Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers
These Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers are the perfect chicken appetizer or main dish. A buffalo chicken lover’s twist on a jalapeno popper, it includes buffalo chicken dip stuffed in an air fryer roasted pepper and topped with cheese until it’s bubbly.
Servings: 6
Calories: 331kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large Bell Peppers I prefer tri-colored, cut in half lengthwise with the seeds removed, leave the stem
Buffalo Chicken Filling
- 1 lb Chicken cooked and shredded, about 4 cups. I'm using air fryer boneless chicken thighs (click for the recipe)
- 3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix click for the recipe
- 4 oz Cream cheese onion and chive or plain, softened
- 1/2 cup Green onions save some of the green parts for garnish
- 1 cup Sharp white cheddar cheese shredded
Optional Toppings
- 1/4 cup Blue Cheese crumbles optional, for garnish
- Ranch Dressing optional, for garnish. Blue Cheese dressing also works
Instructions
Pre-roast the peppers in the Ninja Foodi
- Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. You can leave the stem for presentation and to give the peppers some support.
- Add the pepper halves to the Ninja Foodi wire rack. This makes it easier to remove the cooked peppers later.
- Air fry the pepper halves at 375 °F for 8 minutes.
- Carefully, lift the rack out with two tongs so that you can stuff the peppers. You can place the peppers on a cutting board to prepare to stuff them.
Make the filling
- While the peppers roast, make the filling: Add the cooked chicken, hot sauce, mayo, ranch seasoning, cream cheese and green onions to a bowl. Mix to incorporate.
Assemble the stuffed peppers
- Divide the chicken mixture between the pepper halves.
- Top the peppers with the cheese and place the peppers back on the wire rack.
- Air fry the stuffed peppers at 400 °F for 8-12 minutes. You want the cheese to brown and get bubbly. Please start checking for doneness (in terms of browned and bubbly) around the 8 minute mark.
- Add optional toppings: Top the peppers with blue cheese crumbles, the green parts from the green onions, ranch dressing drizzle and more hot sauce before serving.
Video
Notes
- Pick your chicken: leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or freshly cooked instant pot or air fryer chicken all work. I like using my air fryer boneless chicken thighs (preferred) or Instant Pot Shredded Chicken recipes for juicy results.
- Shred the chicken effortlessly: use a stand mixer with the dough hook, two forks, or meat claws to get tender, even shreds in seconds.
- Watch the cheese: start checking around 8 minutes for doneness during the last step. You're not cooking the stuffed peppers. You're just waiting for the cheese to get bubbly and golden.
- Extra flavor boost: sprinkle a little smoked paprika or garlic powder on the cheese before air frying for a deeper, savory finish.
- Keep it juicy: don’t overfill the peppers; a little space helps the filling heat evenly without spilling over.
Nutrition
Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 2197mg | Potassium: 524mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3149IU | Vitamin C: 107mg | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 1mg
