5 from 1 vote

Spicy Pepper Chicken

This Spicy Pepper Chicken is a hearty and tasty one-pot meal that the whole family will love. It’s made with tender chicken breasts, bell pepper and serrano pepper baked together in a spicy, flavorful tomato sauce. 

Spicy pepper chicken in a white casserole dish.


Add some heat to your dinner plate tonight with this Spicy Pepper Chicken recipe. 

I wasn’t sure what to call this recipe at first. Chicken fiesta? Mexican chicken? I settled on Spicy Pepper Chicken because that’s exactly what it is. It’s chicken baked with four different types of peppers in a spicy sauce.

And if that didn’t sound delicious enough, this recipe is so good for you too! I mean, you can’t go wrong with a ton of veggies, lean protein, and spices. 

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    The chicken bakes in the perfectly spiced sauce to really give the flavors time to infuse into the meat. And the results are incredible!

    Why You’ll Love this Spicy Pepper Chicken

    • One pot recipe
    • Protein and veggies
    • So much flavor
    Spicy pepper chicken in a white casserole dish.

    Ingredients

    The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

    • Chicken: You’ll need 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Alternatively, if you prefer chicken thighs, feel free to use those instead. Keep in mind that their cook time may be different.
    • Chili Powder and Salt: A simple seasoning duo to spice up the chicken before cooking.
    • Peppers: Our pepper blend consists of yellow pepper, red pepper, green pepper, and Serrano pepper for that spicy kick.
    • Onion: I use yellow onion for this recipe.
    • Tomato: We’re creating our tomato sauce with a can of diced tomatoes with juice and a little bit of tomato paste for flavor depth.
    • Green Chilies: A can of chopped green chilies adds another layer of spicy flavor.
    • Salsa: Mild, medium, or hot will work depending on your spice preferences.
    • Garlic: I recommend mincing fresh garlic for the best flavor.
    • Cumin: Adds a subtle earthy flavor to the sauce.
    • Green Onions: For garnish!

    How to Make Spicy Pepper Chicken

    This one pan chicken dinner takes just 10 minutes to prep before it goes in the oven!

    • Step One: Place the chicken breasts into a casserole dish, then season them all over with chili powder and salt.
    • Step Two: Add the onion and pepper into the baking dish and spread them evenly all over the chicken.
    • Step Three: In a mixing bowl, mix together the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste,
    • green chilies, salsa, garlic, and cumin. Pour that mixture over the chicken breasts.
    • Step Four: Cover the baking dish with foil, then bake at 375ºF for 1 hour or until the internal temperature is 165ºF. Serve topped with extra sauce and green onions.
    Spicy pepper chicken on a bed of rice.

    Equipment Needed

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    What to Serve with Spicy Pepper Chicken

    This delicious dinner is loaded with healthy veggies and lean protein. You can serve it on its own or round out your meal with a carb-y side dish. Here are a few ideas:

    Recipe Tips and Tricks

    • Chop using gloves. I very highly recommend using kitchen gloves when you chop the Serrano peppers. They are HOT!
    • If you’re using your bare hands, do not touch your skin or eyes after chopping the peppers. Wash your hands very thoroughly immediately after and proceed with caution. You may want to wash your hands a couple of times to be safe.
    • Cover the baking dish. Loosely covering the dish with foil as the chicken bakes helps prevent it from burning on the top.
    • Check the temperature. To make sure your chicken is done, I recommend using a meat thermometer to make sure it has reached an internal temperature of 165ºF. I do this at the one hour mark, then add time as needed.

    Variations and Substitutions

    • Make it cheesy. This would be delicious topped with a layer of shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese!
    • Lower the spice level. Simply skip the Serrano peppers!
    • Use your slow cooker. Want to make this into a crockpot meal? Simply prepare it the exact same way, but cook in the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.
    Spicy pepper chicken on a bed of rice.

    Storage Instructions

    Leftover spicy pepper chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. 

    To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen, then warm either in a covered dish in the oven or on low on the stove until the chicken is heated through.

    Is It Better to Cook Chicken at 375ºF or 400ºF?

    I prefer to cook the chicken at 375ºF for this recipe. It’s the perfect temperature for heating the sauce and the chicken all the way through without over-cooking it! 

    How Long is Chicken Supposed to Bake?

    I bake the chicken breast in the sauce starting at 1 hour. From there, I like to check the internal temperature, then add time only until it reaches 165ºF!

    More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love

    Follow me on Instagram @simplystacieblog, Facebook at Simply Stacie, TikTok @simplystacierecipes or Pinterest at @simplystacie and let me know how you liked this recipe and my other recipes.

    5 from 1 vote

    Spicy Pepper Chicken

    Created by Stacie Vaughan
    Servings 4
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour
    Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
    Add some heat to your plate tonight! This healthy baked chicken dish is covered in 4 types of peppers for some serious spice.

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
    • 2 tsp chili powder
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • 1 yellow pepper chopped
    • 1 red pepper chopped
    • 1 green pepper chopped
    • 1 Serrano pepper chopped
    • 1 yellow onion chopped
    • 1 can diced tomatoes with juice 28oz can
    • 1 can tomato paste 156ml/6oz can
    • 1 can chopped green chilies 127ml/4oz can
    • ½ cup salsa
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • 2 green onions chopped, for garnish, (optional)

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375°F. Place chicken breasts in a casserole dish.
    • Mix together chili powder and salt and sprinkle over top of chicken breasts.
    • Spread onions and peppers over the chicken breasts.
    • In a medium sized bowl, mix together diced tomatoes, tomato paste, green chilies, salsa, garlic and cumin. Pour over the chicken breasts.
    • Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and stir and check chicken for doneness with a meat thermometer. Cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes, if needed.
    • To serve, spoon extra sauce over top of chicken. Top with green onions, if desired.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 804mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 24g

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Course Main Dishes
    Cuisine American
    Keyword chicken, chicken breasts

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    19 Comments

    1. Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says:

      That chicken sounds awesome.  We love meals like this in our house, so I will definitely be trying this.

    2. This recipe looks amazing! Makes me want to eat this meal right off the computer screen. I will have to add this to our menu planning next month.

    3. We eat a lot of chicken at our house and I’m always looking for different ways to cook it! My husband would love this recipe – especially the spicy factor! 

    4. Yummy! I’m starting to love spicy foods as I get older! This looks like something my husband would love, too!

    5. Loving it, all the peppers make this very special!

    6. Elizabeth Matthiesen says:

      This looks delicious, your photos are top notch Stacie. I’m afraid that because it’s spicy it’s not for me but I bet my sons would love this 🙂

    7. Congrats. They couldn’t have chosen a better ambassador, your food is amazing and I look forward to more chicken posts. My family LOVES chicken! This looks amazing!

    8. this looks totally delic. i can almost taste it. lol. those peppers remind me of my granny. she used to cook with them all the time. 

    9. Oh this sounds delicious. I’d love to start making more healthy chicken recipes like this.

    10. This looks great. My husband loves spicy stuff. I’ll have to make it and see if he likes it. 

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