Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
These vegetarian stuffed peppers are inspired by Mexican cuisine! This recipe features bell peppers with pinto beans, rice and fresh veggies.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
These stuffed peppers aren’t the kind your mom made. They’re meatless and loaded with fresh flavor. They’re cheesy as shown, yes, but they’re just as good without the cheese. You can easily make these peppers dairy free or vegan.
Most stuffed peppers are made with Italian seasonings, but I went in a different direction. I was inspired to incorporate some of my favorite Mexican ingredients, including pinto beans, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, lime, chili powder and cumin. The filling is so tasty, I could eat it as a side dish! These peppers are somewhat time consuming, but each element is simple to make.
The trick to making great stuffed peppers is to slice the peppers in half from the stem end down through the base. Then, pre-roast the halves until they’re tender and a bit caramelized at the sliced edges. This way, their flavor is condensed and their texture is just right—not too crisp, but not falling apart.
Please do yourself a favor and cook extra brown rice while you’re at it. Then, you’ll be one step closer to dinner tomorrow night—say, Extra Veggie Fried Rice or any of these rice-based dishes. High five!
How to Make Stuffed Peppers
You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s the gist:
- Roast the peppers.
- Cook the rice (unless you’re using leftover cooked rice).
- Cook the filling, adding the rice and beans at the end.
- Stuff the peppers and top with cheese.
- Bake and serve!
These peppers are a great meal to prepare in advance. You can get a head start by cooking the rice and prepping the peppers. Or assemble them completely, then cover and refrigerate for later. This would be a great dish to drop off at a friend’s house with baking instructions (about 12 to 15 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit).
Watch How to Make Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed Pepper Serving Suggestions
These stuffed peppers are a balanced meal in their own right, featuring whole grains, veggies and beans for additional protein and fiber. Here are a few side dishes that would complement the meal:
- Black Beans (From Scratch!)
- Chunky Avocado Salsa
- Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
- Fresh Corn Salsa
- Guacamole
- Herbed Avocado Salad
- Mexican Green Salad with Jalapeño-Cilantro Dressing (or a simplified version of it)
More Hearty Mexican-Inspired Recipes
If you enjoy these stuffed peppers, you’ll also appreciate these recipes:
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- Epic Vegetarian Tacos
- Pinto Posole
- Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
- Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas
Please let me know how your stuffed peppers turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
These vegetarian stuffed peppers are inspired by my favorite Mexican dishes! This recipe features roasted bell peppers filled with a flavorful combination of pinto beans, brown rice and fresh veggies, topped with melted cheese (optional). This recipe yields 8 stuffed peppers, enough for 4 main dish servings or 8 sides.
Ingredients
Roasted peppers
- 4 large red bell peppers, halved from stem to base, seeds and membranes removed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, as needed
- Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper, for sprinkling
Filling and topping
- ½ cup long-grain brown rice (or 1 ½ cups cooked rice)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon fine salt, to taste
- 1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 can (1 ½ cups) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 4 ounces (about 1 cup) grated part-skim mozzarella or cheddar
- Optional garnishes: Sliced ripe avocado or guacamole, perhaps a drizzle of cilantro-hemp pesto, red salsa, sour cream or vegan sour cream
Instructions
- To roast the peppers: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the halved peppers in a large 9 by 13-inch baking dish, or on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the peppers and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub the oil all over both sides of the peppers, then arrange them with the cut sides facing up. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the peppers are a little blistered around the edges and easily pierced through by a fork. Set aside. Leave the oven on for baking the peppers.
- In the meantime, cook the rice: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh colander until the water runs clear. Add the rice to the boiling water and continue boiling, uncovered, for 30 minutes (reduce the heat as necessary to prevent overflow). Drain off the remaining cooking water and return the rice to the pot. Set aside.
- Prepare the filling: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they’re lightly squishy, another 5 minutes or so.
- Add the cilantro, garlic, chili powder and cumin. While stirring, cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the rice, beans, lime juice and about 10 twists of black pepper. Stir to combine, then season with additional salt (I usually add ¼ teaspoon) and black pepper, to taste.
- To stuff the peppers, first pour off any excess juice pooled within the peppers. Then stuff each pepper generously with the rice mixture (if the peppers were truly large, you should have just the right amount of filling—if you have extra, save it to serve as a side dish). Top the peppers with the cheese.
- Bake at 425 for 12 to 13 minutes, until the cheese is golden in spots. Serve warm with fresh cilantro leaves on top or any other garnishes of your choice. Leftovers keep well in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. I believe they would freeze well for several months, but haven’t tried to be sure.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the cheese, and cover the baking dish during its final stint in the oven. I recommend topping the finished peppers with something creamy or saucy, like guacamole, cilantro-hemp pesto or vegan sour cream.
Prepare in advance: This dish is a bit time consuming, though it’s not difficult. You could make the rice in advance, and/or prep the peppers so they are ready to pop in the oven later. You could even assemble the peppers completely and refrigerate, covered, until you’re ready to bake (they will likely need a few extra minutes in the oven to warm through).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
The beans were raw and hard and didn’t soften in the oven. I didn’t see that they were supposed to be canned beans. I guess I should have cooked the beans first. That would take a lot longer of course. Canned beans aren’t the best in my opinion. (I’m just kidding, by the way, about the beans not being cooked enough. But I didn’t realize it until the last minute that they were canned beans, so I had to run to the store in order for dinner to be on time.)
Have made this recipe multiple times for my boyfriend and myself (it has quickly become a weeknight favourite). Sooooo good, thank you.
I love to hear that! Thank you for sharing, Emily.
Was absolutely amazing! Thank you and this will definitely be made often.
That’s great to hear, Micheal!
In the oven! I added canned organic corn.
Sounds great! Thank you for sharing, Tammy.
Dear Kate, your recipes never fail me. Whenever I’m looking for ideas, I go to your page or scroll your book and find something delicious.
I’ve made the stuffed peppers today and loved them! The seasoning is on point, I can blindly trust that you have found the perfect amount of everything. I will definitely be making these again very soon.
Thank you for sharing!
I have tried now several recipes of yours and they were all simple to make but so delicious and this one is no exception. The Mexican filling is so tasty that I will make it again as a side dish. We followed the recipe to the letter but included some of the shredded Mozzarella into the stuffing which turns out very well. Serving the stuffed peppers with guacamole and sour cream- like suggested by you- adds to the Mexican flavour and makes it complete. Thank you!
Thank you, Claudia! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe.
Made this recipe last night and it was delicious my fussy eater hubby even enjoyed it, Thank you
That’s wonderful! Thank you for your review, Lintje.
I made these and they were easy and delicious! I love the addition of tomatoes. I did a mix of mozzarella and cheddar on top. I will definitely make them again!
Great to hear, Brittany! Thank you for your review.
We love your spaghetti squash pizza bowls, mediterranean squash and stuffed acorn squash recipes and I’m wondering whether this recipe would work if I replaced the peppers with a squash (maybe omit the rice?). Thank you for your delicious contributions to our weekly meals!
This was a really yummy and filling. Perfect with a side salad and some feta cheese.
I think next time I’ll omit the cheddar cheese. I don’t think it did much for the overall flavour of the dish.
Thank you, Daniela!
This was delicious. I appreciated how easy and flexible this recipe was (we added jalapenos for heat). Definitely serve the extra rice at the table. We ended up “needing” it to balance the stuffing to pepper ratio.
Thank you for sharing, Suzanne!
These were FANTASTIC!!! My husband and I devoured them and wanted more!! This recipe is definitely a keeper and at the top of my list!
I’m glad you loved it, Kim! Thank you for your review.
This was so good!!! Definitely a must have again!!
Wonderful, Marissa! Thank you for your review.
I really loved this recipe. It surprised me how good it was. It was much better than stuffed peppers I have made in the past. Also this was my first vegetarian stuffed pepper recipe. I am loving all of your recipes. I am making 1-2 recipes of yours a week and I also have your cookbook. Thank you so much !!
Wonderful, Sarah! Thank you for your review.
I made this recipe today and it was delicious! It’s such a hearty and satisfying vegetarian recipe.
Wonderful, Juliana! Thank you for your review.
Made this recipe last night and it was a huge hit with the family. Easy to make, looked amazing and was so delicious. Will be making this a regular at our house. Thanks so much for sharing this fantastic recipe.
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Michelle. I appreciate your review.
I have made these twice- small changes I used black beans ( as I always have them)and mixed wild rice . They are amazing and my whole family loves!! I have one vegetarian and the rest of us are omnivores so finding something to please all can be a challenge !
They came out delicious!!! Thank you!!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
I never have stuffed peppers as I’m not really a big fan of too much pepper, but I make a similar rice and beans dish so I thought I would give this a try. This has become part of my regular meal repertoire! So fresh and tasty, all the flavours really complement each other. This recipe has made me really like peppers! I follow the recipe exactly apart from I use a tin of mixed beans as they’re easier for me to source. Really pleased to have such a yummy and well-rounded meal for our veggie nights.
I love to hear that, Jess! Thank you for sharing
So good! The lime juice compliments the dish so well!
Thanks for another great recipe . We loved the peppers. Karman
I’m happy you loved it, Karman!
This looks amazing, making this week in my meal plan. Fo you think I could freeze them? Thank you!
Hi! I’m not sure how well this recipe would freeze, sorry.
I’m not a great cook and I’m approaching every new recipe with a lot of apprehension. This is one of the best dishes I ever made. It was the perfect dinner, beautiful, balanced and easy to make. Thank you Kate
Great to hear you enjoyed this one, Cristina! Thank you for your review.
Thank you, Kate, for the inspiration!
I am trying to cook more vegetarian meals and need something that will satisfy my meat-loving family taste buds and this is going to be one of our favorites now.
I have replaced rice with pearl barley (as that’s what I had, that is similar in texture to brown rice and we love it) and only had one big tomato, but the end result was delicious!
Very happy family.
Thank you
You’re welcome, Aliona!
I I have made this several times ! And I may have even commented before .. lol.. I change it up depending on what beans or rice I have on hand and sometimes add ground round ( tvp) – it’s always a hit !!!! Love it!
I’m glad you commented again, Joanna! Thank you for your review.
Taste-wise this is very inoffensive so perfect for fussy children. Very easy to cook and looks pretty. I prebaked the peppers for20 min as instructed which was to long as they came out flat so quite hard to stuff afterward. Next time I’ll start checking at about 15 min. Everybody cleared their plates so that’s a testament.
Love this recipe (and so many of your others!)! Do you think this would work to freeze ahead of time too? Or should we fully cook it first and then freeze?
Hi! I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, but I would think cook then freeze. I can’t guarantee what would work well, sorry!
The recipe was very easy to follow and it turned out delicious! Thank you for sharing it with us
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for your review.
Made this for dinner last night starting the day before to make the pinto beans and roast the peppers. It’s a fun dish to make and looks so pretty and is absolutely delicious! I appreciate that the filling perfectly and generously fits into the peppers. Loved it! Thanks very much.
You’re welcome, Arlene! Thank you for your review.
My family loves this! It’s a weekly meal now. Thank you Kate! We are big fans!
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Maria.
This was fantastic! I’d add a little more beans and tomatoes next time. However I absolutely loved it !!
Great to hear, Teresa! Thank you for your review.
Looks delicious and healthy! Looking forward to making it this weekend. I have made something similar, and added pecans & cranberries to the stuffing with Poblano peppers.
Thank you for the wonderful vegetarian recipe!
We made these twice now and just love them.
We did not have red pepper on hand so we used Pablano peppers & sweet potatoes as our stuffers. Otherwise followed the recipe to the letter.
So good!
We now pretty much live on Cookie & Kate recipes.
Thank you!
This is a go-to. The family loves it. Thank you!
That’s great to hear, Liz! Thank you for your review.
We loved your stuffed pepper’s!
We actually have loved every recipe we have tried!
Thank you Kate
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it, Kathy.
These stuffed peppers are delicious! When I made them last week I had to get creative since I didn’t have any cherry tomatoes … I substituted a can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chillies which I drained well and added to the stuffing mixture. It was a great success and added some more zing to the flavours. Served with crumbled feta and diced avocado. Totally yummy!
I love the creativity! Thank you for your review, Susan.
Hello
Can i sub the brown rice for wild rice and will it be dry?
Hi! You can and that should be ok. Let me know what you think!
These peppers are delicious! I love the idea of roasting them before adding the stuffing and cheese. That one step makes for much better flavor!
Thank you, Anne! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
These were delicious! I used white rice, black beans and shredded mexican cheese .Love all your recipes Kate! Thank you
Delicious! One of our favourite dinner recipes at the moment. We add some Mushroom to the dish and replace the Pinto beans with Kidney beans as they are a favourite in our house. Absolutely love this dish, thank you!!
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Beth. I’m glad this is a regular for you at the moment.
Hi thanks for great vegie recipes.
In our household we like our meals on the milder side when it comes to chilli.
How hot is this dish and if it’s very hot would it still be nice if chilli amount was halved??
Thanks
Absolutely delicious!!! Worth any time and effort. I’ll definitely be making this again.
That’s great to hear, Ruby! I appreciate your review.
These stuffed peppers were amazing! Loved the flavours. Served with guacamole, sour cream and fresh cilantro. Doubled the recipe, gave some away for a birthday dinner – which was a hit froze the cooked leftovers. Brought my frozen leftovers to work for lunch, shared with colleagues… and got raved reviews!! We are a meat eating family but I like to bring « no meat » options to the table every so often and this was a sure WINNER!!
Great, easy, inexpensive, tasty and prep ahead recipe!!
Thanks for your generosity:)
Incredible, easy recipe! Healthy and packed with flavor. We will be making these again for sure.
I love that, Christene! Thank you for your review.
Excelente hicimos en Ecuador por primera vez !!! Estamos tratando de dar un giro a ser vegetarianos
Really tasty and colourful dish . It’s so versatile will use the base for all other fillings
Thank youv
Ade this today with so.e changes. Had no cherry tomatoes or beans so used cooke tomatod lentils, mushrooms a d some chopped canned San Marzano tomato and a little of the sauce. Came out great! Thanks for the inspiration!
You’re welcome, Carolyn! I appreciate you sharing.
CAn I use breadcrumbs on top instead?
Sure, that may be a nice addition. Let me know what you think!
Very good and full of delicious spices!♡
Thank you!
These were delicious!!! I’m always excited as the only vegetarian in my family to find a meatless dinner that they also enjoy. We all loved it! Thanks you Kate.
You’re welcome, Michelle!