Remember stuffed peppers? Yeah, we’re about to completely reinvent them and blow your mind in the process. These aren’t your grandma’s boring stuffed peppers filled with plain ground beef and rice. We’re talking vibrant bell peppers stuffed with tender chicken, fluffy rice, sweet pineapple chunks, and all of it swimming in a sticky, glossy teriyaki sauce that’s equal parts sweet, savory, and absolutely addictive. It’s like Hawaiian pizza and Chinese takeout had a baby, and that baby grew up to be the most delicious stuffed pepper you’ve ever encountered. The sweet pineapple plays perfectly against the savory teriyaki, while the bell peppers add this amazing fresh crunch that keeps every bite interesting. Fair warning: these are so good you might find yourself making them on repeat just to have that tropical flavor escape in your own kitchen.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s like a vacation for your taste buds — tropical vibes right at your dinner table
- Way more exciting than traditional stuffed peppers but just as easy
- The sweet-savory combo hits all the right flavor notes
- Perfect for meal prep — they reheat beautifully
- Kid-friendly but sophisticated enough to impress guests
- One dish that feels like a complete restaurant meal
- You can prep them ahead and just pop in the oven when ready
- The teriyaki glaze makes everything look Instagram-worthy
The Good Stuff You’ll Need
For the Peppers:
- 6 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange work best — they’re sweeter)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
For the Filling:
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, diced small
- 1 1/2 cups cooked jasmine rice (day-old works great)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, diced (or canned, drained)
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 green onions, chopped (keep white and green parts separate)
For the Teriyaki Sauce:
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
For Topping:
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- Extra green onions for garnish
- Cilantro leaves (optional but amazing)
Let’s Do This
Step 1: Prep Those Beautiful Peppers
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove seeds and membranes (save the tops — they make cute little lids).
If your peppers won’t stand upright, trim a tiny slice off the bottom to level them out.
Brush peppers inside and out with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Stand them in a baking dish and set aside.
Step 2: Make That Liquid Gold Teriyaki Sauce
In a small saucepan, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, and ginger.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl to make a slurry, then whisk it into the sauce.
Simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened and glossy. Add red pepper flakes if using.
Remove from heat and set aside. This sauce is about to make everything amazing.
Step 3: Cook That Chicken
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Season diced chicken with salt and pepper, then add to the hot skillet.
Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is golden and cooked through.
Remove chicken and set aside.
Step 4: Veggie Situation
In the same skillet, add diced onion and carrots. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened.
Add minced garlic, ginger, and white parts of green onions. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add frozen peas and cook for another 2 minutes until heated through.
Step 5: The Grand Mix
Return cooked chicken to the skillet with vegetables.
Add cooked rice, diced pineapple, and about 3/4 of your teriyaki sauce.
Stir everything together until well coated and heated through.
Taste and adjust seasoning — more sauce? More salt? This is your moment.
Step 6: Stuff Those Peppers
Spoon the chicken and rice mixture into each pepper, packing it down gently but not too tight.
Top each pepper with shredded cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil.
Step 7: Bake to Perfection
Bake covered for 35-40 minutes until peppers are tender but still have some structure.
Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly golden.
Brush with remaining teriyaki sauce during the last 5 minutes for extra glaze.
Step 8: The Beautiful Finish
Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds, green onion tops, and cilantro if using.
Serve with any remaining teriyaki sauce on the side for drizzling.
Serving Suggestions
These are pretty complete on their own, but a simple cucumber salad adds nice freshness.
Serve with steamed edamame or snap peas for extra Asian-inspired vibes.
A glass of white wine or even a light beer complements the sweet-savory flavors.
Some pickled vegetables on the side cut through the richness beautifully.
Switch It Up
Ground Chicken Version: Use ground chicken instead of diced — just brown it and break it up like you would ground beef.
Vegetarian Twist: Skip the chicken and add extra vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, and water chestnuts for crunch.
Spicy Kick: Add diced jalapeños to the filling or sriracha to the teriyaki sauce.
Different Fruit: Try diced mango or mandarin orange segments instead of pineapple.
Protein Swap: Ground turkey or even shrimp work beautifully here.
Coconut Rice: Use coconut milk in your rice for extra tropical flavor.
Make-Ahead Tips
You can stuff the peppers completely and refrigerate for up to a day before baking.
The teriyaki sauce keeps for a week in the fridge and is amazing on everything.
Cook your rice the day before — day-old rice actually works better for this.
The chicken and vegetable mixture can be made ahead and just stuffed into peppers when ready.
Questions People Actually Ask
Q: Can I use different colored peppers? A: Absolutely! Red, yellow, and orange are sweetest, but green works too (just a bit more bitter).
Q: What if I can’t find fresh pineapple? A: Canned pineapple chunks work great — just drain them well before using.
Q: Can I make this without cheese? A: Sure! It’s delicious without cheese, or you can sprinkle some chopped nuts on top for texture.
Q: How do I know when the peppers are done? A: They should be tender when pierced with a fork but still hold their shape.
Q: Can I freeze these? A: Yes! Freeze after stuffing but before baking. Thaw overnight and bake as directed, adding 10-15 minutes.
Q: What if my peppers are too tall for my baking dish? A: You can slice a bit off the bottom to make them shorter, or use a deeper dish.
Print
Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken and Rice Stuffed Peppers
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
Remember stuffed peppers? Yeah, we’re about to completely reinvent them and blow your mind in the process. These aren’t your grandma’s boring stuffed peppers filled with plain ground beef and rice. We’re talking vibrant bell peppers stuffed with tender chicken, fluffy rice, sweet pineapple chunks, and all of it swimming in a sticky, glossy teriyaki sauce that’s equal parts sweet, savory, and absolutely addictive. It’s like Hawaiian pizza and Chinese takeout had a baby, and that baby grew up to be the most delicious stuffed pepper you’ve ever encountered. The sweet pineapple plays perfectly against the savory teriyaki, while the bell peppers add this amazing fresh crunch that keeps every bite interesting. Fair warning: these are so good you might find yourself making them on repeat just to have that tropical flavor escape in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
For the Peppers:
- 6 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange work best — they’re sweeter)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
For the Filling:
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, diced small
- 1 1/2 cups cooked jasmine rice (day-old works great)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, diced (or canned, drained)
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 green onions, chopped (keep white and green parts separate)
For the Teriyaki Sauce:
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
For Topping:
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- Extra green onions for garnish
- Cilantro leaves (optional but amazing)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove seeds and membranes (save the tops — they make cute little lids).
If your peppers won’t stand upright, trim a tiny slice off the bottom to level them out.
Brush peppers inside and out with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Stand them in a baking dish and set aside.
In a small saucepan, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, and ginger.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl to make a slurry, then whisk it into the sauce.
Simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened and glossy. Add red pepper flakes if using.
Remove from heat and set aside. This sauce is about to make everything amazing.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Season diced chicken with salt and pepper, then add to the hot skillet.
Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is golden and cooked through.
Remove chicken and set aside.
In the same skillet, add diced onion and carrots. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened.
Add minced garlic, ginger, and white parts of green onions. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add frozen peas and cook for another 2 minutes until heated through.
Return cooked chicken to the skillet with vegetables.
Add cooked rice, diced pineapple, and about 3/4 of your teriyaki sauce.
Stir everything together until well coated and heated through.
Taste and adjust seasoning — more sauce? More salt? This is your moment.
Spoon the chicken and rice mixture into each pepper, packing it down gently but not too tight.
Top each pepper with shredded cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil.
Bake covered for 35-40 minutes until peppers are tender but still have some structure.
Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly golden.
Brush with remaining teriyaki sauce during the last 5 minutes for extra glaze.
Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds, green onion tops, and cilantro if using.
Serve with any remaining teriyaki sauce on the side for drizzling.
Notes
These are pretty complete on their own, but a simple cucumber salad adds nice freshness.
Serve with steamed edamame or snap peas for extra Asian-inspired vibes.
A glass of white wine or even a light beer complements the sweet-savory flavors.
Some pickled vegetables on the side cut through the richness beautifully.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
Nutrition
- Calories: ~420 kcal
- Carbohydrates: ~52g
- Protein: ~28g