Stuffed Poblano Peppers

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These stuffed poblano peppers are the ultimate healthy dinner! They're fresh and light, easy to make, and filled with bold, zesty flavor.

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poblano peppers

This stuffed poblano peppers recipe might be my new favorite summertime dinner. It has all the best parts of stuffed bell peppers – a fresh, flavorful filling, fun garnishes, and juicy roasted peppers – but the poblanos add an extra layer of heat. The whole thing is super fresh, super flavorful, and really darn fun to eat.

If you’ve never cooked with poblano peppers before, they’re a chili pepper with a mild to medium heat level. On the Scoville scale, which measures how spicy peppers are, they range from 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville heat units. For context, bell peppers score 0, while jalapeños can range anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000. In my experience, poblano peppers are typically mild, but if you’re sensitive to spice, choose them with caution. Look for larger poblano peppers (they’re typically less spicy) or use regular bell peppers in this recipe.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers Recipe Ingredients

I make my stuffed poblano peppers filling with a mix of fresh veggies and heartier plant-based ingredients. It’s packed with bold, zesty flavor, but it feels really light and fresh at the same time. Here’s what’s in it:

  • Rice and black beans – They make this recipe hearty and satisfying! White and brown rice both work great here, so use what you have on hand.
  • Cauliflower – The secret ingredient that makes this filling so light! Broken into tiny pieces or pulsed into cauliflower rice, it makes you feel like you’re eating more rice than you really are.
  • Spices – Cumin, coriander, and oregano add delicious aromatic flavor.
  • Diced red onion, red bell pepper, and fresh spinach – They punch up the flavor and make these peppers feel super fresh.
  • And lime juice and tomatillo salsa add tangy, zesty flavor!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers Variations

Once you prep the filling, you can finish these peppers three ways:

  • Totally plant-based. My favorite variation! Top the peppers with avocado slices or guacamole, extra tomatillo salsa, and chile lime cashew cream. The cashew cream is a bit of an extra step, but it’s SO GOOD on these peppers and on this veggie burrito bowl. (Blend once, eat twice!) My regular cashew sour cream, cilantro lime dressing, or chipotle sauce would also be great here.
  • With cheese in the filling. Mix crumbled feta or Cotija cheese into the filling before you stuff the peppers. Then, bake them and top them with the fixings suggested above!
  • With melty cheese on top. This one is Jack’s favorite. If you’re someone who needs melty cheese on your stuffed peppers, top them with a layer of your favorite shredded cheese before they bake. I recommend Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar. Then, bake until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Yum!

What’s your favorite variation? Let me know in the comments!

Serving Suggestions

This recipe yields 1 poblano pepper (2 stuffed halves) per person, which is enough for a light dinner. Enjoy them on their own, pair them with a simple green salad, or serve them with any of these fresh side dishes:

And don’t forget the margaritas to drink! Enjoy!

More Favorite Tex Mex Recipes

If you love these stuffed poblano peppers, try one of these tasty Tex Mex recipes next:

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

rate this recipe:4.86 from 21 votesPrep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Serves 4Save Recipe Print RecipeThis stuffed poblano peppers recipe is a wonderful light summer dinner! If you can't find poblanos, bell peppers would also work here.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium poblano peppers
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 1/3 cup diced red onion or chopped scallions
  • 1 heaping cup cauliflower florets, broken into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup cooked white or brown rice
  • 3 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus wedges for serving
  • ¼ cup tomatillo salsa, store bought or this recipe
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • optional: Monterey Jack cheese, for topping (see note)

Serve with:

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment pepper.
  • Slice the peppers in half and remove the seeds and ribbing. Place on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper, and roast cut side up for 15 minutes.
  • In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cauliflower, red pepper, cumin, coriander, oregano, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook until the onion is soft and the cauliflower is lightly browned, about 5 to 8 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the black beans, rice, spinach, lime juice and tomatillo salsa. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  • Scoop the filling into the peppers and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Serve with avocado slices, cilantro, tomatillo salsa, green chile cashew cream and lime slices on the side.

Notes

If you’d like to add cheese, top it onto the peppers just before baking and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browning on top.

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