Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers Recipe
These stuffed peppers are an incredibly easy way to get a nourishing, satisfying, complete meal on the dinner table!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup white quinoa rinsed
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt divided
- 4 red bell peppers pre-roasted (see note below)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 lime juiced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ½ cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- 1 avocado cubed, for garnish
- Sour cream optional, for garnish
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the quinoa, water, butter or olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small pot on the stovetop over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, fluff with a fork and pull off of the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- While the quinoa is cooking, chop the tops off of your bell peppers, and remove the inside membranes and seeds (if you haven't prepared/roasted as mentioned below). Then, place your peppers in the baking dish.
- Add the ground beef to a skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil, sea salt, and taco seasoning, and cook and crumble the ground beef until it is browned and cooked through.
- Add the cooked quinoa to a bowl, and mix in the fresh chopped cilantro and lime juice until well combined.
- Spoon the cilantro-lime quinoa into your hollowed peppers until each pepper is halfway full, pressing the quinoa down as you fill. Next, top the quinoa stuffed peppers with the crumbled cooked ground beef, again, pressing the beef down as you fill. Finish the peppers off with the shredded cheese over top.
- Bake the peppers for 30 minutes covered, and then pull the aluminum foil off of the dish and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the cheese is melted. If you prefer your cheese to have a crust, put the peppers under the broiler for 60-90 seconds just before serving.
- Garnish the peppers with avocado, cilantro, and sour cream (if desired), then serve and enjoy!
Notes
While you can use raw bell peppers instead of pre-roasted, know that you're going to get a more sliceable texture (softer) if you pre-roast them. However, if you prefer a little crunch to your pepper, then use fresh!
To pre-roast your peppers (which can be done up to 3 days in advance), preheat the oven to 375 F. Slice the tops of the bell peppers and remove the seeds; discard the tops. Place the bell peppers on a rimmed baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes, or until they're just slightly wilted. Either use immediately in the recipe above or let cool and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 712kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.1g | Protein: 43.9g | Fat: 41.5g | Saturated Fat: 14.7g | Cholesterol: 133.9mg | Sodium: 674.6mg | Fiber: 8.1g | Sugar: 5.7g