Fun and colorful Mexican-inspired Quinoa Stuffed Peppers! Seasoned quinoa, black beans, and corn are stuffed into pretty pepper packages for an awesome, healthy meal. (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free)
These Mexican-style quinoa stuffed peppers are such a satisfying meal. They combine beans, quinoa, fresh veggies, spices, and salsa for a flavorful filling. Then it's stuffed in a pretty pepper package!
Plus they're so quick and easy to prepare. By the time it takes the quinoa to cook, everything is prepped and ready to go. Then just let the oven do the work.
Ingredients for Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
For this recipe you will need:
- Bell peppers (find large ones with room for stuffing!)
- Black beans
- White quinoa
- Sweet corn (freshly cooked, canned, or frozen)
- Green onion (scallion)
- Salsa
- Nutritional yeast
- Ground cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Chili powder
Customize It
- Try pinto beans instead of black beans
- Add a can of diced tomatoes for a juicier filling (we really enjoy this)
- Use rice instead of quinoa
- Add spiciness with chipotle, more chili powder, etc.
- Change up the seasonings as desired
Serving Your Peppers
Add your favorite toppings before serving such as:
- Restaurant-Style Blender Salsa
- Avocado slices or creamy guacamole
- Vegan cheese shreds or cheese sauce
- Vegan sour cream
- Hot sauce
- Fresh cilantro or green onions
Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers
- 3/4 cup white quinoa (uncooked)
- 15 oz. can black beans
- 1 cup sweet corn (I use frozen, thawed)
- 2 green onions
- 2/3 cup salsa (I like homemade blender salsa)
- 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. chili powder
Toppings of choice (optional):
- Guacamole, salsa, vegan cheese or sour cream, hot sauce, fresh cilantro, etc.
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions with 1 1/2 cups water/broth. (I often use vegetable broth in place of water for more flavor.)
- Meanwhile, halve bell peppers and remove stems, seeds and ribs.
- Rinse and drain black beans, thaw corn, and slice green onions.
- In a large mixing bowl, add cooked quinoa and all other ingredients except bell peppers. Stir to combine, and adjust taste if necessary (salt, more seasonings, nutritional yeast).
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
- In a 9×13″ baking dish, place pepper halves, and generously stuff them with the quinoa filling. Lightly press down to compact and fill all the crevices.
- Cover with tin foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove foil, and bake 10 minutes more. (Or longer for softer peppers.)
- Serve with any desired toppings.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
If you're enjoying these Mexican quinoa stuffed peppers, also check out:
Come join The Garden Grazer on Instagram and then share a photo if you make this! (Also please leave a review and star rating below if you give it a try. Your feedback is greatly appreciated - thank you!)
Kae
absolutely delicious and easy. When adding diced tomatoes is that in addition to the salsa or in place of? Thank you.
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Kae! I add them in addition to the salsa.
Marci
Hi Kaitlin,
I made this tonight, simple and delicious. Thank you for a great recipe and for providing suggestions of additions.
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Marci! So lovely to hear you enjoyed these - thank you!
Roxanna
Hi there! Can the nutritional yeast be omitted or replaced in this recipe? Can’t wait to try! Thank you!
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Roxanna! Sure, you can simply omit it if you'd like. (Or feel free to replace with your favorite vegan cheese shreds for some cheesy flavor.)
Mrs. M
This is one of my family's favorite new recipes! My kids just devour these, and my husband who has always been 'meh' with traditional stuffed peppers would eat a whole try of these ones! It's been a great one to add into our new vegetarian lifestyle meal plans. Someone will ask for them at least once every other week!
Kaitlin McGinn
That's awesome! Fun to hear you're enjoying these.
Anne
Do you add the salsa from the ingredient list into the mixture or is it a topping?
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Anne! Yep, the 2/3 cup salsa listed in the recipe goes right into the mixture! (But feel free to use even more for topping afterwards if you'd like!)
Jody
Needs longer bake time for the peppers to cook down softer
Jessica Koelle
These are delish! My peppers were a little small and yet I could only fit 7 halves in my 13×9. We used mostly cooked quinoa (1/2 cup dry) but added in some cooked brown rice (added 3/4 cup rice to the cooked quinoa). We also used pineapple salsa, didn't use the nutritional yeast or as many spices, but instead melted shredded cheese on them in the last 5 minutes of bake time. The recipe works really well even if you have to tweak it based on your preferences or pantry. Will make again!
Kaitlin McGinn
Hey Jessica! So awesome to hear you enjoyed these and I love your adaptions!