BBQ Chicken Stuffed Peppers

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose large, flat-bottomed peppers, about 200–225 g each, that fit upright beneath the fryer's maximum-fill line. Slice off their tops and remove the seeds. Finely chop the usable flesh from the tops. Grate the cheddar. Cook the white rice on the hob according to the package directions.

2. 2

   Preheat the air fryer to 190°C/375°F for 3 minutes. Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, opened flat to an even thickness of about 1.5–2 cm. Coat with the oil, garlic powder and salt.

3. 3

   Cook the chicken in two single-layer batches of about 250 g, leaving gaps between pieces. Air-fry each batch at 190°C/375°F for 12–14 minutes, turning after 7 minutes, until a food thermometer reads at least 74°C/165°F in the thickest part. Transfer cooked chicken to a board.

4. 4

   Finely chop the cooked chicken. In a bowl, break up the cooked white rice and mix it with the chicken, barbecue sauce and chopped pepper tops. Divide the filling evenly between the four pepper cups without packing it tightly.

5. 5

   Reduce the fryer to 180°C/350°F. Stand two stuffed peppers directly in the basket in a single layer, leaving space between them. Air-fry for 22–26 minutes, carefully rotating each pepper halfway through. Check that the peppers are tender and the center of each filling reaches 74°C/165°F; continue in 3-minute intervals if necessary.

6. 6

   Sprinkle each cooked pepper with 20 g cheddar. Air-fry at 180°C/350°F for another 2 minutes, until melted. Remove carefully and serve this batch hot, one pepper per person.

7. 7

   Repeat the same 180°C/350°F cooking, halfway rotation, thermometer check and cheese-finishing stages with the remaining two peppers. Allow about 90 minutes of total appliance time for preheating, both chicken batches and both pepper batches; additional time may be needed to reach the checked temperatures. This basket-sized method serves two people at a time.