Makes: 4 stuffed pepper halves | Total Time: about 40 minutes
This is the first stuffed peppers recipe on my site! (How?!) And omg, we love them. The goal was to kind of make them taste like buffalo chicken dip, but in stuffed pepper form. I use two big bell peppers in this recipe, cut them in half, then stuff them with a cheesy, slightly creamy buffalo chicken and cooked rice mixture. They’re pretty easy to make, and come together in about 45 minutes.
So the filling is made with rotisserie chicken to keep things easy, which is seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then cooked with a little butter and buffalo wing sauce for extra flavor. I also stir in some whipped cream cheese, ranch dressing, and cheddar cheese for even more flavor. Cooked rice adds substance and green onions finish the filling, then it all goes into the peppers and cooked until tender.
If you’re into a twist on stuffed peppers, this is totally it. They’re cheesy, a little spicy, and actually easy to make!
Ingredients
- 2 large Bell Peppers (any color)
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 1 1/2 cups Shredded Rotisserie Chicken
- 1/3 cup Buffalo Sauce (like Frank’s Red Hot), plus 1 teaspoon for topping
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked Black Pepper
- 1 cup Cooked Rice
- 2 tablespoons Whipped Cream Cheese
- 1/4 cup Ranch Dressing, divided
- 1/3 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar, plus more for topping
- 1/4 cup chopped Green Onions, plus more for topping
Ingredient Notes
Bell Peppers: I used a large yellow and red bell pepper for these! I like their subtle sweetness because it plays well with the spicy and richer flavor of the filling. Green peppers totally work, too. Or even poblano peppers! The smoky flavor of poblano pepper could be fun.
Rotisserie Chicken: It’s quick and easy, so I love it. You can use this recipe for shredded chicken if you’d rather use chicken breast! And if you go the rotisserie chicken route, you can use more of it in these Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps, Buffalo Chicken Sliders, Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas (I LOVE these), or Chicken Tostada Stacks.
Buffalo Sauce (Wing Sauce): Frank’s Red Hot Sauce is a pretty classic choice, but any buffalo wing sauce will work!
Whipped Cream Cheese: I use this in a lot of recipes to add just a little creaminess and richness. You can use an ounce of regular cream cheese, or just omit if if you’re not into it.
Ranch: This part is fun. You can use my viral small batch ranch recipe (it makes about 1/3 cup) for a fresh, herby ranch! But if you don’t feel like making that, use your favorite store-bought ranch OR go to your favorite sports bar and buy a couple of to-go ramekins of ranch. 😈
Sharp Cheddar Cheese: The flavor of sharp cheddar cheese is soooo good with Buffalo chicken. You can use mozzarella, Pepper Jack, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, or even blue cheese if you want! Get wild. Cheese is fun.
Green Onions: Don’t skip these. They add a pop of flavor that adds so much to these stuffed peppers. Use as much or as little as you want!
Directions:
Step One: Roast the Peppers (First Round). Preheat the oven to 425º F. The peppers roast by themselves to start, then with the filling. Cut the peppers in half from top to bottom, through the stem. Remove the stem, seeds, and membranes from inside the pepper halves. Lay the peppers, cut side up, into a baking dish (I used the small size [4″x8″] from this set). Drizzle the olive oil over the peppers, then sprinkle all over with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes while you prep the filling.
Step Two: Make the Filling. While the peppers are in the oven, melt the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, remaining salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir to coat the chicken in the sauce, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir in the cooked rice, whipped cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of the ranch dressing, shredded cheddar cheese, and green onions until everything is evenly combined.
Step Three: Stuff the Peppers. Carefully remove the peppers from the oven, and divide the filling evenly among them. Gently press the filling in to fill any crevices at the bottom. Sprinkle extra shredded cheddar over the tops.
Step Four: Bake the Peppers (Final Round). Pop the peppers back into the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Step Five: Serve! Stir the remaining ranch with a few dashes of buffalo sauce (I used 2 tablespoons ranch and 1 teaspoon buffalo sauce). Drizzle over the peppers, then sprinkle more green onions on top. Serve warm!
Flavor Journal Notes ✍️
- 🫑 Don’t skip seasoning and baking the peppers first. This adds flavor and softens them just enough so they’re perfect after the bake a second time with the filling. If you skip this step, they’ll still be pretty crunchy when it’s time to eat.
- Adjust the Buffalo Sauce Level. Mark and I are like really, really into buffalo-flavored things, and I really expect to taste it whenever I make a recipe with “Buffalo” in the title. So you’ll taste it in these. If you’re not a huge fan, reduce the amount to 1/4 cup!
- Why I use Whipped Cream Cheese. It’s lighter and fluffier than a block of cream cheese, so it melts faster into whatever I’m cooking. Use it in Shredded Chicken Enchiladas, Turkey Zucchini Cheddar Burgers, Creamed Spinach, Chicken Alfredo, and even Chicken Enchilada Soup.
- Green Onions Make a Difference! They add a bright pop of flavor that balances the richness of the filling, and just brings everything together.
- The Ranch + Buffalo Drizzle is Awesome. The ranch alone can kind of take over, but when you mix it with a little buffalo sauce, it re-emphasizes the buffalo flavor inside the peppers!
Make it Yours!
- Swap the rice. Use white rice, Jasmine rice, or even cauliflower rice if you’re going low carb.
- Swap the Cheese. Any Jack cheese (Pepper, Colby, Monterey) or mozzarella would be great. Even a smoky cheddar or spicy cheddar!
- Like Blue Cheese? Use It! Add 1/4 cup or so of blue cheese crumbles OR blue cheese dressing to the buffalo chicken filling.
- Make these “Spicy BBQ”. Want to make a spicy BBQ version? Use 3 tablespoons Buffalo sauce and 3 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ sauce!
- Use Leftover Chicken. Any lightly seasoned leftover chicken is great in these. Chicken breast or chicken thighs work, just shred it or chop it into small pieces.
By the way, if you’re into small batch recipes, sign up for my newsletter! I share fun, fresh small batch recipes with you every single week!
How to Store Leftovers
To Store: Store leftover stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To Reheat: Microwave until warmed through, or cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes. I recommend adding the buffalo ranch drizzle after reheating for the freshest flavor.
These also freeze well! Wrap each stuffed pepper individually in parchment paper then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
If you love buffalo chicken dip or just want a fun twist on stuffed peppers, this recipe is totally for you. 😉 If you want to check out a few more small batch buffalo chicken recipes, here are some of our faves:
More Small Batch Buffalo Chicken Recipes:
If you make these Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to rate the recipe! It helps other readers find it, and I always love hearing how you made it your own. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you share pics there, too!
xx Sara
Easy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers (For 2)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large Bell Peppers I used orange and red
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt divided
- 1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Rotisserie Chicken
- 1/3 cup Buffalo Sauce like Frank's Red Hot
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked Black Pepper
- 1 cup Cooked Rice
- 2 tablespoons Whipped Cream Cheese
- 1/4 cup Ranch Dressing divided
- 1/3 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese plus more for topping
- 1/4 cup chopped Green Onions plus more for topping
Instructions
- Roast the Peppers (First Round). Preheat the oven to 425º F. The peppers roast by themselves to start, then with the filling. Cut the peppers in half from top to bottom, through the stem. Remove the stem, seeds, and membranes from inside the pepper halves. Lay the peppers, cut side up, into a baking dish (I used the 4"x8" dish from this set). Drizzle the olive oil over the peppers, then sprinkle all over with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes while you prep the filling.
- Make the Filling. While the peppers are in the oven, melt the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, remaining salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Stir to coat the chicken in the sauce, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir in the cooked rice, whipped cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of the ranch dressing, shredded cheddar cheese, and green onions until everything is evenly combined.
- Stuff the Peppers. Carefully remove the peppers from the oven, and divide the filling evenly among them. Gently press the filling in to fill any crevices at the bottom. Sprinkle extra shredded cheddar over the tops.
- Bake the Peppers (Final Round). Pop the peppers back into the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Serve! Stir the remaining ranch with a few dashes of buffalo sauce (I used 2 tablespoons ranch and 1 teaspoon buffalo sauce). Drizzle over the peppers, then sprinkle more green onions on top. Serve warm!
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Make sure to follow on Pinterest @aflavorjournal and on Instagram @aflavorjournal
Get More from A Flavor Journal!
Don’t forget to connect with me on social media where I share all of my small batch recipes!