With ground beef, cheese, and rice, think of this Mexican stuffed peppers recipe as your favorite taco in a colorful bell pepper shell, and you’ll be halfway to the border asking for more.
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“Delicious and easy and that’s a win win. Definitely going on rotation here. Thank you for the amazing recipe!” ~Sheryl, FoodieCrush reader
Your Favorite Taco, Stuffed Into a Bell Pepper
Stuffed bell peppers could be the quintessential healthy-meal-delivered-in-a-vegetable-vessel if there ever was one. And yes, I did have to look up how to spell quintessential.
But this is no ordinary stuffed pepper recipe. It carries a bit of that Mexican swagger more often found at your fave taco joint where you head in with the best of intentions to eat a little lighter (hold the cheese, please), but head out grabbing your gut that’s now about to explode thanks to the Mexican platter combo you swore you’d save half for later — and didn’t.
This riff on the classic stuffed pepper recipe is well spiced for a lighter way to partake of your favorite Mexican food intake. And even better, the filling is all cooked in one pan.
Heidi’s Tip: Always Pre-Cook Bell Peppers Before Stuffing!
I have a secret that cuts the prep time for softening the bell peppers in half.
The microwave.
I pre-cook my peppers by adding them to a microwave-safe baking dish, sprinkling the interior of the peppers with a bit of kosher salt, then adding ¼ cup water to the bottom of the dish.
Cover the peppers and give them a 5-minute blast in the microwave to soften them. I let them sit covered for 10 minutes or so to continue steaming while the filling is cooking.
The Main Ingredients You’ll Need
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
Peppers
Red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers may all be used. Use one color or use a mixture. I suppose you could even make the Mexican-style stuffed peppers with another variety of pepper entirely!
Ground Beef
Choose 90% lean ground beef so your filing doesn’t taste greasy. You can swap it with ground turkey or chicken, but you might need to add a little extra oil to the pan since both are so lean.
Rice
Most stuffed pepper recipes call for pre-cooked rice. In this recipe, the rice is cooked right along with the sauce. It saves you from any more dirty dishes, plus the rice soaks up all the flavors as it cooks.
Salsa
Store-bought or homemade salsa may be used. The salsa is a one-step ingredient that adds the garlic, tomatoes, and spices all in one fell swoop.
An Overview of How the Mexican Stuffed Peppers Are Made
- Make the filling. First, the ground beef is browned with the onion. Then, add a good quality, restaurant style salsa plus the classic Mexican spices cumin and chile powder. Water and dry rice are then added to the meat combination where it all cooks down and the rice absorbs the flavors and water to become tender. Stir in more water as needed until the rice is tooth tender.
- Stuff the pre-cooked peppers with the warm filling. You can really pack in the filing here.
- Bake until fork-tender, then top with shredded cheese and cook for a few minutes more, until the cheese melts and begins to bubble.
Heidi’s Tip: If you happen to have extra stuffing, spoon it around the bottom of the peppers to cook alongside.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Mexican Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers , stems and tops removed, then seeded and
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion , chopped, about 1 ½ cups
- 24 ounce jar restaurant style salsa
- 1 teaspoon chile powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup shredded cheese , Mexican blend or cheddar
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup sour cream , optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Brown the ground beef in a large fry pan over medium high heat for 5 minutes or until cooked almost through. Add the onion cook until softened, about 5 more minutes. Stir in the jarred salsa, chile powder, and cumin. Add the white rice and water, season with kosher salt and bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, adding more water if necessary. When the rice is tender, fold in ¾ of the chopped cilantro, reserving some for garnish.
- While the meat and rice are cooking, cut off the tops of the peppers, spoon out the ribs and seeds, then rinse. Lightly sprinkle the inside of the peppers with kosher salt and place in a microwave safe dish with ¼ cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes or until they soften but still hold their shape.
- Transfer the peppers to a 3 quart baking dish. Fill the peppers with the hot meat and rice mixture.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle with cheese and heat for an additional minute or two until the cheese has melted. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and sour cream if you’d like, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Want to Freeze a Batch for Later? Here’s How!
Stuffed peppers are super simple to freeze and reheat for busy days. Follow the instructions up to step 5. Cover tightly with foil and freeze for up to 2 months.
To cook stuffed peppers from frozen, do not thaw, but bake direct from frozen and covered with foil at 400°F for 1 ½ hours.
Sides That Go With Mexican Stuffed Peppers
- Chips and Homemade Salsa
- Elote (Mexican Corn)
- Refried Beans or Pinto Beans
- Mexican Coleslaw
- Coconut Margaritas 😉
More Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipes
- Classic Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers
- Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe
- Spiralized Zucchini, Quinoa and Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers
- Baked Eggs in Stuffed Peppers
- Creamy Chicken Stuffed Peppers
- Stuffed Pasilla Peppers
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Karen Russo
I tweaked the recipe slightly and they were, “The Best Mexican Stuffed Peppers”. I used my homemade salsa (which rocks!) but 1st I substituted 1/2 the ground beef with hot Italian ground sausage. I realize that this is a mexican recipe, but Mama Mia – they were sooo good!
What a great idea Karen, you can’t go wrong with sausage IMO!
Jeanne
I didn’t have the white rice nor the salsa. So I improvised and used a box of Rice A Roni instead. It worked out wonderful. I did follow the rest of your instructions tho and they tasted great.
Great sourcing of the pantry Jeanne! So glad you enjoyed them!
Mary
I loved this recipe. I will make this over and over
So glad you enjoyed it Mary. Thanks for the 5 stars and adding it to your regular rotation.
Sophie
Do you still have to pre cook the peppers to do the crock pot method?
I think you’d be fine by skipping the pre-cooking if cooking in the crockpot.
Angela
Great recipe. Added chorizo, diced chillies, corn, black beans, got rave reviews from the family. I need and love these recipes that are strong enough to withstand what I have on hand and the add-ins.
I used my patio-garden peppers and poblanos and this recipe did right by them. Thank you!
That’s terrific Angela! I’m so glad you adapted it to make it work!!!
Sheryl
Delicious and easy and that’s a win win. Definitely going on rotation here. Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Hayley
Thank you, Sheryl! We’re so glad you enjoyed these!
Alisa Bazan
Wonderful! I cut up the tops and added those in too. Used cherry salsa, original and spicy because that’s the only salsa I had on hand; added a slightly sweet flavor which we liked! Would definitely make again!
Hayley
Thanks for sharing with us, Alisa! We’re glad you enjoyed these and were able to make them work with what you had on hand! :)
Nicole
Loved them! I cut the rice in 1/2 and precooked it so I didn’t use the two cups of water. Added a can of spicy black beans to make up for the rice and only had a 15 oz jar of salsa. This is going in the rotation! Thank you!!
Thanks for the additional ingredient ideas Nicole. Glad it’s going to become a regular!
Holly
These were such a great addition to the dinner rotation. I only had a 14 oz jar of salsa and found that the flavor was still good, I supplemented with a few tablespoons of salsa verde. I also double the spices for a bit more flavor. Will definitely fix these again!
Hayley
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Holly!
laura hunt
can I use a packet of taco seasoning instead?
Hayley
Hi Laura! Yes, you definitely could, you would just need to season to taste. Hope you enjoy!
Christy
I made this today & it turned out great! I love it. It will be in my rotation.
Brittany
Delicious! A little spicy, but the sour cream tones it down. Will definitely make again!
I’m glad you enjoyed!
Lydia
These. Were. Delicious!
Like many internet recipe commenters I ended up changing things – I subbed out ground turkey for beef, and didn’t have enough salsa so I added some diced green chilies and used chicken broth instead of water, but I think the recipe is still basically the same, and it was SO GOOD! And quite filling, but surprisingly low-calorie!
I will absolutely be making these again.
Heather
Very tasty I forgot the cilantro and now am kicking myself but still good. Next time I will add a can of beans as a personal preference and perhaps omit the meat for a meatless monday dish. Thank you for the recipe!!
Michelle
So yummy also have used chorizo in place of the ground beef. I did drain is well before adding the onions. I recommend this recipe!!
Jayne Birkholz
Amazing recipe! We are not huge fans of “traditional” stuffed peppers but had a bounty of peppers from my garden that needed to be used and decided to give this a try! Made it following the recipe as written with the addition of some corn and WE LOVED IT! Thank you it’s a keeper.
Danielle
AWESOME Recipe!!! Thank you !!! I used chili powder and taco seasoning. I also used a 8.5 ounce Jasmine cilantro and lime rice. The peppers were delicious!! I love the shortcut of prepping the peppers in the microwave!!!
Olivia
Any recommendations of how to substitute diced tomatoes with Green chiles for the salsa? Trying to use what’s in the cupboards and we’re currently out of salsa….just not sure amounts?
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I would sub one can for one can! You’ll want less chiles than you would tomatoes and those cans are much smaller.
Paula
I’be used canned enchilada sauce in a pinch. Mix a cup into everything.
Katherine T Hietanen
Excellent recipe Mabel !
I only had three peppers. I froze the remaining mixture in a FoodSaver bag for a future dinner.
Also, I only had a 16 oz. tub of fresh salsa, I added a couple fresh tomatoes to bring up the volume, I also used homemade chix stock, and 1/2 t. of coriander because it pairs with the cumin.
I love using up multiple ingredients that are always in my pantry. This would be a great summer recipe to use the peppers and tomatoes in your gardens !
Thank you,
Kay
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thank you Kay!
Mabel Craig
Made it for dinner, two thumbs up from hubby! Another keeper
Thanks!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thanks so much!
Natalie
Why aren’t there any measurements or temps for the oven?????
Use the same amount of water and same time.
Clara Ang
It says 350 degrees F.
Rhonda Pridgen
The ingredient list doesn’t reflect the cheese or cilantro. How much of each?
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I just use them as toppings :) Thanks Rhonda!