Dairy-free chicken and rice stuffed capsicums

These colourful capsicum boats have a savoury chicken-and-rice filling, with zucchini, tomato and parsley for flavour. There is no cheese topping or dairy-based sauce.

Serves: 4 (2 halves each) | Preparation: 20 minutes | Cooking: approximately 40 minutes | Total: approximately 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 large red capsicums (about 800 g), halved lengthways, seeds and white membranes removed
• 500 g plain chicken mince
• 150 g dry long-grain white rice
• 200 g zucchini, finely diced
• 200 g fresh tomato, finely diced
• 20 mL olive oil, divided
• 3 g ground cumin
• 3 g sweet paprika
• 10 g fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 g salt, optional
• 50 mL water for the filling, plus water for cooking rice according to its packet

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Arrange the capsicum halves cut-side up in a large baking dish. Brush with 10 mL oil and bake for 15 minutes to begin softening.
2. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to its packet using the stated water quantity. Drain if required. Use it promptly in the hot filling rather than leaving it on the bench.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken mince, breaking it into small pieces. Cook for 7–9 minutes, stirring, until cooked through; check at least 75°C in the thickest part of the mince mixture with a food thermometer.
4. Add the zucchini, cumin and paprika. Stir for 2 minutes. Add the tomato and 50 mL water and simmer for 4–5 minutes, until the zucchini softens and most excess liquid has evaporated.
5. Stir in the cooked rice, half the parsley and optional salt. Divide the hot filling among the eight capsicum halves. Return to the oven for 15–20 minutes, until the capsicum is tender and the filling is piping hot throughout (at least 75°C at the centre).
6. Scatter with the remaining parsley and serve two halves per person. Cut into smaller pieces for younger diners. Cooking time varies with capsicum size; test tenderness rather than relying only on the clock.

Choose ingredients that suit you

Made without milk, butter or cheese. Check mince, spices and all packaged ingredients if managing milk allergy or other allergies, including relevant cross-contact information. Dairy-free does not automatically mean low FODMAP or low histamine. Capsicum, tomato and serving size may matter for individual symptoms; this recipe is not designed for a low-histamine or sucrose/starch-restricted CSID plan.

For coeliac disease, check every packaged ingredient and preparation surface rather than relying on rice being naturally gluten-free. If cumin or paprika does not suit you, omit it and use the parsley for flavour. You can use plain turkey mince in the same weight, keeping the 75°C cooking check. See our guide to dairy-free and lactose-free labels.

Storage

Cool spare portions rapidly in shallow containers and refrigerate at 5°C or colder. Use within 2 days or freeze promptly. Rice needs the same careful cooling as the chicken filling. Thaw in the fridge and reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout, at least 75°C at the centre. Do not use reheating to rescue food that has been left out unsafely. Follow FSANZ food-safety guidance and explore our recipe collection.