This Hasselback Fajita Stuffed Chicken recipe is filled with bell peppers, taco seasoning and Tex Mex cheese – it’s a healthy dinner idea!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken breasts – boneless skinless chicken breasts are best for Hasselback recipes. I highly recommend sticking with chicken breasts, since thighs would be hard to stuff.
- Olive oil – sub out olive oil for any neutral oil such as grapeseed oil or avocado oil.
- Fajita seasoning – you can use homemade fajita seasoning or substitute taco seasoning.
- Red, yellow and green pepper – use all or only one of each bell pepper colour.
- Red onion – you can use white or yellow onion in a pinch.
- Shredded cheese – I use a Tex Mex shredded cheese blend but feel free to use your favourite shredded cheese instead.
- Cilantro – leave this out altogether if you don’t like cilantro.
- Salsa and sour cream – for serving.
Roasted sweet potatoes
- Olive oil – see substitution notes above.
- Sweet potatoes – use russet potatoes or any type of mini potatoes to replace sweet potatoes.
- Chili powder – paprika, crushed chili flakes or cayenne pepper are good substitutes here.
- Paprika – chili powder, cayenne or a Cajun spice blend would all work.
- Garlic powder – garlic salt is a great alternative to garlic powder.
- Salt – to taste.
How to make stuffed chicken
- Roast the sweet potatoes.
- Cut and stuff the chicken breasts.
- Cook or grill the chicken.
- Top with cheese and cook until melted.
- Serve with the sweet potatoes and enjoy!
More side dish ideas
This Tex Mex inspired chicken goes with just about any side dish! If you're looking for some side dish inspiration, try one or all of these options:
- Homemade fries (with russet potatoes or sweet potatoes)
- A side salad made of greens with a vinaigrette dressing
- Roasted/steamed veggies of choice
- Avocado salad
- Pico de gallo, guacamole, or sour cream
- Refried beans
Frequently Asked Questions
Hasselback is a cooking method that was traditionally used on potatoes but is now used on so many different meats and veggies – especially chicken! This cooking technique is the act of creating deep slits into chicken without cutting all the way through. Basically, creating many layers that can be stuffed! The purpose of these slits is to create visual interest and to add additional flavour.
I find the Hasselback method is the easiest way to stuff chicken. Since you’re making slits in the chicken instead of opening it like an envelope, you don’t have to worry about the chicken coming apart and all the toppings falling out.
This stuffed chicken is ready in a flash. You only need to cook it for 15 minutes before topping with the cheese, then bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Storing and reheating
Any leftover chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. To store, transfer the chicken to a glass meal prep container and allow it to cook down to room temperature before refrigerating.
To reheat the chicken, place it in an oven for 10-15 minutes at 450° Fahrenheit. If you're in a rush, you can pop it into the microwave for 1-2 minutes. When reheating, I recommend sprinkling some water over top before reheating to prevent the chicken from drying out.
Freezing stuffed chicken
Hasselback stuffed chicken is a great dish to make in advance and store in the freezer! It’s super versatile and you can freeze it either raw or cooked.
To freeze raw or cooked chicken, make sure to wrap the chicken tight with plastic wrap to keep the toppings in place and then place it into a meal prep container or freezer bag. Cook raw chicken using the instructions provided in the recipe card or reheat the thawed cooked chicken using the reheating instructions above!
Note: For this specific recipe, you may not want to freeze any leftovers. Bell peppers lose a lot of their texture after they've been frozen so it may be best to only freeze the chicken prior to being stuffed.
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More hasselback chicken recipes
- Pizza Stuffed Hasselback Chicken
- Hasselback Baked Caprese Chicken
- Hasselback Jalapeno Popper Chicken
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- In need of some new grilling gear? I love this BBQ tool set!
- Don't have an outdoor grill? Try this smokeless indoor grill.
- This is my favourite fajita seasoning.
- And of course, I buy all my grass-fed poultry from Butcher Box.
Hasselback Fajita Stuffed Chicken {BBQ + Oven}
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp fajita or taco seasoning
- 1/2 each red, yellow and green pepper, very thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I use the pre-shredded tex mex kind)
- Cilantro (optional for garnish)
- Salsa and sour cream (for serving)
Roasted sweet potatoes (optional side)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss sweet potatoes in olive oil and spices in a medium-sized ovensafe dish. Roast in oven for 25-30 min until tender.
- Preheat BBQ to med-high, or preheat oven to 450 F. Meanwhile, make horizontal cuts across each chicken breast (see video if you're unsure how!) Rub chicken with olive oil and taco seasoning. Add bell peppers and red onions to each cut, then put each breast on the grill or in the oven.
- Cook chicken for 15 min. Remove and top with cheese, then grill or bake another 5 min until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and serve alongside sweet potatoes, topping with optional cilantro, salsa and sour cream. Enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
RoxAnn says
This looks so good! My plan for tonight is this. I am one for spiced up foods, girlfriend, not so much. But I believe with lite seasonings spread gently, will make both of us happy and tastebuds content. I can hardly wait!
Taylor Stinson says
Yay!!! So happy to hear that RoxAnn – this one is one of my favourites! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Diane Clark says
Made the Hassleback chicken tonight. Came out great. We really enjoyed it. Very tasty
Taylor Stinson says
YAY! So happy to hear that Diane! Thanks for sharing with me 🙂
Michael McCormic says
Just made this tonight! Fantastic meal! It took a little longer cutting the veggies and stuffing the chicken breasts. I had no problems cooking the chicken as directed, just make sure your grill is around 475 F and that seemed to work fine for me. Also, I asked my person at the meat counter at grocery store for medium sized chicken breasts. Stay away from anything frozen. (Chicken or veggies)
Make sure you make deep enough cuts or you won’t get enough space to stuff.
If you want more of a kick use a hot taco seasoning or your own seasoning on the chicken. Not sure why this has such a low rating, but 5 stars for me and it’s a KEEPER!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy to hear this Michael!!!! I definitely think there must be some variation in appliances – I know my BBQ gets super hot and you’re right about the cuts needing to be relatively deep for the breasts to cook perfectly as well. I’m so glad you made it and loved it 🙂
Ron Austin says
Looks like a great meal and a fun site you have. TexMex forever, hint hint.
Jeanette says
This recipe looked AMAZING so I picked up the peppers and put it all together for Dinner tonight. I loved the concept and the flavors were perfect. The only issue I had was that the Chicken wasn’t cooking all the way through by just cooking it on side so I took it off the grill and put it under the broiler for a few minutes and then topped them with cheese. Next time (and there will be a next time) I will grill them for 10 minutes on the grill, transfer them to the oven for 5 minutes and then finish with the cheese for a minute or two. Thank you for a great Dinner!
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Jeanette! Thanks so much for the feedback and for your recipe suggestions! Maybe I will have to go back and re-test these! I found they cooked all the way through for me without burning but maybe I just made deeper cuts. Continuing to cook them under the broiler sounds like the perfect solution!
Stephanie says
Silly question? Do you cook them cut side down first? And then flip and add the cheese? Looks amazing – thank you!
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Stephanie! Not silly at all 🙂 I cook them cut side up the whole time – because they are cut open like that they cook faster and evenly without needing to flip. Once it’s been grilled, add cheese!
Kerry Gorczynski says
I had this same question – I was concerned it would burn on the bottom for 15 minutes. Looks amazing, and I think my kids would like it too!
Taylor Stinson says
Thanks so much Kerry! 🙂 If you keep it on medium-high heat it should be fine! I had no issues with burning but I know with BBQs you have to watch how high the heat gets! Let me know if you try it!
Mandy says
Where do you use the chili powder on the chicken?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Mandy! I just rub the chili powder/taco seasoning over the chicken with some olive oil before putting in the peppers/onions and before putting them on the grill! I notice I added chili powder in the ingredient list a second time by accident – I have removed that from the recipe and updated it 🙂
Silvano says
Can I put them in the oven if I don’t have a grill?
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Silvano! Yes you can – I would just to care to make sure they are fully cooked. If you’re doing them in the oven, cook them at 425 F for 20-25 min and then put the cheese on top and bake for another 5 min!
Hayley Dawn says
Tonights dinner is now planned! This looks so great!
Carmy says
This looks delicious! #getinmybelly 😀