Bell Pepper Chicken Tacos (No Cook)
If you've been searching for a low carb taco recipe that doesn't taste like a punishment, this is it. These bell pepper chicken tacos swap the tortilla for a roasted pepper half, which means you get all the taco flavor with a genuine dose of vitamin C, fiber and hydration built into the "shell" itself. It's a fast, high protein, gluten free dinner that comes together in about fifteen minutes. If you're looking for perimenopause friendly dinner ideas, blood sugar friendly taco night, or just a way to eat more vegetables without noticing you're doing it, add this one to the rotation.
Simple, whole food recipes are just one part of what I do here at Finding My Fierce. If you’re a woman over 40 and want to learn about sustainable waist loss, renewed energy, restored self-confidence, understanding perimenopause and reducing overwhelm, I’m your people. start here
Why This Works
This is a dump-and-assemble dinner. The chicken is already cooked. The pepper is the shell. It's really just 10 minutes of prep and 5 minutes of assembling. This is the kind of recipe you want in rotation on a weeknight when the idea of "cooking" feels like one more task on a list that's already too long. These “tacos” are easily portable, so make a batch and lunch is ready in a pinch!
Ingredients
(see printable recipe card down below)
SERVINGS: 4 | Start to Finish: 15 minutes
2 medium bell peppers, (about 300g total)
2 cups (450g) shredded rotisserie chicken
Kosher salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon (1.25ml) chili powder
1/4 teaspoon (1.25ml) ground cumin
1 cup (about 85g) shredded lettuce
1 cup (about 150g) crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 cup (about 170g) pico de gallo (see notes below for two easy swaps)
2 tablespoons (30g) full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt, optional
How to Make This
Cut the bell peppers in half through the stem. Remove the stem and seeds so you're left with four sturdy pepper cups.
In a bowl, combine the shredded chicken with the chili powder and cumin, along with a pinch of kosher salt. Stir until the seasoning is evenly distributed. Heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 60 to 90 seconds. Stir every 30 seconds so it heats evenly.
Scoop the seasoned chicken into the bell pepper cups. Top each one with shredded lettuce, crumbled cheese and pico de gallo, and finish with a small dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt if using.
Notes on pico de gallo: If you don't have a jar on hand, you can make a quick version at home by dicing together tomato, white onion, jalapeño, a handful of chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of salt. Let it sit for ten minutes before serving so the flavors have time to combine.
If you'd rather use a store-bought taco seasoning packet instead of the chili powder and cumin, check the ingredient list first. Many packets rely on maltodextrin, added sugar or anti-caking agents as filler, so look for one with a short, recognizable ingredient list, and use about a tablespoon (or to taste) of the packet in place of the chili powder and cumin listed above.
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Real Talk
This recipe earns its place in your rotation for reasons that go beyond convenience. Bell peppers are one of the richest produce-aisle sources of vitamin C, and a single pepper often delivers more than a full day's worth in one serving, which supports collagen production and immune function, both of which take a hit during perimenopause (1). Because peppers are roughly 92 percent water, using them as the "shell" also adds a meaningful hydration boost to the meal, something that matters more than most people realize once estrogen starts declining and the body's thirst signaling becomes less reliable (2).
The rotisserie chicken brings a solid hit of complete protein, which helps offset the muscle loss that accelerates in midlife and keeps blood sugar steadier than a carb-heavy tortilla would (3).
And the queso fresco or cotija adds calcium, which becomes more important, not less, as estrogen's protective effect on bone density starts to fade (4). This isn't a "diet" taco. It's a nutrient-dense one that happens to also be lower carb without the deprivation.
Storage and reheat
Store the components separately if you're meal-prepping. The seasoned chicken keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days and reheats easily in the microwave. Keep the pepper cups, lettuce, cheese and pico de gallo separate until you're ready to eat, since pre-assembled peppers will get watery in the fridge.
This isn't a freezer recipe, the peppers get soggy once thawed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
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Poblano halves work well if you want heat and a deeper flavor, though they're softer than bell peppers and won't hold their shape quite as sturdily.
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No. Any cooked, shredded chicken works, including leftover grilled chicken breast or a batch you've cooked ahead for the week. Pork and ground beef work, too.
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Yes, as long as you store the components separately and assemble just before eating.
Before You Go
If this is something you would add to your meal rotation, you will enjoy The Fierce Weekly Edit. Every Sunday morning, I rebel against beige modern wellness culture that tries to convince you that your exhaustion is a “lack of discipline”, I talk about the physiology behind your perimenopausal symptoms, and the tips and small shifts that educate and provide relief mixing in with hormone supporting recipes like this one.
If this made meal time a little easier, leave a comment below or a review on the recipe card. Tell me what you swapped, what you added, I love hearing from readers!
And if while you are here you became curious about rebel wellness and reducing overwhelm, the rest of my blog is waiting. Start here.
Melissa
Sources
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C fact sheet for health professionals.
Peer-reviewed research on estrogen decline and thirst/hydration regulation, PMC-hosted.
Peer-reviewed research on protein intake and sarcopenia prevention in midlife women, PMC-hosted.
Peer-reviewed research on estrogen's role in bone mineral density regulation, PMC-hosted.
Bell Pepper Chicken Tacos
If you've been searching for a low carb taco recipe that doesn't taste like a punishment, this is it. These bell pepper chicken tacos swap the tortilla for a roasted pepper half, which means you get all the taco flavor with a genuine dose of vitamin C, fiber and hydration built into the "shell" itself.
Ingredients
- 2 medium bell peppers, (capsicum: about 300g total)
- 2 cups (450g) shredded rotisserie chicken
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.25ml) chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.25ml) ground cumin
- 1 cup (about 85g) shredded lettuce
- 1 cup (about 150g) crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
- 1 cup (about 170g) pico de gallo (see notes below for two easy swaps)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt, optional
Instructions
- Cut the bell peppers in half through the stem. Remove the stem and seeds so you're left with four sturdy pepper cups.
- In a bowl, combine the shredded chicken with the chili powder and cumin, along with a pinch of kosher salt. Stir until the seasoning is evenly distributed. Heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 60 to 90 seconds. Stir every 30 seconds so it heats evenly.
- Scoop the seasoned chicken into the bell pepper cups. Top each one with shredded lettuce, crumbled cheese and pico de gallo, and finish with a small dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt if using.
Notes
Notes on pico de gallo: If you don't have a jar on hand, you can make a quick version at home by dicing together tomato, white onion, jalapeño, a handful of chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of salt. Let it sit for ten minutes before serving so the flavors have time to combine.
If you'd rather use a store-bought taco seasoning packet instead of the chili powder and cumin, check the ingredient list first. Many packets rely on maltodextrin, added sugar or anti-caking agents as filler, so look for one with a short, recognizable ingredient list, and use about a tablespoon (or to taste) of the packet in place of the chili powder and cumin listed above.
Nutrition Info
Fiber (g)
2 gNet carbs
12 gSugar (g)
8 gProtein (g)
39 gFat (g)
18 gNutrition info provided as a courtesy and basic guideline. I do not support calorie counting so calories are not included. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. View disclaimer.
