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
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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.
I am not a good cook but am trying to eat a more vegetarian diet. I didn’t have all the right ingredients but was able to replace and – amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe!! Look forward to trying more
I’m always looking for new vegetarian options. My son is a vegetarian, but I’m not. This recipe is a winner! Great flavors. I’m sure I will be making this regularly. Thanks.
You’re welcome, Erika! I’m excited to hear you love these stuffed peppers.
I can confirm that these do freeze pretty well, and are great to pull out when you don’t feel like cooking.
Very versatile recipe, I always use orzo instead of rice with great success. Thanks for another great recipe
Thank you for sharing how you changed this recipe, Stacey! I appreciate your review.
I particularly like the prep method here of pre-roasting the peppers; works better to my mind than all of the alternatives (not pre-cooking at all; parboiling; adding liquid to the pan while baking/baking covered). I don’t like my peppers to bite back (which happens if you don’t precook at all) but I also don’t like them mooshy (which happens with the liquid options. These were perfect—tender but still firm. I also used green peppers and they worked great—I’ve come to like their greater vegetalness/less sweetness for stuffing. (The star rating link is giving me static; it’s meant to be 5 but please excuse if it didn’t work right.)
These were so tasty! Really well seasoned and a delicious vegetarian option for a week night meal or even a dinner party
Great to hear, Kate! Thank you for sharing.
Filling is very tasty. Chili beans add some kick. Used canned tomatoes since it is December and those plastic ones in the store have no taste.
Delicious. Substituted garbanzos and basil and tamari instead of extra salt. This is also a great way to use garden peppers and tomatoes.
Thank you for sharing, Robin!
This was a delicious recipe! I made it as written, except I used some chopped slicing tomatoes along with the cherry tomatoes, and home-grown green peppers as the base. Just a wonderful flavor! I supplemented it with a Southwestern Salad mix and some jalapenos and green onions. Thanks for the outstanding recipe :-)
You’re welcome, Lori! I appreciate your review.
I just made this tonight. I eyeballed the ingredients since it was just one serving for myself. I’m very picky about my food but this was absolutely amazing. I definitely will be making again.
That’s great to hear, Trudy! I appreciate your review.
Loved these! Made them last night for a crowd. They were pretty quick and easy. I skipped cilantro because I didn’t have any and I pregrilled the peppers on the grill instead of in the oven. All around wonderful! Thank you
You’re welcome, Kristen!
I made it today with some alterations. I used airfryer instead of oven. I didn’t have cilantro so i used shredded kale to get a green component. It turned out great. I’m definitely going to make this again. Thank you.
I love your recipes and was gifted your cookbook for my birthday. I tried this but the peppers collapsed and lost their shape after being cooked…How do I keep that from happening?
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. They will become some what soft after being cooked.
I made this recipe two nights in a row! It was so good that my family wanted a second night!! And was chosen over Wendy’s. Lol! Tweaks I made, omitting tomatoes and replacing with mushrooms. Also, adding homemade avocado pico de gallo salsa. Thank you for a new recipe to add to my book!
going to try it tonite! you may want to have your IT person ck out why the print option feature doesn’t work…. prints everything even when some options are NOT chosen. :)
Thank you for your feedback, I will take a look.
Kate has done it again! 2 absolute banger recipes in a row – this was simple to follow and oh so delicious! Seriously tasty
This is a great recipe! I appreciate how easy it is but slices are just right! I add black beans and red kidney beans to add some protein to the mix and they are perfect!
Thank you for sharing, Brenda!
Love this recipe. When I don’t have cherry tomatoes I substitute about a cup of my frozen, peeled and seeded home grown tomatoes. I cook them down until they’re thickened. I also substitute parsley for the cilantro.
Thank you for your review, Carol!
This is the stuffed pepper recipe I was looking for! I made mine with a sort of a vegan “fridge clean-out” stuffing (rice, beans, greens, all the veg that I could get in there…) It was kinda random, but delicious! Love the idea of pre-roasted peppers! Mine were always too crunchy & therefore a little bit harder to dig into. This is just all melt in ur mouth, flavor bomb fantastic, simple food. Thank you!
These peppers came out absolutely delicious! I’m college student who loves to cook, so I’m always on the lookout for fun, affordable recipes to try. Made them with cornbread and they’ve quickly become a new favorite! Thanks so much!
Thank you for your review, Chiara! I appreciate your review.
Delicious recipe thank you! It turned out amazing
Great to hear, Jay! Thank you for your review.
I made these without tomatoes because I didn’t have them and with monterey jack cheese as that is what I had and they were outstanding! I have never made a C&K recipe I didn’t love, so thanks Kate!!
This was so yummy! Just started experimenting with a plant based diet, and this was a winner and gave alot of nutritional vitamins I’m aiming to hit for the day. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Lana!
Absolutely loved the enchiladas recipe so eager to try more of yours, thank you!!
Would this one work with white rice?
I prefer it as written, but you can try it.
Delicious! We are learning to eat vegetarian/vegan and you are helping us transition with joy. We loved these stuffed peppers. I followed your recipe exactly. Thanks Kate.
You’re welcome, Jane! Thank you for your review.
Delicious recipe… I added roasted corn and hatch green chile to the stuffing
I like to pre cook my peppers in the microwave as it saves time and mess. Place the halved peppers cut side down in a dish and microwave for about 4 minutes until slightly soft.
I also used quinoa rather than rice. Bulgar wheat is another alternative, or a mixture of the two.
Great to hear, Liz!
I made these with black beans, canned diced tomatoes and basil (what I had on hand) and WOW! Excellent recipe, I can’t wait to make again. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome, Jenny!
Made these last night and were a hit! Made them vegan, with a vegan mozzarella, and used yellow and orange peppers because that’s what I had. Don’t think the flavor profile was much affected by these subs, and those flavors were deliciously different from the usual stuffed peppers! Thank you for yet another great recipe, and one that is as usual, very well written.
You’re welcome, Jeanne!
Great recipe. I use black beans instead of pinto and substitute a can of mild rotel tomatoes with only half cup of cherry tomatoes and it is perfect. We even have burrito night with this recipe as the filling (with sour cream and cheese).
Yum!
This was a great vegetarian recipe! I did find that the amount of filling was a bit skimpy for the “large” peppers. Having said that, one half of a whole stuffed pepper was plenty for me! I added salsa, followed by cheese over the tops of the peppers, and then took it to a whole new level by planking them! They were smokey and delicious! Highly recommend trying them that way! I wish I could add pictures to show you how beautiful they looked on the grill!
This came out perfectly. The carmelized red peppers came out perfectly. The oven preheats while the brown rice is cooking and everything cooks quickly. I will definitely make this again
I love to hear that, William! Thank you for your review.
I just finished making the filling, and it’s delicious! I used farro instead of rice, but otherwise prepared as written. The lime juice really makes the flavors pop! I’m going to add a small amount of chopped tomatoes with juice prior to stuffing the peppers because I feel like the filling may be a bit dry after baking. I made these to use some of the many green peppers coming out of my garden, and will definitely make it again. I will probably make the filling to eat as is, when peppers are no longer so plentiful. Great recipe!
Thank you, Nancy!
This is my favorite recipe from C&K. I prepare it without cellery. Lime juice in combination with cumin give a spezial flavour.
Just what you would expect. I made this the first time for a dinner party. That’s the kind of confidence I have in her recipes. The only change I made was using parsley instead of cilantro, as I didn’t have any. Still fabulous.
That’s great to hear, Gail!
Delicious! Thank you for sharing all your amazing recipes!
You’re welcome, Tracie!
I had an abundance of green peppers from our garden, along with onions and cherry tomatoes, and decided to make stuffed peppers. In Googling recipes I landed on this one and followed it pretty much as written with three small changes- I added some smoked paprika and fresh corn during the sauté and used pepper jack cheese on top instead of mozzarella. It was awesome! Pre roasting the peppers resulted in really tender finish. I loved the use of brown rice and pinto beans. The flavors were fresh and the lime added an unexpected brightness. I served the peppers with sliced avocado alongside as recommended, and it was perfect. I was cooking for just my husband and me and we ended up with a lot leftover, but I’m planning to take some to work for lunch and freeze the rest. And I’ve bookmarked this recipe because I know I’ll make it again.
That’s great to hear, Josie!
Great recipe, (as always). I made these to entertain friends who are vegan and they had to bail. (I doubled the recipe). I shared with a friend and he said he inhaled two of the three and saving the third for today. So delish. I made everything a day ahead and assembled them right before cooking. I think I overcooked the peppers just a bit, next time I’ll give a few fewer minutes in the oven before stuffing. Thank You!
You’re welcome, Veronica!
Absolutely delicious!
I’m happy to hear you enjoy it, Catherine!
Very flavorful! The rice mix is so tasty with such simple ingredients! Thank you, all your recipes are such reliable hits!!
I’m happy to hear you love these peppers, Veena!