Moroccan Chicken Stuffed Peppers, or any stuffed veggies, are one of my favorite meals. It's so fun to stuff a delicious filling mixture into veggies and bake or grill them. You get a whole meal in one package, and it's delicious, too. And bell peppers are the perfect stuffing vessel.
Moroccan Chicken Stuffed Peppers with Lean Ground Chicken
Lean ground chicken is a good low-fat way to get your protein. It's not only low in fat but so versatile. You can use it in place of ground beef in most recipes. If you follow here, you've probably noticed that I use lean ground poultry a lot for recipes that require ground meat. It's a good way to have a variety of proteins, and it's more suited to some dishes, like this one.
Bulgur Wheat: A Nutritious and Tasty Grain Alternative
I used a North African flavoured filling for these Moroccan chicken stuffed peppers, and also grated some zucchini to sneak in some more veggies. And, I used bulgur to keep with the Moroccan theme.
If you aren't familiar with bulgur wheat, it's whole grain wheat that has been cracked and partially cooked. You can learn more about bulgar at The Spruce, in this great article: What is Bulgur Wheat?
However, If you don't have bulgur, or are gluten-free, short grain brown rice also works just as well. The Moroccan flavours of mint, cinnamon, and cumin make the filling super flavourful. And it smells amazing, too. If you love them too and want to try more Moroccan inspired dishes, try Moroccan Chicken & Lentils, or Moroccan Sweet Potato Soup with Chickpeas
And if you are a fan of stuffed peppers, like me, check out these Spanish Stuffed Peppers with Farro and Salsa Verde. Or, for a vegetarian option, check out these Black Bean and Mushroom Stuffed Peppers.
Harissa Spice
Look for harissa spice in the spice section at the grocery store, or you can substitute cayenne or red chili flakes, instead. Subs are always good. It's how we learn to cook authentically. Recipes are wonderful, but never forget that they are really just guidelines.
Moroccan Chicken Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ lb lean ground chicken breast
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp harissa spice
- 2 cups cooked bulgur wheat
- 1 lemon, juice of
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 small zucchini grated
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 4 red bell peppers cut in half lengthwise, cored, and seeded
Instructions
- Cook bulgur according to your package directions. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil, and when hot add onion and garlic. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add ground chicken. Cook, breaking up with a spoon, for about until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in cinnamon, cumin, and harissa spice, stirring until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in bulgur, grated zucchini, mint, one cup of the chicken stock and lemon juice.
- Taste and add salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
- Fill each pepper half with the chicken mixture, mounding over the tops, and place in a shallow oven-safe baking dish or skillet.
- Pour the remaining one cup of chicken stock around the stuffed peppers, and cover with foil.
- Bake for one hour, then remove the foil and bake uncovered, a further 15 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Nutrition
I love stuffed veggies, but would you believe I've never tried stuffed peppers?! Thanks for the incredible introduction, Colleen! YUM!
Justine, you are very welcome! 🙂 These are worth trying!
This recipe is SO timely! I have 4 peppers in my fridge right now and was thinking I needed to make stuffed peppers! Looking forward to trying your recipe.
The flavours in these stuffed peppers loom phenomenal. This is a must try recipe for sure! You can't go wrong with Moroccan flavours!
Thanks Nicole. I agree, you can't go wrong with Moroccan flavours!
Your recipe for MOROCCAN STYLE GROUND CHICKEN STUFFED PEPPERS appeals to me so much, Colleen. Thank you for providing the gluten-free options as well. Your recipe is a great way to 'sneak' in veggies as you mentioned and fun to have the little pepper package for individual servings.
Thanks Denise! Stuffed peppers are a favourite at my house 🙂
I love this kind of meal! It's pretty healthy but also full of flavours and not boring at all. Yumm!
Hi Juventia, no, this dish is definitely not boring! Thanks for stopping by!
i have tried it today for my family lunch and it was so so delicious ,,,every one liked it a lot..the taste was so balanced 🙂
Hi Albert! I'm so glad you and your family liked it. And thanks so much for letting me know. I love hearing from you!
I have always wanted to make stuffed peppers, but have never got around to it. Sounds delicious with ground chicken!
Hey Cathleen, stuffed peppers are so easy and versatile! I hope you do make them. Thanks for stopping by!