Indulge in the rich flavors of Italy with this Italian Chicken and Peppers recipe. Bursting with vibrant colors and tantalizing aromas, this classic dish embodies the essence of Mediterranean cuisine.
This dish is enjoyed by everyone even if you aren’t following a low carb diet. The combination of tender chicken, sweet bell peppers, flavorful sauce and savory herbs creates a symphony of taste that makes this one a winner.
Italian Chicken and Peppers
Meal prepping? Then you will want to add this meal to your prep list!
There are a variety of things you can do to cut the amount of time needed to make the recipe. Try some of these time saving steps:
- Use pre-cut fresh vegetables or frozen vegetables. If you are using fresh vegetables you can cut them up to 2 days before making the recipe.
- Use chicken tenders in place of chicken breasts. You can also use chicken thighs for this recipe.
- Use store bought marinara sauce. If used, reduce the pesto and garlic to 1 tablespoon pesto and 1 teaspoon garlic.
- Make the marinara ahead of time. The sauce can also be made up to 2 days ahead of time.
- Plan to double or triple the recipe to create extra freezer meals to use within 3 months.
To create an Italian Chicken and Peppers freezer meal:
Prep the chicken by trimming any fat off of the chicken breasts and cutting them into three strips per breast.
Cut the peppers and onions if using fresh vegetables.
Make the marinara sauce if not using jarred sauce.
If freezing in a freezer bag, mix the marinara sauce, peppers and onions together. Place in freezer bag and top with the chicken breasts. Bag the mozzarella to top the dish in a separate bag. For the oven, place the bag of frozen vegetable/chicken in the refrigerator overnight to thaw, dump the contents into a pan and follow the baking instructions (cook until the chicken is done). Top with shredded mozzarella and bake until melted.
To turn this into a crockpot dump meal simple dump the contents of the bag (frozen or thawed) and cook on low 4 to 6 hours if thawed and 6 to 8 hours if frozen. Top with the shredded mozzarella and continue to cook on low or warm for about 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
If freezing in a foil pan or a freezer safe dish then spread the peppers and onions in the pan, pour sauce over vegetables, top with chicken, mozzarella and freeze. When you are ready to use the dish, thaw, place in oven safe baking dish and continue to follow the instructions for baking as noted below.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (about 4 breasts), cut in 3 strips
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons pesto
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Place the sliced peppers and onions into the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Use fresh peppers and onions or a 16 ounce bag of frozen vegetables.
- Place chicken on top of peppers and onions. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken.
- In a bowl combine the crushed tomatoes, garlic, pesto and balsamic vinegar together.
- Pour over the top of the chicken.
- Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes.
- Top the chicken with the mozzarella cheese and bake until melted and the chicken is cooked through (temp 165 F).
TIP: Swap out the fresh peppers and onions with sliced, frozen vegetables.
Keto Low Carb Chicken and Peppers Recipe
This Chicken and Peppers recipe is incredibly easy to make, tastes delicious and can be made keto and low carb friendly.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 4 breasts, cut in 3 strips
- 1 red pepper cut into strips
- 1 Green Bell Pepper cut into strips
- 1 Onions thinly sliced
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons pesto
- 3 teaspoons Garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Place the sliced peppers and onions into the bottom of a 9X13 pan.
- Place chicken on top of peppers and onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- In a bowl combine the crushed tomatoes, garlic, pesto and balsamic vinegar together. Pour over the top of the chicken.
- Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes.6. Top the chicken with the mozzarella cheese and bake until melted and the chicken is cooked through (temp 165 F).
Notes
Nutrition
If you liked this recipe here are some others you may enjoy:
Slow cooker Cajun chicken and sausage
12 Lazy Keto recipes to help save you time
To serve:
Serve the Italian chicken and peppers over your favorite pasta with a side of garlic bread or your favorite green salad.
Go low carb and make this dish keto friendly by serving over spaghetti squash or other low carb pasta replacements.
Double or triple the batch and use the extras to prep meals for the coming week. This dish makes a great lunch for work.
What to do with the leftovers?
Why not use the leftovers to create some new meals. Try some of these:
Subs: Shred up the chicken. Use the chicken, pepper and onion mixture to create delicious subs. Top each sub with a slice of provolone cheese.
Tacos: Use the shredded chicken and peppers to create tacos by stuffing taco shells with the mixture.
Pizza: Top your favorite pizza crust with pizza sauce and spread the chicken/pepper mixture over the crust. Top with black olives and marinated artichokes and sprinkle more mozzarella cheese over it.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy. If you click on the banner below you will be taken directly to my Etsy shop to see the digital items currently listed.
