• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Chisel & Fork logo

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • DIY
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • DIY
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You Are Here: Home → Vegetarian

    Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

    January 24, 2021 | Updated September 13, 2022 by Ryan 1 Comment

    432 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These vegetarian quinoa stuffed peppers are hearty and filling and the perfect vegetarian option for any day you feel liking being healthy. It doesn't hurt that they are super tasty as well.

    overhead shot of stuffed peppers in baking dish

    It's January, which is all about eating healthy, which means lots of Mexican-inspired vegetarian meals like crispy tofu tacos or vegetarian burrito bowls.

    In fact, Food and Wine comes out with a great healthy eating calendar every year! I mean we've got to lose some of those pounds we added during the holidays, or at least I do.

    Unfortunately for me, I battle eating healthy sometimes as I just want to eat what I enjoy. But luckily these vegetarian stuffed bell peppers are not only healthy, but taste great too!

    My wife and I are all about southwest flavors, but most times we're eating meals loaded with not necessarily the healthiest ingredients so this is a nice change of pace for us.

    What makes these quinoa stuffed peppers great, is you can change the flavors around a little just with the spices you use. You could even use some salsa, instead of diced green chiles.

    I know for us, we can't handle too much heat, but if you need more heat just add some cayenne pepper. So if you are like us and need to be on the healthier side these days, then give these quinoa stuffed peppers a try.

    Jump to:
    • Recipe Ingredients
    • Ingredient Swaps
    • Step-by-Step Photos
    • FAQs
    • Benefits of Quinoa
    • Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
    • Other Vegetarian Recipes
    • Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
    peppers stuffed with quinoa in baking dish

    Recipe Ingredients

    • Peppers - bell peppers are best as they are large enough and hold some texture after being cooked.
    • Quinoa - the base of the stuffing that has a ton of added nutrients.
    • Spices - the combination of cumin, chili powder and garlic powder enhances the flavor of the quinoa stuffed peppers.

    Ingredient Swaps

    You can mix up the ingredients if you want. Some variations include:

    • While I like the benefits of quinoa, rice, barley or farro are good substitutes.
    • I use black beans for added protein, but you can also use garbanzo or cannellini beans.
    • Pepper jack cheese is my go-to for Mexican-style food, but Monterey jack, cheddar or mozzarella work too.

    Step-by-Step Photos

    process shots of how to make stuffed peppers

    Cook the quinoa according to package instructions then combine the quinoa with the rest of the ingredients and 1 cup of cheese.

    Slice tops of the peppers and scoop out the inside. Spoon the filling to the top of each. Add the peppers in a baking dish with some water. Cover with aluminum and bake at 375°F for 50 minutes. Add cheese on top and broil for 2-3 minutes or until melted.

    FAQs

    Can I Make this Vegan?

    Yes you can. There are plenty of vegan cheese options out there that will work with these stuffed peppers. If you're feeling really ambitious, you can make your own vegan pepper jack cheese. Check out Baked-In's post on how she made it.

    Does It Matter Which Way I Cut the Peppers?

    No. I like to cut the tops off personally, but you can also just slice down the middle in half and lay the peppers on its sides.

    How to Freeze?

    Yes you can either cook the quinoa stuffed peppers and the freeze in a freezer safe dish for up to 3 months or stuff the peppers but don't cook and freeze them raw.

    Either way you then just place in the oven and cook at 350°F. If they're already cooked, you cook until just warmed through and if they are raw, you'll want to cook for about 1 ½ hours.

    Benefits of Quinoa

    Quinoa has become super popular and there is good reason for it. Some of the health benefits of quinoa include:

    • Contains all nine essential amino acids.
    • Has twice as much fiber as other grains which lowers cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels.
    • Contains iron which keeps our red blood cells healthy.
    • Has lysine which is essential for tissue growth and repair.
    • Is rich in magnesium which relaxes blood vessels.
    • High in riboflavin which improves energy metabolism.
    • Contains a high content of manganese which is an antioxidant.

    Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

    • Buy a block of pepper jack cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese just doesn’t taste the same.
    • Adding a small amount of water to dish when baking is important in creating steam which cooks the peppers faster.
    • If you like more heat, save the seeds from the peppers and stir in the filling or add some cayenne pepper.
    • Don’t skip toppings like avocado, cilantro and lime juice. These ingredients all help enhance the flavor.
    close-up of a quinoa stuffed bell pepper in baking dish

    Other Vegetarian Recipes

    • Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos
    • Spiralized Sweet Potato Enchilada Skillet
    • Veggie Enchiladas
    • Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos

    If you’ve tried these quinoa stuffed peppers or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

    overhead shot of stuffed peppers in baking dish
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

    These vegetarian stuffed peppers are hearty and filling and the perfect vegetarian option for any day you feel liking being healthy.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time1 hr
    Total Time1 hr 15 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 398kcal
    Author: Ryan Beck

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
    • 2 (4 oz cans) diced green chiles
    • 1 (15 oz can) black beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1 cup corn kernels
    • ½ cup cherry tomatoes, diced
    • ¼ cup onion, diced
    • 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
    • 3 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
    • 1 lime, juiced
    • 2 teaspoon cumin
    • 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 6 bell peppers - tops cut, stemmed and seeded
    • avocado, onion, cilantro, lime juice for topping

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
    • In a large bowl, combine quinoa, green chiles, black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, 1 cup pepper jack cheese, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and salt.
    • Slice tops off peppers and scrape out insides. Spoon the filling to the top of each cavity of the pepper. Place the peppers in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour a small amount of water into the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes.
    • Uncover and top each with remaining cheese. Turn broiler on and broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

    Notes

    • Buy a block of pepper jack cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese just doesn’t taste the same.
    • Adding a small amount of water to dish when baking is important in creating steam which cooks the peppers faster.
    • If you like more heat, save the seeds from the peppers and stir in the filling or add some cayenne pepper.
    • Don’t skip toppings like avocado, cilantro and lime juice. These ingredients all help enhance the flavor.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1pepper | Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 741mg | Potassium: 984mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1650IU | Vitamin C: 396mg | Calcium: 220mg | Iron: 4.3mg
    Did You Try This Recipe?I love seeing what you make so mention @ChiselandFork or tag #chiselandfork on Instagram and please give a star rating below!
    « Couscous Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
    Roman Chicken »
    432 shares

    Receive Top 25 Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chris says

      January 05, 2019 at 6:19 pm

      5 stars
      Looks like a great healthy recipe!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    About Chisel & Fork

    ryan standing in kitchen

    Hey there! Welcome to Chisel & Fork, a blog with tasty recipes and DIY projects. I'm Ryan and here you'll find hundreds of recipes ranging from true comfort food to vegan. Oh and if you like woodworking, you might just find your next inspiration. Read More About Chisel & Fork…

    Get Your Free Copy of My Top 25 Most Popular Recipes

    title page of ecookbook

    Healthy Recipes

    • Cinnamon Overnight Oats
      Cook Time5 Minutes
    • Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash
      Cook Time1 Hours 10 Minutes
    • Peanut Butter Energy Balls
      Cook Time25 Minutes
    • Quinoa Sweet Potato Salad
      Cook Time1 Hours

    Popular Recipes

    • Baked Cheddar Mac and Cheese
      Cook Time40 Minutes
    • Cranberry Mimosa
      Cook Time5 Minutes
    • Apple Pie with Crumb Topping
      Cook Time1 Hours 40 Minutes
    • Chocolate Chip Scones
      Cook Time35 Minutes

    Featured In

    logos of places where Chisel & Fork has been featured

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    Information

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Recipes
    • DIY

    Contact

    • Contact
    • FAQ
    • Work With Us

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Chisel & Fork

    432 shares