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.
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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!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Megan strawbridge says
any recommendations on making a freezer meal with this? im prepping for my BF thats having a baby.
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Megan – I wouldn’t recommend that you freeze this recipe unfortunately. It’s best enjoyed fresh or re-heated after refrigerating.
Diana says
Can you bake the chicken instead and if so what temp and for how long
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Diana – I would recommend trying 25-30 min in a 400F oven. That should work!
Andy says
I set my 22″ kettle grill up for indirect heat with a chunk of mesquite wood for a bit of smoke flavor. Maintained the temp at 350. Cook time took around 25 minutes plus 5 minutes to melt the cheese. For those of you cooking this or anything on the grill, buy a thermapen. They arent expensive and will show you temps in a few seconds. cook your poultry to a minimum of 165 at the thickest part of the meat.
Rebecca says
Hello! What is the recipe for the chipotle mayo?! I cannot wait to try this, this week!!! Thank you
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Rebecca – it’s just store bought, no recipe 🙂
Ginger Ducharme says
Where can I find the nutritional data for this recipe?
It seems Keto friendly, want to be sure!
Thanks!!
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Ginger – unfortunately I don’t provide nutritional info on my older recipes because there are hundreds of them and I just don’t have the man power to go through my archives while creating new recipes. You can look up the nutritional info on an app like MyFitnessPal or Livestrong – I think it is keto-friendly if that’s helpful!
Paula says
Excellent recipe! Made it exactly as instructed. It was better than you could get at a restaurant. Make sure your chicken breast are plump, it will help with stuffing the slits. I bought organic chicken breast from Costco! Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Crysta says
Do you have the nutritional info on this recipe?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Crysta! Unfortunately on recipes before the fall of 2017, I didn’t provide nutritional value and I just don’t have time to go and update these older recipes. You can calculate the nutritional info using an app/website like My Fitness Pal or Livestrong by typing in the ingredients. Hope that helps!
Cyndi says
I can’t wait to make this. All the flavors I love together packed into a chicken breast and grilled on the BBQ. Looks so yummy. As soon as spring arrives here in Canada it is the first recipe I will try. Thanks for a great recipe.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy to hear that Cyndi, thank you! I know, I can’t WAIT for the warm weather to finally start!!!
Jessica Evans says
I had issues with the chicken not cooking all the way, so the last time I made this I just coated the chicken with the olive oil and taco seasoning and then put the vegetables in a grill basket and added olive oil and taco seasoning to those and just cooking them on the grill next to the kitchen. Loved this!
Taylor Stinson says
That’s a great idea Jessica! So glad you liked it!
Mary says
Love love love this recipe! I’m actually going to use it for my weekly meal prep for my partner and I. Out of curiosity. Can I grill these ahead of time and store them in the freezer?