Stuffed peppers don’t have to be beefy and ponderous. This recipe, which fills red bells with a savory filling of cooked rice, ground chicken, grated carrot, onion, and corn, is rich, satisfying, and definitely un-heavy. Crumbled feta gives the filling lots of added flavor; a final sprinkling of the cheese gives them character. You’ll need cooked rice for this recipe—our Basic Steamed White Rice works beautifully. Serve these stuffed peppers with a simple Mixed Greens Salad.

For more, check out our Vegetarian Stuffed Red Bell Peppers and Stuffed Poblanos with Black Beans and Cheese.

  • Yield: 5 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 50 mins
  • Active: 20 mins

  • 5 large red bell peppers, as evenly sized as possible
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion, small dice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
  • 1 medium carrot, grated
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn
  • 5 ounces crumbled feta, plus more for topping
  • 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Use a paring knife to cut a wide circle around each bell pepper stem; remove and discard any seeds and membranes from the interior, being careful not to puncture or rip the peppers. Reserve the caps for some other use.
  3. Warm the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and sweat until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  4. Push the onion mixture to the side of the pan, reduce the heat to medium low, and add the ground chicken. Cook until the chicken is completely done. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the cooked rice, grated carrot, soy sauce, Worcestershire, and corn, stirring to combine, until the rice is hot. Remove from the heat and let cool about 10 minutes. Add the feta and parsley; stir to combine.
  5. Evenly divide the filling among the peppers, packing them full, and arranging them upright on the prepared baking sheet (make sure they stand up straight!). Sprinkle the tops with feta.
  6. Bake until the filling is heated through and the peppers are soft, 25 to 30 minutes.