Want a fun and colorful one pan chicken dish for dinner tonight, that’s also delicious? This cheesy pepper chicken is the perfect dish and requires only 5 ingredients (3 of the 5 are in the name)!
This cheesy pepper chicken is a weeknight go-to for my husband and I. It requires minimal ingredients and comes together quickly. I am always looking for ways to get more vegetables into our diets and this one is packed with bell peppers.
Prep
First thing I do is sit out the cream cheese to allow it to soften while I prepare the other ingredients, you only need 4 ounces set aside in a bowl. We typically have mini bell peppers on hand at our house, they’re good for a snack for us and bonus, our dog Marshall loves to eat them! So I removed the tops and seeds of about 8 mini bell peppers, then sliced them. I typically slice our chicken breasts in half, they cook faster this way and it is a better portion size for us. I used 3 chicken breasts and cut them in half. You can also buy chicken breasts already sliced thin if you want to skip this step. Lastly, shred about 4 ounces of cheese (your preference). This time we used Colby jack, but we’ve also used sharp/mild cheddar and pepper jack and it’s great every time.
Cheesy Pepper Chicken
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Add a little olive oil to a 9×13 dish and then evenly spread the sliced peppers over the surface. Lay the chicken breasts over the peppers. I usually wait to season my chicken until it is in the dish so that way any of the extra seasoning that falls off stays in the dish and mixes in with the peppers. So at this point, I evenly coat the chicken with salt, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. Make sure to flip it over and season both sides. Then take the bowl of softened cream cheese and mix in 1/4 cup of salsa (your preference), we used our homemade salsa this time and it was so good. You can find the link to my fresh mango salsa recipe here. Cover the chicken with the cream cheese mixture and then top with the shredded cheese. It is now ready to go in the oven for about 30-45 minutes. It really is that simple to make this cheesy pepper chicken!
Serve
This cheesy pepper chicken is ready to serve hot out of the oven. We usually make jasmine rice as a side and serve the chicken over a bed of rice. This rice is so easy and quick to make in the instant pot, follow this recipe for perfect rice every time! You could also make some pasta as a side, or add even more veggies with a side salad. There are so many ways to enjoy this dish.
Leftovers
Cheesy pepper chicken leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days for you and your family to enjoy. I know my husband and I love leftover cheesy pepper chicken for lunch the next day.
Cheesy Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts
- 8 mini bell peppers sliced
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces colby jack cheese* shredded
- 1/4 cup salsa* fresh mango salsa
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Set aside 4 ounces of cream cheese to soften while you prepare other ingredients.
- Remove the tops and seeds from bell peppers, then slice peppers.
- Place 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in 9×13 dish, then spread the sliced peppers over the dish.
- Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise, or use 6 already thinly sliced chicken breasts, and place those on top of the peppers.
- Mix all the seasonings together and coat both sides of the chicken evenly.
- Mix together salsa with cream cheese and cover the top of the chicken with an even coating of the mixture.
- Lastly, top with the shredded cheese and place in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Serve immediately with a side salad or over a bed of rice.
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