Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Hello? The 90s called inviting you to dinner.  Yup, this is happening folks, I’m bringing back this old classic of stuffed peppers with a spicy new twist – Mexican Stuffed Peppers, coming right at ya! Made with, ground beef, black beans, and fragrant spices, these Mexican stuffed peppers are full of flavor and high in protein.

Ahhhh, I remember it like it was yesterday. It was 1993, and I was the ripe old age of 9 rocking overalls, a Charlotte Hornets t-shirt and a Utah Jazz hat. I was living the dream! I was at a friend’s house for dinner, and while playing Lego with my buddy Tim, his mother told us dinner was ready. “What are we having?” I asked and, to my delight, the response was “stuffed peppers”. My eyes lit up and I remember thinking to myself “Wow, how fancy!”.  Glorious peppers, filled with delicious fixings and baked to a sweet golden goodness; what a culinary delight!

Now, looking back it really wasn’t as fancy as I remember but for some reason, Mexican stuffed peppers still hold a special place in my heart. Perhaps their simple and colourful beauty provides an illusion that they are Michelin Star quality. (Spoiler alert – these peppers have not won any awards.) And although that is not necessarily true, they sure do hit the spot.

I like to think of these Mexican stuffed peppers as fajitas, without the fa or the jitas, (those are things, right?) but rather a spicy, peppery and hearty option that will have you saying Olé by the time dinner is done. Serve them with a big ol’ salad, and you can easily feed a crowd and make a great meal prep idea too.

More Healthy Mexican-Inspired Recipes:

• Chicken Burrito Casserole
• Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls
• Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
• DIY Burrito Bowls

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Author: Stephanie Kay

These Mexican stuffed peppers are made with ground beef and black beans, but you could easily make them vegetarian by using cooked lentils or quinoa instead of beef.

• Author: Stephanie Kay
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Main
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Mexican

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Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 bell peppers, (red, yellow, or orange)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes (or fresh, chopped)
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup black or kidney beans
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• Toppings: Avocado, salsa, fresh limes, cilantro, hot sauce, queso fresco or manchego.

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Halve peppers vertically and remove any core or seeds. Brush pepper very lightly with olive oil and set on a baking sheet.
3. In a skillet, brown the ground beef. Cook until lightly brown and cooked about half way through. Remove from the pan, strain the excess fat and set ground beef aside.
4. In the same pan, heat butter on medium heat and add diced onion and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes until onions become translucent.
5. Add cumin, chilli, paprika and oregano to the pan and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
6. Add ground beef back to the pan and stir well to combine with the spice mixture. Season with sea salt.
7. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, and stir well to combine. Simmer for 5-7 minutes on a low heat.
8. Add black beans, corn and cilantro to the beef mixture and stir well. Add more seasoning now if needed.
9. Stuff the peppers. Add the beef mixture to the peppers and lay flat on a baking sheet.
10. Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until pepper are soft but not mushy. (For softer peppers, simply leave them another 10 minutes.)
11. Once cooked top peppers with desired toppings of your choice and serve with a large green salad.
12. Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 pepper
• Calories: 170 calories
• Sugar: 7 grams
• Fat: 5 grams
• Carbohydrates: 17 grams
• Fiber: 5 grams
• Protein: 16 grams

Keywords: bell peppers, beef, healthy, easy