Pesto Chicken Stuffed Sweet Peppers (Print version)

Mini sweet peppers filled with pesto chicken and melted mozzarella, baked until golden and bubbling for an easy crowd-pleasing appetizer.

# 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 (optional)
10 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, pesto, mozzarella, Parmesan, minced garlic, black pepper, and olive oil. Mix until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange 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 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 if using. Serve warm.

# Cooking tips:

01 -
  • They look stunning on a plate but take less than an hour from start to table, so you can actually enjoy your guests instead of panicking in the kitchen.
  • The pesto does all the heavy lifting flavor-wise while the mozzarella gets all bubbly and golden, making everyone think you spent way more effort than you did.
02 -
  • If your peppers release too much liquid while baking, the filling gets soggy and the whole thing falls apart—pat them dry after halving and removing seeds, and don't skip this step.
  • Don't overfill the peppers or the mixture will spill onto the sheet and burn at the edges; a gentle, generous spoonful in each is the sweet spot.
03 -
  • Use quality pesto or make your own if you have fresh basil—this is where the flavor actually lives, and it's worth not cutting corners.
  • Room-temperature chicken mixes into the filling more smoothly than cold chicken straight from the fridge, so plan a few minutes ahead.
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