Protein-packed and super satisfying, these vegetarian stuffed peppers are a delicious meal that comes together quickly.
Perfect for busy weeknights, this recipe works especially well for taco nights. The tasty filling of rice, black beans, and corn is seasoned with Mexican-inspired flavors.
I love making stuffed peppers! Whether you’re making them with a traditional recipe, or using this veggie stuffed peppers recipe, you can always count on stuffed bell peppers to be healthy, delicious, and satisfying.
Maybe it’s the flavorful bell peppers themselves, or the perfectly-seasoned Mexican rice and beans filling. Or maybe it’s the generous topping of melty cheese that makes these stuffed peppers absolutely amazing.
Probably it’s all of these things together in this simple meat-free dinner recipe that will have your family asking for more!
Need more stuffed pepper recipes? Try my Italian Stuffed Peppers, Mexican Stuffed Peppers, or Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers.
I also have a delicious Stuffed Pepper Soup and Stuffed Pepper Casserole for you to try!
For any of these recipes, leave out the meat to make them vegetarian, and replace it with beans or a meat-free substitute.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy To Make – With just a few simple steps you can have this vegetarian meal ready in no time. The ingredients you need are all common grocery staples, and the whole dish can be ready in under a half hour.
- Savory Mexican Flavors – You don’t need to add meat to make a stuffed pepper recipe that is bursting with flavor! Taco seasoning helps to turn rice, corn, and black beans into the perfect vegetarian pepper filling.
- Easy to Adjust – You can add other veggies, beans, or seasonings to this recipe to create a dish that is uniquely yours. You can even make this a vegan recipe by swapping out the cheese.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this delicious vegetarian dinner:
- Bell Peppers: For this amount of filling, choose 4-5 large peppers or six smaller ones. I like red peppers, but yellow or orange will work too.
- Rice: I’ll show you how to cook the rice with diced tomatoes and veggie stock to give it the best flavor.
- Black Beans: Technically, you can use any type of beans to make this recipe, but black beans go best with these Tex-Mex flavors. Use canned beans, and be sure to drain and rinse them.
- Corn: Canned corn adds sweetness to the savory rice filling. Frozen corn works too, just thaw it completely first.
- Seasoning: To make these peppers taste amazing, you’ll need taco seasoning, and fresh onion and garlic. You can use store-bought seasoning, or mix up a batch of my homemade taco seasoning instead.
- Cheese: The perfect topping for vegetarian stuffed peppers is melty cheese! You can choose your favorite, but I’m using a blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
- Prepare the Peppers: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Then, slice the bell peppers in half, and remove the seeds and membrane from the inside.
- Roast the Peppers: Brush the inside and outside of the pepper halves with olive oil, then roast them in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until they are just undercooked.
- Cook the Rice: While the peppers are in the oven, start on the filling. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Then cook the onion until softened. Add the minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Then, stir in the rice, vegetable stock, diced tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Cover and cook on low heat, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked.
Tip!
Instead of cooking the rice in the tomato sauce, you can add pre-cooked rice to the sauce instead! Just leave out the vegetable stock. This is a great way to use up leftovers, or the better option if you’d like to try this recipe with brown rice.
- Finish the Filling: Add the beans and corn to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the filling is heated through. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Stuff the Peppers: Remove the roasted peppers from the oven and generously fill each one with the rice mixture.
- Add Cheese: Sprinkle the top of each pepper with shredded cheese.
- Bake: Put the peppers back into the oven and bake again for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Roast the Peppers First: The only opportunity to cook and soften the bell peppers is in the roasting step, as they won’t cook much at all after the filling is added. Be sure that the peppers are at your preferred texture. If you like them softer, add a few extra minutes in the oven.
- Add Salt to Taste: Some brands of taco seasoning already have plenty of salt in them, so you may not need to add any extra. Taste the filling and adjust as needed.
- Use Freshly Grated Cheese: Pre-shredded and packaged cheese contains anti-clumping agents that keep it from melting well. Buy your cheese in a block and grate it yourself. It’s cheaper and tastier this way!
- Make-Ahead Tip: Assemble the stuffed peppers the night before to save time. When it’s time to make dinner, bake as directed, adding 5-10 minutes of additional time so that everything gets heated through.
Storing Tips
Store leftover vegetarian stuffed peppers in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
To reheat the peppers, microwave them. Or, place them into a casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake at 360°F/180°C until heated through.
What To Serve With Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
Don’t worry too much about side dishes with this recipe. Stuffed peppers with beans and rice are already a well-balanced vegetarian meal!
What you should think about are toppings. Just like tacos, these Mexican-inspired stuffed peppers can benefit from all sorts of tasty additions after they’re cooked.
Try a drizzle of my lime crema, a dollop of sour cream, or a scoop of homemade guacamole.
Tortilla chips with restaurant-style Salsa Ranchera will add a crunchy element to the meal too!
Recipe FAQs
Sure! Skip the cheese, or use your favorite dairy-free cheese shreds in place of it. Otherwise, the rest of the ingredients in this recipe are naturally vegan-friendly.
Yes, these vegetarian peppers freeze very well. Cook the peppers fully, and allow them to cool. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe container, label, and date. Use within 4 months of freezing. Reheat from frozen by baking, covered, for 30-40 minutes in a 360°F/180°C oven.
Any bell peppers can be used in this recipe, but know that each color tastes a bit different. Red peppers are the sweetest, green peppers have a bit of bitterness to them, and orange and yellow peppers fall somewhere in the middle.
More Vegetarian Meals
All Vegetarian Recipes →
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers are such a delicious and satisfying meal! Your whole family (meat-eaters included) will love it, so be sure to Pin the recipe to save it for later.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
- Dutch oven or skillet
Ingredients
- 4-5 large red bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup uncooked long grain rice
- 1 ½ cups vegetable stock
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes not drained
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 15-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can corn drained
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese a blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack or mozarella
- Salt to taste
- Fresh cilantro chopped (for garnish, optional)
- 1 lime cut into wedges (for serving, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), or 160°C if using a fan oven.
- Prepare all of the red bell peppers by slicing them in halves, removing the seeds and the membrane.
- Brush them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil inside and out, and roast them in the preheated oven until they’re just undercooked, about 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in the rice, then pour in the vegetable stock. Stir in the diced tomatoes along with their liquid and the taco seasoning, and add a pinch of salt. Allow it to cook covered over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked. Make sure to stir every few minutes as the rice can stick to the bottom.
- Add the drained black beans and corn to the skillet, stirring until everything is fully combined and warmed through. Taste the filling and adjust seasonings to your preference.
- Take the roasted peppers out of the oven, do not switch the oven off.
- Generously fill the roasted bell pepper halves with the rice mixture, distributing evenly, and then sprinkle the tops with cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, in the oven until the cheese is bubbling for about 5 minutes.
- To serve, garnish the stuffed peppers with fresh cilantro and accompany with lime wedges, if desired.
Notes:
- Roast the Peppers First: The only opportunity to cook and soften the bell peppers is in the roasting step, as they won’t cook much at all after the filling is added. Be sure that the peppers are at your preferred texture. If you like them softer, add a few extra minutes in the oven.
- Add Salt to Taste: Some brands of taco seasoning already have plenty of salt in them, so you may not need to add any extra. Taste the filling and adjust as needed.
- Instead of cooking the rice in the tomato sauce, you can add pre-cooked rice to the sauce instead! Just leave out the vegetable stock. This is a great way to use up leftovers, or the better option if you’d like to try this recipe with brown rice or quinoa.
- Make-Ahead Tip: Assemble the stuffed peppers the night before to save time. When it’s time to make dinner, bake as directed, adding 5-10 minutes of additional time so that everything gets heated through.
- Store in the Fridge: In an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Store in the Freezer: for up to 4 months.
- To Reheat: Bake refrigerated or frozen stuffed peppers in a 350°F (180°C) until they are fully heated through.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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