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
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.
Did you make this recipe?
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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!
Absolutely delicious!!!! Great recipe!
wow what a flavorful meal! cant wait to make it again. I used a whole can of cor and block beans becsusetgequinoa ratioseemed a bit much. colorful and deliscious
With the requirement of less than a full can of the tomatoes and black beans meant leftovers? So heck, I put them all in. Did the same with the small bag of frozen corn. To make up for that I doubles the spices, added extra cheese and once the we’re in the pan poured a can of rotel tomatoes with green chiles over the top. I got an extra pepper filled this way. Thanks for the recipe even though I went off and made it my own.
This was very good. I omitted the corn and used more beans. Also added homemade salsa and more hot pepper. But the key recipe was really very good.
Awesome! Thanks, Lisa!
Do I boil the quinoa first? Or are they uncooked?
The recipe specifies 3 cups cooked quinoa. Hope that helps!
Hi Chunga,
I was wondering if I could add chorizo to this recipe. If so, how much should I add and how much should I alter the rest of the ingredients? Thanks!
The addition of chorizo sounds amazing! But unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
This is in my oven now for lunch, but I couldn’t help diving into the filling before I stuffed the peppers! SO good, easy and oh so filling! Even my quinoa-bashing husband loved it!
Why does your nutrition information for the peppers show 253 calories, but the My Fitness Pal app shows around 692 calories? That is a lot of calories for one stuffed pepper that is classified as healthy.
Unfortunately, I cannot speak for how Fitness Pal calculates their nutritional information.
Delicious recipe! The stuffing alone is yummy 🙂 thank you for sharing
I made this recently but just as a bake, without the peppers and it was SO good! two thumbs up!! It was really good warmed up for dinners and I will totally make it again-maybe with a little more of a kick next time.
Made these last night for a backyard ‘Whole Foods to Table’ din with the fam. Our 9yr old is self-proclaimed vegetarian so I added some “Beyond Meat, Beyond Beef Beefy Crumble.” Super easy, which says A LOT coming from me, and there’s so much room for creativity! Loved it.
Thanks for the post. My quick search for quinoa recipes led me straight here. I couldn’t have been more funrtunate. Im an amateur cook and I was able to impress my friends with this tasty dish.
Making these tonight for dinner. I picked up the ingredients but didn’t know that the diced tomatoes were in can. Might be nice for others if you could change that in the recipe.
I just cut up some cherry tomatoes. It was delicious!
Looks delicious! Do you need to cool the quinoa separately first?
Nope – there’s no need to!
Yes, it needs to be cooked first.
Chungah,
I was wondering how to correctly portion these ingredients, if i were to make less servings, preferably two, instead of 6. Would i need to adjust anything the portion sizes in the ingredients, or simply just buy 2 bell peppers only? Don’t want any of the ingredients to go to waste. Is there any advice you have on simply reducing the serving size? Hope you can help!
Yes, you may need to only use 1/3 of the ingredients if you would only like to make 2 bell peppers.
I made only 3 peppers and just ad-libbed. It was delish! I used Rotelle for my tomatoes because I like heat and also a separate can of green chilis. The filling is great alone so if you don’t use it all for the peppers it is amazing to keep and have as a side…but I had mine for breakfast 🙂 I forgot the corn dang it but will for sure do it next time. Best recipe I’ve found in a long time. I am prone to add my own touches and this was perfect for that.
Made these last night for a backyard ‘Whole Foods to Table’ din with the fam. Our 9yr old is self-proclaimed vegetarian so I added some “Beyond Meat, Beyond Beef Beefy Crumble.” Super easy, which says A LOT coming from me, and there’s so much room for creativity! Loved it.
These were so good! Thank you so much for sharing. The feta was a great addition. We love quinoa in our house so this is definitely one I will make again. I’ve enjoyed every single one of your recipes that I’ve tried and there have been many. Thanks again!
Do you cut the bell peppers in half and fill each half? Or do you just slice the top off and discard and fill the remaining cavity?
You can just slice off the top.
3 cups COOKED quinoa… Don’t cook 3 cups raw quinoa – you will end up with way to much and a bland mixture… You live and you learn. Quinoa for lunch tomorrow.
Yes! 3 cups cooked quinoa is listed in the recipe. 🙂
I’m making this
I meant could stink not cold!!!! Sheesh
The recipe cold stink but I’d still rate it 50000 stars because of the cutest pictures I’ve seen in ages!!!! The kids are awesome. I’m still smiling. Thanks for making an old lady so happy.
These were so delicious and easy to make! I used cheddar cheese instead of feta since that’s what I had on hand, and they were still amazing. I added a little extra chili powder for some extra kick too. A great hit – even with the meat eaters of the family! Definitely will go in my list of go-to recipes.
Hey Chungah!
I’d love to feature your stuffed bell peppers recipe in a stuffed veggie roundup I’m doing for Parade Magazine – if you’re cool with that would I be able to use one of your gorgeous photos with a link back to your original post (https://damndelicious.net/2013/06/03/quinoa-stuffed-bell-peppers/)
Thanks dear!
Felicia
Yes, absolutely. Thank you for the share! 🙂
Made these tonight and they were a huge hit with the family! A friend of mine shared your website with me after seeing her left-overs that she brought for lunch. Fantastic flavors! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Hello Chung Ha,
I come from the UK, not sure what “Shredded pepper jack cheese ” is? Your recipe looks really lovely. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Pepper jack is a type of cheese that includes spicy hot peppers for flavor. You can shred or grate it using a cheese grater. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the recipe, I made this tonight. It was quite yummy. Cheers!
Holy crap, these are amazing!!! I did add some lime juice into the quinoa mixture, which for me took it up a notch! Instead of tomatoes I diced up some avocado and that is really hitting the spot! Thanks for this!
This was fantastic and made exactly as written. I did mix the color bell peppers which made the dish pretty. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Chungah! I made these tonight and I’m not sure what I did, but they seem really under-salted or lacking flavor. The only thing I didn’t have was onion powder – could it have made that much of a difference? Do you have any suggestions for more flavor?
Yes, omitting the onion powder may have altered the taste a bit. You can certainly increase the amount of spices as needed to suit your preferences, and I highly recommend adding salt and pepper, to taste. You’d be amazed as to how a little bit of seasoning can make all the difference in the world.
Do you have nuttitional info for these? Calories in one pepper? Thanks so much–can’t wait to try these!! 🙂
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
these were listed as vegan – clearly they are not as they have feta. Easy to leave it out but annoying to finally get to the recipe after going thru all the uninteresting stuff and see they are incorrectly listed under vegan recipes in Pinterest.
Marie, I completely understand your frustrations. However, Pinterest creates those nutritional labels automatically, and sometimes, incorrectly. Please feel free to contact Pinterest for further support on this issue.
Just put this together for my vegetarian daughter. I put in real onions, garlic, and added shredded carrots. Cooked that down in some butter until brown and gooey. Then mixed in everything else. I chose not to add the canned green peppers because some of the kids would not have eaten them. Did kick up with a little more chili spice. Put it all in red peppers and topped with a little cheese. Served with some hummus and zucchini slices. Yum was shouted by all.
This recipe looks so delicious I would love to make it someday. I love colored bell peppers and I would love to stuff them with tuna or crab meat with shrimp unbaked.
Just curious could you make these in the crock pot. What would you suggest, times, duration, setting, etc?
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a recipe to be used in a slow cooker without further recipe testing. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-converting-recipes-to-the-slow-cooker-189343.
OK thanks. I would be curious if anyone had tried this with your recipe. -Holly
Making these tonight for my wife. My mom said she wants to try them so I’m making giving her the extras. Great reviews so it has to be good!!
Do u cook the quinoa first?
Yes, as indicated in the recipe under the ingredients, you will need 3 cups cooked quinoa.
I’ve been making these for several months now and we LOVE them. It’s one of my go-to recipes when I can’t think of what to make, as it always pleases. Thank you for sharing!
Made these for dinner last night and they were fantastic! Everyone really enjoyed the flavors. Made as directed – no substitutions.
Thanks! I’ll definitely make this again.
Holy heat batman!!!! I may be a wuss (but I’ve eaten carolina reaper pepper flakes before), but these were blazinggggg. I couldn’t even eat half. Clue — don’t use the green chiles (esp not the whole can). Besides that, delish. I subbed the can out entirely and they were immaculate. Just a heads up!!
I made these this evening and they were fantastic! The only changes I made were: I used only 3 peppers as that is all I had, which I parboiled first-personal preference. I did make the full recipe of the stuffing because I do like extra stuffing. The only change I made was to use Rotel diced tomatoes with diced chilies as again that’s what I had. I still added the can of chilies. I will definitely be making these again. Great flavor without being to strong. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I have made at least 6 different meals on your site and my family loves them. Tonight my four year old helped me make the peppers. We loved it. I think i am going to parboil the peppers ahead of time like i do with my usual stuffed pepper recipe. Even at 30 minutes they were still a little firm. I also like a little more tomato flavor so i will add more of the diced tomatoes. Overall it was awesome and the hubby liked it too!
Making these today! Like another comment mentioned, I usually parboil my peppers before filling them. Seems like your recipe is perfect as posted so going to try it without cooking peppers first. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making meals more interesting while being easier than ever. I use recipes from your site at least 3-4 times a week and after each one of your meals (after every plate is literally licked clean, even the 11, 9 and 6 year olds) they always say, “this is from our favorite website, isn’t it!”
Oh! And quinoa in rice cooker!? Genius!
These look awesome! Question – have you made this with any meat any the mixture, like ground turkey? Going to make these this weekend for a dinner party…can’t wait!!
It should work just fine adding your desired protein (ground beef, turkey, chicken, sausage, etc.) – but I recommend adjusting the other ingredients to compensate for this addition.
Your photos are SO ADORABLE 🙂
I’m going to try this recipe tonight!
Can you use cumin seeds or does it need to be powder?
Julia, it is best to use ground cumin.
Hey, Chungah, who had the most fun – you grown ups or the kids? I love watching the little ones play and laugh. Oh, yes! I think I should mention, I just love the recipes you post. I am 80 years old and still cooking. LOL
If I wanna add onions to the mix, should I add them raw to the mix, or should i caramelize them first?
I recommend caramelizing first.
These looks absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing 🙂
-Sarah
gofitu.com
These stuffed peppers were so delicious! Thank you for sharing! I didn’t have feta cheese so I substituted ricotta cheese. still very yummy!
This looks great but im not a fan of pepper jack cheese. Do you think monterey jack would fit the bill?
Yes, Monterey Jack would be a great substitute!
can the filling for these be frozen? They seem like a good meal to make ahead of time.
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! I recommend using your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
OMG So yummy! So far I have tried this, Greek yogurt egg salad sandwiches (on homemade GF bread),cauliflower chowder (with GF flour, vegetable stock and no bacon cause I’m vegetarian) and the 1 dish Mexican quinoa casserole (which I posted to FB and everyone raved about). All dishes are exceptional! Love the healthy section – keep em coming!
OK, this will be the third thing from your site that I try. The first two (one pot andouillle sausage skillet pasta and one pot zucchini and mushroom pasta) were absolutely incredible. I love how easy and simple most of your dishes are (in terms of ease putting them together and limited number of ingredients). This one seems one of the more complex in terms of needing a lot of items (although the preparation is still super simple), but it sounds absolutely delicious and my mom (the vegetarian in the family) loves stuffed peppers. So, this should make her happy.
These were seriously delicious. I have been in a rut for recipes and was looking for health and taste. These surely hit the spot. I used a can of rotel tomatoes instead of the diced tomatoes and green chiles it called for. I also didn’t have cumin so I used taco seasoning in it’s place. Finally I used the entire can of black beans. I will definitely be making these again.
Thank you for sharing!
These were delicious! I served with a side of Cajun seasoned sauteed tilapia, because my boyfriend always has to have some fish or chicken with a vegetarian dish, and similarly seasoned shrimp with the leftovers. Both were perfect accompaniments to this yummy dish. Will definitely make again and again. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
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Just threw mine in the oven! Fingers crossed that they will taste just as good as they looked 🙂 I used no beans or tomatoes, since I’m not a huge fan of either. I added red onion to the mixture. I also used cooked white rice because my grocery store had no quinoa…
These are amazing!! I used chopped onions instead of onion powder for more texture and flavor.
I am going to try these tonight! This may be a dumb question, but when you say petite diced tomatoes, do you mean from a can?
Not a dumb question at all – yes, this recipe requires canned petite diced tomatoes.
I was curious about that too. Do you think it would taste just as good with fresh, diced cherry toms or are the canned tomatoes required due to how “liquidy” they are?
Yes, the canned tomatoes provide a nice liquid base to these stuffed peppers. You can certainly use fresh diced cherry tomatoes but please remember that by using a substitution, I cannot speak for how much this will change in the overall taste or texture of the dish. I recommend using the specified ingredients listed in the recipe whenever possible for optimal results.
Just found this recipe and it looks so good! I have been wanting to try making stuffed peppers for a while. I’ve also been wanting to try quinoa and this would do both!
I also wonder about reheating as it’s just me and my hubby and I doubt he’d eat these (though you never know!)
Kristen, unfortunately, we didn’t have any leftover to reheat. I would hate to give you the wrong suggestions so I recommend using your judgement on the best method of reheating.
Just made these last night and they are SOOOO yummy! Will definitely be making this a staple. I had a bag of quinoa that I bought and had no idea what to do with it haha Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Oh my gosh, those kids are absolutely beautiful! What a super fun day (why was i not invited). And I love quinoa so these are going to be made for my next week lunch!
Saw this last night & made them today. Yummy! I didn’t have any feta so I used so goat cheese anmil and mild Ro-tel tomato. Very visually appealing & tasty in the tummy.
These sound so delicious, I can’t wait to try making them tonight! Just wondering, what is the purpose of lining the baking dish with the parchment paper? Is 30 mins enough for the bell peppers to become tender? Would it help to add some liquid to the bottom of the dish?
Thanks for the great recipe idea!
Tina, I generally like to line my baking dish with parchment paper or foil to ensure that nothing sticks to the pan. 30 min is sufficient for the bell peppers to become tender but if you really want them softer than the norm, you can bake for an additional 15 minutes. Hope that helps!
Looking forward to making these this week. Stuffed peppers have been on my “to cook list” for quite some time. A couple of silly questions about them though: Do you serve anything with them or treat them as a side dish themselves? Do they refrigerate well to be eaten as leftovers?
Thanks for the great recipes. Several of your will be happening in my kitchen this week. So glad I found your site!
These stuffed peppers can be served as a main dish. As for the leftovers, we actually ate them so quickly we had nothing left over!
Thanks for the reply! I’ll see how it goes with leftovers (just feeding me and my husband)
I find if you don’t overlook the peppers the first time, they stay good in fridge for a couple days and reheat well!
Over cook*
Just found this… love your pics and love, love your recipes… great ones, I cannot wait to try…
Cheers,
Shannon
making these as I type….cant wait!
Let me know how it turns out!
These are absolutely fantastic! Great taste from the first bite and easy to make. My husband refuses to eat quinoa- anything, tasted this and said he really liked it and would like if I made it again. 5 out 5!
Made these tonight for my “it can’t be good if it’s healthy” family. My husband spent 10 minutes tryin to figure out what meat was in it! But both he and my teenage son loved them. Even after they found out what it was. Haha Found this on Pinterest which led me to your blog. Will be making many more of your recipes. Thank you!
Thanks to sharebthis recepies. I will try with rice tonight.
Gosh, these were so damn delicious! 😉 My family loved them . Thanks for this meatless, delicious , easy to prepare, healthy meal.
Oh my gosh, I cannot wait to make these! Found these on Pinterest which led me to your site and ALL of your delicious looking recipes. Filled my recipe box with things to try this next week. Thanks!
These look so pretty and tasty! Can’t wait to try! Does this recipe freeze well?
Unfortunately I haven’t tried freezing this yet. It didn’t last long enough to freeze!
I tend to parboil the peppers first, so if I have make more than I need, I can put them in Pyrex with sauce and pop then right into the freezer. They are just as good thawed and cooked in oven. Good luck!
Yum! So excited to try this and the quinoa chili. I purchased a bag of quinoa the other day and thought WHAT do I do with this but now I have two great options.
Can’t wait!
Let me know how they turn out!
What is a good side with this dish??
My absolute favorite side dish is the garlic parmesan roasted potatoes. But please feel free to check out all of my side dish recipes here.
Looking forward to making these tonight for dinner! Cardiologist has me on a meat-free test run to see if it reduces inflammation factors, so I’ve been scouring the ‘net for tasty ideas!
Thank you for sharing and those kiddos are ridiculously cute. 🙂
I loved these. My youngest isn’t much for anything with spice, so the pepper jack cheese was a bit much for him, but he just added a dollop of sour cream to his, and all was good! Thanks for a great recipe!
Oh, I love that photo where Dad is putting makeup on your niece and little brother seems to be waiting for some too! All your photos are lovely and your recipes seem to be too. I can’t wait to start making some and I will start with this one! Thanks so much for sharing.
That’s my absolute favorite photo too – it’s priceless!
Your kids are adorable, and your photos are stunning! Plus I love quinoa in my stuffed peppers, great recipe!
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Your niece is adorable, Chung-Ah!
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers have been on my bucket list for a while. I’ve made vegetarian stuffed peppers and taco stuffed peppers but never quinoa stuffed peppers. I really need to get on the ball and make some. Your’s look great! Pinned!
I hope you get a chance to make it!
Awesome recipe! Even my meat loving boyfriend raved about it! Thanks and keep up the good work.
Omg these are yummy!!! Thank u so much for sharing!!