This recipe for stuffed poblano peppers is tender pasilla chiles filled with a mixture of ground beef, rice, black beans and vegetables, then topped with cheese and baked. A hearty Mexican style meal that’s sure to get rave reviews!

We love Mexican food recipes, and some of my family’s favorites include tacos al pastor and chicken enchilada casserole. When I’m looking to mix things up a bit, I serve these stuffed poblano peppers for a unique and unexpected dinner with tons of flavor.

Stuffed poblano peppers filled with rice, corn, beans and meat.

Stuffed bell peppers are a classic dish that never goes out of style, but this zesty Mexican version kicks things up a notch. These poblano peppers are filled with a savory blend of meat, rice, beans and cheese for an easy yet satisfying meal.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers Ingredients

To make this recipe, you will need poblano peppers, vegetable oil, ground beef, garlic, taco seasoning, cooked white rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, Monterey jack cheese and cilantro.

How Do You Make Stuffed Poblano Peppers?

This recipe starts with prepping your peppers. Slice the tops off the peppers, then remove the ribs and seeds. I find it easiest to remove the seeds and ribs with a serrated grapefruit spoon or a small paring knife. Preheat the oven, and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the peppers on the pan, then bake them until they start to soften. While the peppers are in the oven, prepare the filling. Brown the ground beef in a pan or large skillet, then add the garlic and some taco seasoning. Next, add rice, beans, corn, tomatoes and some of the cheese to the pan. Stir everything together, then divide the filling evenly among the peppers. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the peppers, then bake until the cheese melts. Top with cilantro, then serve.

Hollowed out poblano peppers on a pan.

Tips For Stuffed Poblano Peppers

  • Look for large, firm chilis without any wrinkled spots that have fresh looking stems.
  • You just want to slice the very top off the pepper right where the base of the stem begins, do not cut the peppers in half.
  • You can assemble the peppers up to 8 hours before you plan to bake them. You may need to add another 5-10 minutes in the oven to compensate for starting with cold peppers.
  • Serve your peppers with side dishes such as Mexican salad, avocado corn salad or Mexican fruit cups. You can also add toppings such as salsas like salsa verde, a dollop of sour cream, or sauces like enchilada sauce.

Quick Tip

I recommend using freshly grated cheese rather than the pre-shredded kind that comes in a bag. The pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as nicely because it contains anti caking additives.

A skillet filled with ground beef, rice, tomatoes, beans and corn.

Recipe FAQs

How hot is a poblano pepper?

Poblano peppers are quite mild. The heat of peppers is measured in terms of Scoville units. A jalapeno has a Scoville measurement that’s anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000 units. A poblano pepper measures from 1,000 – 1,500 on the Scoville scale.

Can you eat poblano pepper skin?

You can absolutely eat the skin of a poblano pepper. In situations where a poblano has been roasted, you may want to consider removing the skin if it’s been blackened by the heat source. In this particular case, the peppers are baked to soften them, but are not blackened, so it’s perfectly fine to enjoy the skin. I also find that if you remove the skin of a pepper that you’re planning to stuff, the pepper is more likely to fall apart when you add the fillings because the skin helps it to hold its shape.

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Poblano peppers filled with rice, meat, beans and corn.

Stuffed Poblano Pepper Variations

There are so many different ways to customize this recipe to your personal tastes.

  • Protein: Try diced chicken, ground turkey, ground pork or chorizo instead of the ground beef.
  • Beans: Pinto beans are a great substitute for black beans.
  • Vegetables: You can add other veggies to the mix such as onion, red bell pepper or zucchini.
  • Cheese: I typically use Monterey Jack cheese for this recipe, but cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese are also great choices.
  • Flavorings: Feel free to add more spices to the filling like cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and lime juice.
  • Grains: Instead of white rice you can use quinoa or brown rice. Cauliflower rice also works for a low carb option.
A plate of stuffed poblano peppers topped with melted cheese.

These peppers have it all, they’re the perfect blend of meat, cheese, beans and rice. It’s almost like a burrito without the tortilla! Stuffed poblano peppers are sure to become a family favorite.

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4.99 from 96 votes

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

AuthorSara Welch
Stuffed poblano peppers filled with rice, corn, beans and meat.
This recipe for stuffed poblano peppers is tender pasilla chiles filled with a mixture of ground beef, rice, black beans and vegetables, then topped with cheese and baked. A hearty Mexican style meal that's sure to get rave reviews!
Time
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine Mexican
Serves 6

Ingredients 

  • 6 large poblano peppers cut a slice off lengthwise, then remove seeds and ribs
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 1 cup cooked white rice
  • 1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup corn kernels thawed from frozen
  • 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese divided use
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • cooking spray

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay the poblano peppers on the pan in a single layer.
  • Bake the peppers for 10-15 minutes or until softened.
  • Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until the meat is cooked through.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add the packet of taco seasoning along with 2 tablespoons of water. Stir to coat the meat in seasoning.
  • Add the rice, beans, corn, tomatoes and 3/4 cheese to the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir to combine.
  • Divide the meat mixture evenly between the peppers. Top with remaining cheese.
  • Return the peppers to the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with cilantro, then serve.

Notes

  1. Look for large, firm peppers without any wrinkled spots that have fresh looking stems.
  2. You just want to slice the very top off the pepper right where the base of the stem begins, do not cut the peppers in half.

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 646mg | Potassium: 829mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1305IU | Vitamin C: 141.2mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 4.1mg

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Comments

  1. I made this, except I turned it into a casserole and it was SOOOOOO good. I broiled, blistered, sweated, and peeled the skin off the poblanos, chopped them up and added them in at the end of preparing the filling. I used a little more rice and beans and corn, put it all in a 13 x 9 pan, topped with the second half of the cheese, served with sour cream and lots of chopped cilantro. SOOOOOOO good.

  2. what do you do with the parts of the poblano that you cut off? Do you save for another recipe or maybe chop up and cook with the beef mixture?

  3. 5 stars
    I think this will be fantastic! Can’t wait to make it! I’ll probably omit the corn (not a fan) and add pork chorizo to the ground beef for extra zippiness!

  4. 5 stars
    These were fantastic! Followed the recipe with the exception of corn…had no corn! Would make again! Thank you.

  5. 5 stars
    I usually don’t give 5 stars if I don’t follow the recipe exactly – but you said “customizable” – so I used leftover Greek meat mixture & added the black beans & corn. I left out the rice & added chopped fresh spinach (I love that nobody noticed since the peppers are so green). I also threw in some nutritional yeast. So yummy – hubby couldn’t stop eating them!!

  6. 5 stars
    This was delicious. I’m not good at measuring so I had enough of the stuffing to put in the bottom of my casserole dish. It was amazing. I used fresh corn as it was in season and charged it over the flame on my stove. Yum yum!

  7. Loved this!!! I made a few changes and I’ll definitely be making this again!
    I used a combo of ground beef and ground pork, left out the beans and rice as we eat lower carb. I added diced onion when cooking the meat, used diced chipotle tomatoes…so good!

  8. 5 stars
    Delicious & easy. I accidentally forgot the diced tomatoes but now like it better without. Will be making it again.

  9. 5 stars
    Excellent recipe! Yes, I made minor changes : added diced onion, omitted the corn because we were having corn as a side, and used cheddar since I didn’t have Monterey Jack. Also, I forgot to add cilantro. But my husband and I both really liked it, and I will definitely make it again. Thanks, Sara – I’ve never made a recipe of yours that we didn’t enjoy.

  10. 5 stars
    I made this for dinner tonight and YUM! It is a pretty easy recipe to throw together and it turned out really tasty. My picky four-year-old gobbled up a bowl full of the filling – I’ve never seen her eat so fast. We’ll be adding this to the dinner rotation!

  11. Do the peppers need to be peeled after baking and prior to filling?
    Also, can the filled peppers be frozen prior to returning to oven for final bake?
    Thank you.

  12. I have cut this recipe in half since there are just the two of us. It’s wonderful! I have made the whole recipe and stuffed two peppers and used the remaining stuffing a few days later to make burritos. Yep, really yummy! Just make it. It will be in your rotation for sure!

  13. 5 stars
    What a fabulous, addictive recipe; delicious and adaptable too! Sometime I use ground turkey instead of beef, pinto instead of black beans, varied cheeses, etc. And in place of the corn, I add more beans. Left overs are tasty as hell, so next time I think I will double the batch. The recipes from this site are uniformly great. You rock, Sara!

  14. 5 stars
    I had about 8 small poblanos I brought in just before a freeze. This was perfect despite the smaller vessel. And I loved the link to the taco seasoning recipe. Saving that for future recipes. I also imagine this will be amazing with bell peppers. I also used ground turkey. These also were amazing as leftovers