Low Carb Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Published Jan 31, 2021 Updated Mar 09, 2024
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These Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers feature tender bell peppers stuffed with a buffalo chicken filling, shredded cheese, and green chilies, then topped with a drizzle of ranch dressing! An easy, filling, and satisfying low-carb meal or appetizer for any occasion or busy weeknights! Low-carb, gluten-free, and has a dairy-free option.
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
These Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers are absolutely delightful. Delicious, tender bell peppers stuffed with a buffalo chicken filling, cheese, and chilies, then drenched in ranch dressing! They will easily become your go-to weekly family recipe– both kid and adult-approved! If you love this recipe, you’ve got to try my Healthy Buffalo Chicken Bowls.
They’re super simple and can be whipped up and ready in no time at all. Even better, they’re low-carb, gluten-free, and have a dairy-free option. This recipe is full of flavor and is the perfect quick dinner for any busy weeknight, easy appetizer, or even meal prepping!
Ingredients Notes
- green bell peppers: I used green peppers, but you could opt for red pepper or yellow pepper if desired.
- cooked shredded chicken breast: Leftover rotisserie chicken, cooked ground chicken, or even ground turkey would work as well.
- mozzarella cheese: Use dairy-free cheese of choice if desired. You can also use cream cheese instead. I prefer shredded cheese, but any type of cheese will work.
- Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce: You can use a different brand of hot sauce depending on what you have on hand!
- can green chilies
- onion
- minced garlic: You can swap for garlic powder if that’s all you have on hand.
- onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- garnish: Sliced green onions and ranch dressing for drizzle.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Steps 1-3
- Prepare Peppers: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Place the peppers upright in a baking dish and bake the peppers unstuffed for 10 minutes.
- OPTIONAL STEP: If you want to cook the peppers quicker, do this step instead of baking the unstuffed peppers in the oven first. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Place the peppers in the boiling water and let them cook for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly softening. Use tongs to remove the peppers from the boiling water and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess water. Add to a baking dish upright.
- Make Chicken Mixture: In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until softened about 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the shredded chicken to the skillet along with the green chilies and buffalo sauce. Stir to combine and let it simmer for a couple of minutes until heated through—season with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in half of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Steps 4-5
- Stuff Peppers: Spoon the buffalo chicken mixture into each bell pepper until they are filled to the top. Top each pepper with the remaining cheese. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted.
- Garnish: Once cooked, remove the foil and optionally broil the peppers for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Garnish with chopped green onions and ranch dressing if desired, and serve hot.
Quick Cook Option (See Step 2)
Mac’s Pro Tips
Expert Tips
- Make chicken ahead of time: Boil the chicken the night before and store it in the fridge. This will take about 15 minutes of the cooking process to make it an even quicker meal.
- Cook the peppers first: I always bake the peppers in the oven at 375F for 10 minutes before adding the buffalo chicken. This ensures the peppers are cooked well enough before adding in the chicken. If you cook the chicken too long in the oven, it will become dry. Cooking the peppers before adding the chicken and then heating them together at the end makes for a moist, delicious chicken.
- Drench in Ranch: Click here for my homemade ranch recipe. It is by far my favorite of all my sauces. Drizzling each pepper with my homemade ranch and green onions, take them over the top.
How to Cut Bell Peppers!
Option 1
Slice off the top of each pepper just below the stem and scrape out the membrane and seeds through this newly cut hole. Once the inside is cleaned out, slice vertically down the middle. You will now have two pepper slices.
Option 2
Slice the top of the pepper just below the stem. Cut the pepper vertically in half. Once cut in half, remove the membrane and seeds from each pepper half.
Serving Tips
You can serve these Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers by themselves, drenched in my homemade ranch dressing and garnished with green onions.
Storage Tips
- Storage: Refrigerate the pepper halves in an airtight container for no longer than 4 days.
- How to Reheat: Reheat leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 300F or reheat in the microwave.
- How to Freeze. Freeze peppers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat for an easy weeknight dinner.
Recipe FAQs
Any store-bought buffalo sauce will work, or you can make your own by combining hot sauce, melted butter, and a splash of vinegar. I love the brand Franks.
Make sure to drain any excess liquid from the cooked buffalo meat and rice before stuffing the peppers, and avoid overcooking them in the oven.
Yes, you can assemble the stuffed peppers ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake them.
Yes! Remove the cheese and make sure the ranch you are using has compliant ingredients. My homemade ranch dressing is an approved recipe.
More Buffalo Chicken Recipes
Sauces, Dressing & Dips
Homemade Dairy Free Keto Ranch Dressing Recipe
Quick Meals
How to Make Hibachi at Home (Chicken Bowls)
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Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
Stuffed Peppers
- 4 large green bell peppers halved and deseeded
- 1.5 lbs. cooked shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken about 4 cups lightly packed, ½ cup per pepper
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese or dairy free cheese of choice
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce I used Franks
- 1 4 oz. can green chilies optional
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- Sliced green onions
- Ranch dressing for drizzle
Instructions
- Prepare Peppers: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Place the peppers upright in a baking dish and bake the peppers unstuffed for 10 minutes.
- OPTIONAL STEP: If you want to cook the peppers quicker, do this step instead of baking the unstuffed peppers in the oven first. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Place the peppers in the boiling water and let them cook for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly softening. Use tongs to remove the peppers from the boiling water and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess water. Add to a baking dish upright.
- Make Chicken Mixture: In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until softened about 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the shredded chicken to the skillet along with the green chilies and buffalo sauce. Stir to combine and let it simmer for a couple of minutes until heated through—season with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in half of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Stuff Peppers: Spoon the buffalo chicken mixture into each bell pepper until they are filled to the top. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted.
- Garnish: Once cooked, remove the foil and optionally broil the peppers for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Garnish with chopped green onions and ranch dressing if desired, and serve hot.
Notes
Expert Tips
-
- Make chicken ahead of time: Boil the chicken the night before and store it in the fridge. This will take about 15 minutes of the cooking process to make it an even quicker meal. Or just pick up a rotisserie chicken.
-
- Boil the peppers for quicker cooking time: Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Place the peppers in the boiling water and let them cook for 3-4 minutes, or until they are slightly softened. Use tongs to remove the peppers from the boiling water and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess water.
-
- Drench in Ranch: Click here for my homemade ranch recipe. It is by far my favorite of all my sauces. Drizzling each pepper with my homemade ranch and green onions, take them over the top.
How to Cut Bell Peppers!
Option 1
Slice off the top of each pepper just below the stem and scrape out the membrane and seeds through this newly cut hole. Once the inside is cleaned out, slice vertically down the middle. You will now have two pepper slices.Option 2
Slice the top of the pepper just below the stem. Cut the pepper vertically in half. Once cut in half, remove the membrane and seeds from each pepper half.Serving Tips
You can serve these Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers by themselves, drenched in my homemade ranch dressing, or with a side.Storage Tips
-
- Storage: Refrigerate peppers in an airtight storage container for no longer than 4 days.
-
- How to Reheat: Reheat leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 300F or heat in a microwave.
-
- How to Freeze. Freeze peppers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Brilliant words
🙂
Thanks
Sounds delicious. I’m making them tonight. Is the serving size 1 half pepper, or 2 halves so it’s one whole pepper? Thanks.
Yes Mary Ann, cut a whole pepper in half to result in two separate servings. If you go to my blog (healthylittlepeach.com) there are photos that will also help you understand my response. Thanks so much for the message of support.
Made this recipe tonight for dinner…. Served it with a cauliflower casserole. My family loved it and we all agreed that it was a “keeper “. I will definitely make it again.
Hi Joy! I’m so glad that you loved this recipe and will make again. Thanks so much.
I look forward to trying this but I’m confused about cook time. Is it:
– Preheat to 375°
– Add dish and bake for about 15-20 min
– Add cheese and bake for another 10 min. Bake longer if not tender yet?
– Broil for 2-3 min
If we follow the tip to bake the peppers ahead of time at 375F for 10 minutes before adding the buffalo chicken, can you clarify what the bake time is once you add the chicken?
Thank you!
You can choose to bake the peppers in the oven unstuffed for 10 minutes to get the peppers soft or you can do the quicker method of boiling the peppers first. Then you will stuff with the chicken mixture and add the cheese to the top and cover with foil and bake 20-25 minutes. Optional: Broil for 1-3 min or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.