Using your air fryer to cook dinner is one of the easiest ways to whip up a delicious dish in a fraction of the time it would take in the oven. That’s why I love adapting popular dishes to be cooked in the air fryer! And you’re going to love this easy air fryer stuffed peppers recipe. On top of it being filled with delicious ingredients, this simple dinner recipe is an easy way to prepare a delicious and healthy meal for your family in under 30 minutes.

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Using your air fryer to cook dinner is one of the easiest ways to whip up a delicious dish in a fraction of the time it would take in the oven. That's why I love adapting popular dishes to be cooked in the air fryer! And you're going to love this easy air fryer stuffed peppers recipe. On top of it being filled with delicious ingredients, this simple dinner recipe is an easy way to prepare a delicious and healthy meal for your family in under 30 minutes.

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What Do I Need to Make Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers?

You're going to love the flavor combination in this stuffed pepper recipe. The delicious combo of chicken, rice, and tomato puree is the perfect complement to the green peppers. Here's what you'll need to make your own chicken stuffed peppers at home:

Green bell peppers
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Chicken breasts
Chili powder
Cumin powder
Black pepper
Salt
Tomato puree
Cooked rice
Lime juice
Cilantro
Shredded mozzarella

Looking for more delicious air fryer recipes? give these reader favorites a try!

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How Do I Make Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers?

Using your air fryer to prepare stuffed peppers is a quick and easy way to put together a classic dinner without much effort. To make stuffed peppers in your air fryer, just follow these four easy steps:

Step One: Cook the Chicken

Add the olive oil to a pan and cook it over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute them until they're soft and translucent. After that, add the chopped garlic and cook for another minute, until the garlic begins to turn light brown. Then add the chicken to the pan and saute the ingredients until the chicken is cooked through and turns from pink to white.

Step Two: Prepare the Filling

Season the chicken with chili powder, cumin powder, salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato puree and cook over medium low flame for seven to eight minutes. After that, stir in the rice and lime juice. Continue cooking over low heat for two minutes, until the rice has begun to soak up the liquid. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.

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Step Three: Fill the Bell Peppers

Cut each bell pepper in half vertically and remove the seeds. Spoon the filling into each bell pepper half, making sure to fill each pepper to the top.

Step Four: Cook the Stuffed Peppers

Preheat the air fryer to 350 (around five minutes), then brush the basket with oil and place the stuffed peppers in the basket. Cook the peppers for five minutes, then remove the basket and sprinkle one tablespoon of mozzarella cheese over the top of each pepper. Return the basket to the air fryer and cook for an additional three minutes, until the cheese is melted and is just beginning to brown. Continue cooking the peppers in batches until all the stuffed peppers are cooked.

Chicken Stuffed Peppers Recipe Tips & Tricks

You're going to love how easy this chicken stuffed pepper recipe is to make! And with these recipe tips, you'll be able to whip up a healthy dinner for your family tonight with ease.

Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket: To ensure your stuffed peppers are evenly cooked, it's important to allow plenty of space around each pepper inside your air fryer basket. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you should cook two or three peppers per batch. As the peppers are cooking, make sure they aren't touching inside the basket to keep the air flowing properly through the air fryer.
Refrigerate extra filling: If you have extra filling after stuffing your peppers, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. The filling can also be frozen. Freeze the filling in a freezer bag or container. Or stuff more bell peppers and freeze them, making sure to leave the cheese off the peppers until you're ready to cook them. When you're ready to prepare your frozen peppers, remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. After that, you can follow the recipe instructions as written.

Do You Have to Cook Meat Before Stuffing Peppers?

Since chicken and bell peppers have different cook times, it's important to make sure the meat in your filling is fully cooked before adding it to the bell peppers. If the chicken isn't cooked before it's added to the stuffed peppers, you risk serving undercooked meat for dinner. The uncooked chicken could also transfer bacteria to the other ingredients in the filling, making it unsafe to eat.

That's why it's always a good idea to cook the meat in your filling before stuffing the peppers. Whether you're using chicken, beef, or pork, take the time to thoroughly cook your meat. After that, you can combine the cooked meat with the rest of the stuffing ingredients.

Should I Blanch My Peppers Before Stuffing?

Blanching your peppers before stuffing them is a great way to speed up the cook time of this popular dish. But whether or not to blanch before cooking stuffed peppers is a matter of preference. Blanching your peppers before cooking them in the air fryer will result in a softer pepper. While cooking them fresh will give you a cooked pepper with more of a crunch.

Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers with Chicken

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Air Fryer, American

Keyword: Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 8

Servings:

Calories: 320kcal

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless cut into small pieces
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup tomato puree
1 cup cooked rice
1 teaspoon lime juice
4 green bell peppers
cilantro finely chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add oil. Add onions and sauté them until soft and translucent.
Next, add the chopped garlic and cook for a few seconds until the garlic turns light brown.
Add in chicken and cook until chicken turns color from pink to white.
Add chili powder, cumin powder, tomato puree, salt, and black pepper and cook for 7 -8 minutes on medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked.
Add rice and lime juice to the pan, mix everything and let it cook for 2 minutes. Add chopped cilantro and turn off the heat.
Cut the bell peppers in half vertically and remove all the seeds and membrane.
Spoon the chicken and rice mixture into the cut bell peppers and fill them to the top.
Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 350- degrees F / 180-degrees C. Brush the basket or rack odf your air fryer with little olive oil or spray with cooking spray.
Place the stuffed bell peppers in the air fryer, being careful not to overcrowd (they may need to be cooked in batches). Cook for 5 minutes. Top the bell peppers with 1 tablespoon of shredded mozzarella and cook for another 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and turns golden brown. Repeat with the other stuffed bell peppers.
Serve hot with sour cream or sauce/dip of your choice.

Notes

You can store the chicken and rice stuffed bell peppers in an airtight container for 4 days in the refrigerator and around 3 months in the freezer (just don’t add the cheese if freezing; add it while reheating).
Leave the stems on the peppers while cutting to make them look pretty.
If you’re using small bell peppers then cut off the tops instead.