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 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.
Table of Contents
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.
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.
Recipe FAQs
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.
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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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.
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.
More Mexican Recipes
Shrimp Fajitas
25 mins
Salsa Chicken
40 mins
Barbacoa Beef (Slow Cooker)
4 hrs 10 mins
Taco Salad Recipe
30 mins
Chicken Enchilada Soup
30 mins
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Stuffed Poblano Peppers
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
- Look for large, firm peppers 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.
Flavorful and hearty dish! I used Impossible alternative meat and it was fabulous. The whole family enjoyed the dish. I had never eaten whole poblanos before and I was very pleasantly surprised with them in this dish.
Wish i coul add pic!!! Made for my husband more or less followed ingredients but yes boiling / steaming poblano definitely makes them better to work with. I just had 1 nice size one so he ate it….First time making and he really really liked it! Make it your own add and deduct spices as you wish! Thanks
My daughter makes a very similar recipe butusesjalepenosinstead for appetizers. They are the hit of the party every time! Yummy!
I see your comment about boiling/steaming but don’t see where that was mentioned. do you boil/steam them before baking them?
This was excellent! So happy with the ingredients! I had red kidney beans, and substituted for black beans as I had no black beans. Perfect! Thank you!
Do you cook the beans prior?
I use canned black beans which are already cooked!
Loved these! We put it into our “book” for favorite 2020 recipes. So easy. Thanks for sharing.
I drained them, but I saved two tablespoons of the liquid instead of using plain water 🙂
Love the recipe — just made it.
Sara,
In your Stuffed Poblano Peppers recipe, should the canned tomatoes be drained? You do not mention that in the recipe.
You do not need to drain the tomatoes!
Are the diced tomatoes supposed to be drained?
I don’t drain them!
This looks so simple and delicious! My family absolutely loves stuffed peppers so they’ll be sure to love this
What a savory side dish with a kick! These turned out perfect and are restaurant worthy, indeed!
Sounds really fantastic! Packed with flavors in every bite, definitely making this!
Excellent dish for the summer! Love it! So tasty, healthy, and easy!
This is great specially when we need something quick and easy!
Looks sooooooooo delicious! Perfect for a light Mexican style dinner.
This recipe is so on my list of NEED-TO-DO! I can’t wait to try it.
Love every combination to making it. This is surely unique and special. I love the cheesy topping to it too.
Made this earlier tonight — I left out the beans as I can’t tolerate them, turned out amazing. Had avocado on the side. Perfect dinner.
Love the poblano pepper twist! Such a great dinner recipe!
We usually use bell peppers for stuffed peppers. I LOVE this twist. The Poblano will be perfect!
I do love me some Mexican food, plus I like the thought of mixing this mix up on a second or third try. Sounds like a little adventure for the old’s palate to me!