Description
Mediterranean Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers are a flavorful and healthy dish featuring sweet bell peppers filled with a savory mixture of sautéed chicken, grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, cauliflower rice, and spinach, baked to tender perfection. This recipe blends vibrant Mediterranean herbs and ingredients for a satisfying low-carb meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 3 sweet peppers, halved
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1 cup cauliflower rice
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 6 oz marinated artichoke hearts and liquid (1/2 jar)
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
Protein
- 1 cup cooked diced chicken
Oils & Herbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the stuffed peppers later.
- Microwave Peppers: Microwave the halved sweet peppers for 4 minutes to soften them and make stuffing easier.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat, then add crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Tomatoes and Herbs: Add quartered grape tomatoes, dried oregano, and dried basil to the pan, cooking for an additional minute to blend flavors.
- Add Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Incorporate marinated artichoke hearts (with half the liquid) and chopped sun-dried tomatoes, allowing the mixture to simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Add Chicken and Cauliflower Rice: Fold in the cooked diced chicken and cauliflower rice, continuing to simmer for 1 minute. Season the mixture with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add Spinach: Stir in the chopped spinach and cook until wilted. Remove the mixture from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Prepare Peppers for Stuffing: Place the microwaved pepper halves in a large baking dish, ready for stuffing.
- Stuff Peppers: Once the chicken mixture has cooled enough to handle, stuff each pepper half generously with the filling. Some filling may remain depending on pepper size.
- Bake Stuffed Peppers: Lightly spray the baking dish with cooking spray, arrange the stuffed peppers inside, and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the peppers become tender.
- Serve: Serve the Mediterranean Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers as they are, or over a bed of rice or cauliflower rice for a complete meal.
- Note: Use half the jar of marinated artichoke hearts along with half of the liquid for optimal flavor balance. Doubling the recipe can result in an excessively large portion for most servings.
Notes
- Microwaving the peppers before baking helps to soften them and shortens overall cook time.
- Using half the jar of marinated artichoke hearts along with half the liquid ensures better flavor and texture balance.
- If desired, the stuffed peppers can be served over rice or additional cauliflower rice for a heartier meal.
- Season filling to taste, adjusting salt and pepper as needed.
- Leftover filling can be refrigerated and used as a topping for salads or in wraps.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Mediterranean chicken, stuffed bell peppers, low carb dinner, healthy stuffed peppers, chicken and vegetables, easy baked peppers
