Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
Loaded with protein, veggies and healthy grains, these stuffed bell peppers will provide the nutrition that you need for a healthy, balanced meal!
Stuffed bell peppers have been on my bucket list for at least a year and I’m so glad to finally cross it off my list.
Using leftover ingredients, I created a southwest quinoa mixture loaded with corn, beans, tomatoes, green chilis for a bit of heat and cheesy pepper-jack-feta goodness.
It’s incredibly filling and hearty, making it the perfect vegetarian option for Meatless Monday or any other day of the week!
Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
These stuffed bell peppers will provide the nutrition that you need for a healthy, balanced meal!
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 4-ounce can green chiles
- 1 cup corn kernels
- ½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup petite diced tomatoes
- ½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 bell peppers, tops cut, stemmed and seeded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine quinoa, green chiles, corn, beans, tomatoes, cheeses, cilantro, cumin, garlic, onion and chili powder, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spoon the filling into each bell pepper cavity. Place on prepared baking dish, cavity side up, and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through, about 25-30 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
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My peppers are in the oven now. I used one green pepper from my garden, two plablano peppers and four hot peppers. I put my homemade spaghetti sauce in bottom of pan and drizzled some on top of peppers. I will have some for me and some for family and freeze what’s left.
The filling is amazing, but I hate bell peppers, so I used large ripe tomatoes, hollowed them out, and stuffed them instead. Served them cold as a summer lunch. (Also used vegan cheeses)
This made a TON of filling. I doubled up on all of the spices and added some chopped scallions to the recipe. Also topped them with some shredded cheese on top. In the recipe, should say three cups cooked quinoa and also note when to add the cheese. Hubby loved and will be making again!
Love the recipe been making this for years! Like most people I put my own little spin on it by throwing in some ground turkey and it added a great little boost. My other suggestion is to dump the whole can of corn, beans, and tomatoes because more could hurt and to cut back from 3 to at least 2 cups of quinoa. Maybe the peppers I get are small but with 3 cups I could probably stuff about 12 peppers.
This is a favorite in my home. What I did the change it up was I cooked the quinoa in vegetable stock
Very delicious, my hubby especially liked this. I didn’t even add the cheese and it was so good. I used salsa instead of tomato sauce. I didn’t blanch the peppers or cook them in a crock which usually really softens them up, but still very good.
do you cook the quinoa before stuffing?
What sides would you recommend with this?
I loved the taste and health factor! However, the peppers didnt soften, even after leaving them a little longer. That was a deal breaker for me. I added onions and sharp cheese for some kick. I will try this again and maybe precook the peppers a little.
I added a little water to the bottom of the dish to steam the peppers and it worked perfectly.
Delicious!! We used the leftover filling as a delicious salad! Will use your recipes again!!
I’m giving this an “excellent” rating because it’s very adaptable to what you have on hand. If you strip it down to its elements, you can use about anything in your pantry. Surely this recipe was better as written, but I needed to work with what I had. I subbed mozzarella and cheddar, because that was left in the drawer. A can of diced tomatoes with green chiles. When it was lacking chile kick as a result of not having the whole 4 oz can, I used leftover green salsa to taste. A dash of lime juice for snap. A bit of chipotle powder too. Recipes like this are gold.
This is a delicious recipe. It’s very easy to make and prep time is very quick. Dinner is ready within the hour. I made a few variations. I used diced jalapenos instead of chilies, used the entire can of petite tomatoes, and baked with shredded cheddar cheese on top. Baked for 30 minutes and the peppers were nice and crispy, as I like it.. Could have cooked a bit longer so filling would be hotter but I was pleased. Then served it with sour cream and salsa toppings. Fantastic! Even have leftovers for lunch and there is extra stuffing as well. Can make another small batch of peppers or thought it may be good for quesadillas. Great recipe. Thank you!
Easy. Delicious. The flavors really combine to form an explosion of deliciousness in your mouth. I did find it a little spicier than I expected, but that in many ways added to the flavor. I might skip chili powder next time, not sure since it is just so good.
Thank you. This easy recipe is going into the rotation!
Took a risk tonight and made this for my anti-quinoa, meat loving husband. He loved it!
I used fresh tomato instead of the diced tomatoes and it was really nice. I also cooked the quinoa in veggie broth instead of water, which probably contributed to the flavor. I didn’t really get much of the pepper jack taste, I think I will try leaving it out next time as I am trying to be as dairy-free as possible.
I can see myself putting this together in the morning and popping it in the oven at dinner time for a quick meal.
A plus!
This is by far one of the best quinoa recipes I’ve ever had! Absolutely delicious and loaded with flavor… I’m vegan and was able to substitute all the cheeses- all of which can be found at Whole Foods. Will definitely be making this again…
This was really good. Halfway through dinner my husband stopped and asked in amazement if it was vegetarian. Lol
Just made these for lunch they were great! Served with a dollop of sour cream, great plant based meal.
OMG! I made this tonight for dinner, and it was amazing! Everyone’s plate was empty! This will definitely be on our dinner rotations. It was so good! Thank you for a very flavorful dish!!
LOVE this recipe! We are not vegan and I love to add chopped up roasted chicken to it. Delicious! Thank you for sharing it.
Your recipe for the Quinoa Stuffed Peppers were a hit with my vegetarian guests. I served the peppers with a green salad topped with orange slices, avocados, beets, feta cheese and hazelnuts.
The only change I made to the recipe was adding more corn and black beans. Also used two cans of chopped green chilis. Your seasonings were perfect.
This recipe is worth more than five stars.
Thank you.
Stephanie
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes that I recommend to everyone! My boyfriend likes to add 1 cup of cooked chicken, but I prefer them vegetarian as is! Thank you for this!