tender at the 18-minute mark rather than fully soft.
03 -
  • Pat your cooked chicken dry before shredding so it doesn't bring excess moisture into the filling, which could make the peppers weep and the cheese separate.
  • If you're making these ahead, fill the peppers and refrigerate them up to 4 hours before baking, then add a few extra minutes to the cooking time since they'll start cold.
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