Ingredients
— The Peppers —
4 large bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow are sweetest)
1 cup water (for the baking dish)
— The Filling —
1 lb (450g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into small cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked white or brown rice
1 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks (drained well)
¾ cup Teriyaki sauce (store-bought or homemade), divided
1 ½ cups shredded Mozzarella or Provolone cheese
— Garnish —
Sliced green onions
Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
1. **Preheat:** Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. **Prep Peppers:** Slice the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and white membranes. If they don’t stand up straight, very slightly trim the bottoms (be careful not to cut a hole). Place peppers upright in the baking dish.
3. **Cook Chicken:** Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken and onion. Cook for 5–7 minutes until the chicken is browned and cooked through.
4. **Sauce It:** Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in ½ cup of the teriyaki sauce (reserve the rest for topping). Stir to coat the chicken and let it bubble for 1 minute to thicken slightly.
5. **Mix Filling:** Reduce heat to low. Stir in the cooked rice and pineapple chunks. Toss until everything is evenly combined and coated in the sauce. Remove from heat.
6. **Stuff:** Spoon the chicken and rice mixture generously into each bell pepper, packing it down gently.
7. **Bake:** Pour the 1 cup of water into the bottom of the baking dish (around the peppers, not inside them). This creates steam to soften the peppers. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. **Cheese & Finish:** Remove the foil. Drizzle the remaining ¼ cup teriyaki sauce over the filling. Top each pepper with a generous mound of shredded cheese.
10. Return to the oven (uncovered) and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until the peppers are tender-crisp and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
11. **Serve:** Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds before serving.
Notes
Pepper Texture: Covering with foil and adding water to the dish creates steam, which helps cook the thick peppers. If you like your peppers very soft, par-boil them in water for 5 minutes before stuffing.
Rice: This is a great way to use up leftover cold rice. If using fresh rice, make sure it isn’t too wet or the filling will be mushy.
Pineapple: If using canned pineapple, drain it very well so the extra juice doesn’t water down the teriyaki sauce.
Meal Prep: You can assemble the stuffed peppers a day in advance, keep them in the fridge, and bake them when you’re ready to eat (add 10-15 minutes to the baking time).
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion
- Diet: Gluten Free