Return to top
featured in… The Huffington Post CookingLight Reader's Digest Women's Health BuzzFeed Glamour Whole Foods Oprah Winfrey Network CNN Food Network Healthline Shape

Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Healthy Stuffed Vegetarian Peppers

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.

These stuffed vegetarian bell peppers are full of Mexican flavors and are perfect for a weeknight meal. They are gluten-free and can easily be made vegan too!

Healthy Stuffed Vegetarian Peppers served on a white plate, top view

Sometimes, dinners don’t turn out the way you plan. This recipe started out as one of pure necessity, but ended up being a totally delicious and easy weeknight meal! I didn’t set out to make stuffed peppers – I didn’t have any dinner plan really. It was one of those evenings that totally got away from me with the kids running around and all kinds of things going on.

Latest Recipe Video!

7pm rolled around and we were hungry but my husband and I didn’t want to order takeout – both of us were craving something homemade and healthy.

In the fridge I had: 3 bell peppers, refried beans, cooked brown rice, corn, cheese and salsa. No other fresh produce except a few herbs! Initially I was thinking – Tacos? Burritos? But I didn’t really feel like a wrap-situation. So I decided to try to make these Stuffed Vegetarian Peppers out of what we had in our fridge! It turned out to be such a delicious vegetarian Mexican recipe that I’ve added it to our regular rotation!

Tools and Equipment You’ll Need

closeup of Healthy Stuffed Vegetarian Peppers

There are tons of options with the filling of this dish, but no matter what you do with it, it’s guaranteed to be delicious. The recipe is below – I’m sure you will love it as much as we did!

What Ingredients Do You Need To Make Stuffed Peppers?

  • 3 bell peppers (I had one yellow, one orange and one red – but any colors will do)
  • 1 15oz can refried black beans
  • 3/4 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa
  • 6 tbsp Mexican cheese blend
  • Your favorite salsa (for topping)
  • 3/4 cup corn kernels (either frozen/defrosted or fresh)
  • Cumin, chili powder, ancho chili powder, paprika to taste
  • ~1/2 tbsp Taco seasoning (I like the one from Trader Joe’s)
  • Salt to taste
ingredients for Healthy Stuffed Vegetarian Peppers

How To Make Stuffed Vegetarian Peppers – Step by Step

Step 1: Roast the peppers under a broiler (350 degrees for 5 min – or until the top of the peppers begins to blacken). At the same time, cook the brown rice (if it’s not already pre-cooked).

healthy mexican stuffed peppers

Step 2: Cut off the tops of the peppers, take out the seeds/etc. Set aside.

pepper cut with the top off

Step 3: Heat the corn in a microwave safe bowl (or on the stovetop). Once warmed, stir in ~1/2 tsp cumin, ~1/2-1 tsp chili powder and 1/8-1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.

corn mix for peppers

Step 4: Heat the refried black beans on the stove, add taco seasoning to taste.

refried black beans heating on the stove

Step 5: Spread the black beans at the bottom and along the sides of each pepper.

peppers stuffed with black beans

Step 6: Top with corn mixture, then with brown rice, then with corn again. Spoon 1-2 Tbsp Mexican cheese blend on top of each pepper.

topped with corn and black beans
peppers about to go into the oven

Step 7: Broil at 350 degrees on low for 5 min until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with salsa and/or guacamole. Enjoy!!

Healthy Stuffed Vegetarian Peppers served on a white plate

What Makes These Stuffed Vegetarian Peppers Healthy?

  • High in Fiber: One serving of these peppers comes in at 7g of fiber — that’s over 25% of your daily fiber needs!
  • Plant Based Protein: Thanks to the black beans, each serving of these peppers contains over 10g of plant-based protein.
  • Vitamins and Minerals: Bell peppers are rich in Vitamins A, C, Potassium, Folate and Iron! Black beans are also rich in magnesium, folate and iron; and corn provides folate, iron and Vitamin C!

Will Kids Enjoy These Stuffed Peppers?

This is such a simple recipe, but turned out to be absolutely delicious. My kids gobbled it up and then asked for seconds! I just had to cut it into super small pieces for them since they were both under 5 when I made this the first time and it was a bit hard for them to maneuver the utensils to cut into this properly themselves.

Healthy Stuffed Vegetarian Peppers cut in half

Recipe FAQs

How to Serve

These peppers are so hearty and filling they are a great meal on their own. But if you’re looking to add to your dinner table, here are some sides that would go well with this recipe:

  • A garden salad
  • Some fresh cornbread
  • Fresh guacamole
  • Stewed black or pinto beans

How to Store and Reheat

  • To Store: You can store these peppers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge!
  • To Reheat: Place in a microwave safe dish and warm gently in the microwave.
  • To Freeze: Place in an air-tight freezer safe container. These will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let these defrost in the fridge before reheating.

Top Tips for Making Stuffed Vegetarian Peppers

  • Watch the peppers carefully when you are broiling them to make sure they don’t burn.
  • If you want to add some extra veggies, you can add some chopped baby spinach into the corn filling!
  • If you don’t have corn or rice, just about any vegetable and grain will work well to stuff these peppers. Try zucchini, squash, carrots, quinoa, barley or farro!
  • For additional toppings, try guacamole, crushed tortilla chips, plain Greek yogurt, or organic sour cream.
  • When serving to little kids, cut into tiny pieces to make it bite-sized and easy to eat!
  • These peppers can be prepared ahead of time, and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking in an airtight container.

Check Out These Other Delicious Mexican Inspired Dishes!

If you have tried these stuffed vegetarian peppers, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!

🎥 Watch How to Make It

Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Healthy Stuffed Vegetarian Peppers

These stuffed vegetarian bell peppers are full of Mexican flavors and are perfect for a weeknight meal. They are gluten-free and can easily be made vegan too!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 3
Calories: 271kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

  • 3 Bell Peppers (red, yellow or orange)
  • 3/4 cup Refried Black Beans (about 1/4 cup per pepper)
  • 3/4 cup Cooked brown rice
  • 6 tbsp Mexican shredded cheese blend
  • 6 tbsp Your favorite salsa for topping, 2 tbsp per pepper
  • 3 tbsp Guacamole for topping, 1 tbsp per pepper
  • 3/4 cup Corn kernels (either frozen & defrosted, or fresh)
  • 1/2 tbsp Taco seasoning (or more to taste, I like the one from Trader Joe’s)
  • Cumin, Chili Powder, Ancho Chili Powder, Paprika to taste
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Roast the peppers under a broiler (350 degrees for 5 min – or until the top of the peppers begins to blacken). At the same time, cook the brown rice (if it’s not already pre-cooked).
  • Cut off the tops of the peppers, take out the seeds/etc. Set aside.
  • Heat the corn in a microwave safe bowl (or on the stovetop). Once warmed, stir in ~1/2 tsp cumin, ~1/2-1 tsp chili powder and 1/8-1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.
  • Heat the refried black beans on the stove, add taco seasoning to taste.
  • Spread the black beans at the bottom and along the sides of each pepper.
  • Top with corn mixture, then with brown rice, then with corn again. Spoon 1-2 Tbsp Mexican cheese blend on top of each pepper.
  • Broil at 350 degrees on low for 5 min until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with salsa and/or guacamole. Enjoy!!

Notes

Top Tips for Making Stuffed Vegetarian Peppers
  • Watch the peppers carefully when you are broiling them to make sure they don’t burn.
  • If you want to add some extra veggies, you can add some chopped baby spinach into the corn filling!
  • If you don’t have corn or rice, just about any vegetable and grain will work well to stuff these peppers. Try zucchini, squash, carrots, quinoa, barley or farro!
  • For additional toppings, try guacamole, crushed tortilla chips, plain Greek yogurt, or organic sour cream.
  • When serving to little kids, cut into tiny pieces to make it bite-sized and easy to eat!
  • These peppers can be prepared ahead of time, and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.5g | Protein: 10.6g | Fat: 9.1g | Saturated Fat: 3.8g | Sodium: 844mg | Fiber: 7.1g | Sugar: 2.9g
These Healthy Mexican Stuffed Peppers are the perfect weeknight meal! They're super filling, delicious and kid-friendly too!

24 responses to “Healthy Stuffed Vegetarian Peppers”

  1. Usually I cooked only with rice, your recipe is super, thanks for the exchange. I would never have thought of adding corn, and my daughter loves it so much))) I will definitely cook it!5 stars

  2. These peppers turned out super delicious. My friends kept raving about the recipe. I am sure to make these again aoon!

  3. These healthy absolutely amazing stuffed peppers are going to be my newest craze! How delicious!5 stars

  4. I made your recipe for a gathering the other day and everyone kept asking for the recipe. It was totally a hit!5 stars

  5. We love stuffed peppers in our house! I always do vegetarian, but make some with meat for my hubby. These seem really versatile! We’ll have to try them!

  6. I have not done stuffed bell peppers in such a long time, but really need to do them again, they’re so good!!5 stars

  7. Just stumbled upon your blog and I love it! How many peppers is a serving size here?
    Thanks!!

    • Thanks so much Melissa!! One whole pepper is a serving size here – which is a huge portion for not that many calories!

  8. This. Looks. Delicious. I saw your blog and actually started to think, “wonder if there’s a recipe for stuffed peppers on here.”

    Thank you!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Subscribe to newsletter

Copyright 2024 The Picky Eater®, LLC. All rights reserved.