Paprika Chicken and Potato Stuffed Peppers
Air fryer potato halves hollowed and filled with smoky paprika chicken and garlic, then baked until the tops crisp and the filling stays juicy. A high-protein dinner that comes together in the air fryer alone.
- Total
- 60 min
- Prep 20 · Cook 35 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Blooming spices · Roasting
- Savory
- Air fryer
Instructions
-
Scrub the potatoes and cut each in half lengthwise. Scoop out the center of each half with a spoon, leaving a 1 cm wall, and reserve the scooped flesh. Rub the hollowed halves with 1 tbsp olive oil and 0.25 tsp salt.
~10 min
Hollowing the halves creates a sturdy shell that holds the filling and lets the potato walls crisp instead of steaming.
-
Place the potato halves cut side up in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 190°C for 12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the flesh is just tender when pierced with a knife.
~12 min
Air frying cut side up dries the surface so the edges brown while the interior turns tender.
If the potato walls feel thin after scooping, air fry the empty shells 2 minutes less so they hold their shape when you fill them.
Roasting Arrange pieces in a single layer with space between them so hot air circulates; crowding steams instead of browning.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the potatoes air fry, cut the chicken thighs into 1.5 cm pieces. Toss them in a bowl with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, 1.5 tsp paprika, 0.5 tsp salt, 0.25 tsp black pepper and the garlic, finely chopped.
~8 min
Coating the chicken in oil and paprika lets the spices bloom in the fat, deepening color and flavor without burning.
Blooming the paprika in the oil that coats the chicken, rather than dusting it on dry, keeps the color deep red instead of turning it bitter and black in the air fryer.
Blooming spices Coat the paprika in oil before cooking so it blooms into a deep red, fragrant paste; dry paprika can scorch and turn bitter.
-
Pull the potato shells from the basket and set them aside. Add the seasoned chicken to the basket in a single layer and air fry at 190°C for 8 minutes, until browned and the center reaches 74°C on an instant-read thermometer.
~8 min
Cooking the chicken in a single layer lets hot air circulate so it browns and reaches a safe 74°C evenly.
Roasting Arrange pieces in a single layer with space between them so hot air circulates; crowding steams instead of browning.
-
Chop the reserved potato flesh and fold it into the chicken with any pan juices. Spoon the mixture into the potato shells, mounding it slightly. Air fry at 190°C for 10 minutes, until the filling is hot and the tops are crisp and browned.
~10 min
Mounding the filling exposes more surface to the air fryer, so the top crisps while the interior stays juicy.
Roasting Arrange pieces in a single layer with space between them so hot air circulates; crowding steams instead of browning.
-
Let the stuffed potatoes rest 5 minutes so the filling settles, then serve hot.
~5 min
Resting lets the juices redistribute and the filling set, so it doesn't spill when you bite in.