A fiesta of flavors and colors, these stuffed poblano peppers are flavorful, gorgeous, and surprisingly easy to make.
These stuffed poblanos are bursting with flavor! The combination of peppers, shredded chicken, and melted cheese is phenomenal. And while it may look like a complex recipe, it's easy, especially if you use pre-cooked chicken. I often make a double batch because the leftovers are just as good as the freshly made dish.
Ingredients and Variations
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Poblano peppers: They are widely available in supermarkets, usually in an area dedicated to spicy chile peppers.
- Shredded cooked chicken breast: You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken. It makes this recipe even easier than it already is. You can use white or dark meat, but please remove the chicken skin. Its texture won't work in the filling. Sometimes, I use a pound of cooked and drained ground beef instead of chicken.
- Shredded cheeses: I use mozzarella and cheddar. You can experiment with other melty cheese. Fontina, asiago, and provolone all work in this recipe. And instead of mixing mozzarella into the chicken mixture, you can use softened cream cheese.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
You start by prepping the peppers. Remove a thin layer from their top, remove the seeds and membranes, then cut a slit down their side.
Cook tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices in olive oil. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in cooked shredded chicken, mozzarella, and cilantro. Stuff the chicken mixture into the peppers and bake them in a broiler-safe pan.
The last step is to sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of the peppers and broil them to melt the cheese.
I've now cooked these 4 times over the last two weeks, using poblano peppers and once using Hatch Chiles. It's been amazing every time. This last time, I used Oaxaca Cheese instead of mozzarella. It was even better.
Debra
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Recipe Tips
- Poblanos can irritate the skin. I recommend wearing gloves when handling them, especially if you know you're sensitive.
- Make-ahead tip: If making these peppers ahead of time, it's best to make them without the cheddar topping and add the cheese before reheating.
- If you can only find small peppers, you can use them to make this recipe, using 8-10 peppers instead of four. You can also mix different pepper sizes and bake them together. As you can see in the photo below, when filming the video for this recipe, I used three medium peppers and four small ones and baked them all together for 30 minutes. They all turned out great!
Recipe FAQs
Poblano skin is edible, but some people find it unpleasant to eat and prefer to remove it. I don't remove the skin.
Poblanos have mild to medium heat. Their heat level is usually too high for children or for adults who dislike spicy food. If you're one of them, use bell peppers instead of poblanos, or make these stuffed bell peppers.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power, or uncovered in a 350°F oven.
Yes. To freeze the leftovers, place them on a wax-paper-lined platter, not touching, until they are frozen, and then transfer them to freezer bags in a single layer. You can keep them in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Stuffed poblano peppers make a great appetizer when you serve one per person. But I often serve two per person as our main course. You can serve them with toppings such as salsa, sour cream, or guacamole, and add a simple side such as:
Recipe Card
Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Video
Ingredients
- Olive oil spray
- 4 poblano peppers - medium-sized, 1 pound total weight with refuse, 12 ounces cleaned weight
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tomatoes - medium, diced; 10 ounces
- ½ onion - medium, diced; 4 ounces
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast - shredded; 10 ounces
- 1 cup part-skim mozzarella - shredded; 4 ounces
- ½ cup cilantro - chopped
- ½ cup sharp cheddar - shredded; 2 ounces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed oven and broiler-safe baking sheet with foil and spray it with oil.
- Rinse and dry the peppers. Cut a thin slice off the tops and remove the core and seeds. Cut a slit all the way down the side of each pepper. Set aside.
- Prepare the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, oregano, and cumin. Cook, stirring often, until the liquids have evaporated, 5-7 minutes. Off heat, stir in the chicken, mozzarella, and cilantro, mixing well.
- Divide the filling among the peppers, adding it from the top and pressing it to fill the entire pepper. Pack the filling into each pepper to prevent it from spilling onto the baking sheet.
- Place the peppers on the prepared baking sheet, slit side up. Lightly spray them with olive oil. Bake until the poblanos are soft and charred in places, about 30 minutes (the smell will be amazing!).
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and switch the oven to broil. Top the peppers with the cheddar cheese, sprinkling the cheese on the open part where you've cut the slit.
- Broil the peppers 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below) just until the cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Protecting your hands with gloves while handling poblano peppers is a good idea.
- In addition to oregano and cumin, I sometimes add a teaspoon of smoked paprika to the filling.
- If you can only find small poblanos, you can use them to make this recipe, using 8-10 peppers instead of four. You can also mix different pepper sizes and bake them all together.
- If you don't like spicy food, you can make this recipe with bell peppers.
- You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power, or uncovered in a 350°F oven until heated through.
- To freeze the leftovers, place them on a wax-paper-lined platter, not touching, until they are frozen, and then transfer them to freezer bags (in a single layer). You can keep them in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating them in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
ELIZABETH KRIETE says
I made these with ground Duroc pork, used canned diced tomatoes and added some spice with a Mexican spice mix. There were no leftovers. 4 peppers fed 3 people and they were big peppers. All are in agreement, these are by far the best stuffed peppers ever. Oh, I added some warm street taco tortillas to go with. 5 Stars worth of yummy!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed these peppers, Elizabeth!
Jen says
The recipe calls for 2 cups of shredded chicken, which would be 16 ounces but the recipe states 10 ounces. Then it calls for one cup of mozzarella which would be 8 ounces, but the recipe then says 4 ounces. Then it calls for a half a cup of cheddar cheese, which would be 4 ounces, but your recipe calls for 2 ounces. Those proportions can be very confusing.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Jen,
Dry ingredient conversions are different than liquid. See, for example, this product page for shredded mozzarella. Click on the images on the left to enlarge them, and you'll see that the package states that one ounce equals 1/4 cup, which means that four ounces are indeed one cup, as indicated in my recipe.
Trixie says
I can't wait to make it again, it was fantastic! Thank you for sharing.
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Trixie! Glad you liked it.
Lee says
Grew some poblanos this year in the garden and had no idea they would be so delicious using your recipe. This is the third time I've made them and we are not even low carb/no carb people, but this recipe is fabulous and we love it. Thanks!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you like this recipe, Lee! How fun, growing your own poblano peppers!
Jan says
I’m so glad I found your site on Pinterest. I have just been diagnosed with diabetes and have chosen a high-protein, low-carb diet. I can see myself cooking many of your recipes. Thank you so much. I had your stuffed poblano peppers for supper tonight and they were amazing. I cooked them in my air fryer.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jan! Wishing you good health.
Vic says
This was so good! thank you 🙂 The changes I made were to boil the poblano pepper shells for a few minutes prior to stuffing in order to make them tender and easier to stuff. I also substituted black beans for the chicken.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you liked this recipe, Vic! Thank you for the feedback.
BusyMom says
Very delicious and easy to prepare.
Instead of shredded chicken, I used a pound of cooked ground turkey.
The whole family enjoyed it and I will definitely make it again soon! ☺️
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe!
A Phillips says
I have made these peppers dozens of times now and they are just amazing. I definitely wear gloves while cutting and seeding the poblanos… first time making them, I did not wear gloves and knew immediately my mistake when I took out my contact lenses later that night. Yikes!
Vered DeLeeuw says
So glad you're enjoying this recipe! I had a similar experience rubbing my eyes. Yes, poblano peppers can be quite potent. 🙂
Carleen Rouillard says
I have made stuffed poblano peppers before but chared the skin & removed the thin translucent skin. I see you do not. I'm curious how that changes the taste & texture. Your recipe looks great but I'm concerned how that would change the texture & taste? Any comments on that?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Whether you peel your poblano peppers is a matter of taste and preference. Some feel the skin has a rough texture and prefer removing it. I don't. You can certainly use my recipe but take the extra step of peeling the skin.
Melissa Burger says
How did you keep the filling from spilling out? Mine did not stay in once they started cooking.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Assuming you made no changes to the recipe, it sounds like you had too much filling for the size of poblano peppers you used.