Why you'll love them

These Mexican-inspired stuffed peppers will always be a favorite in my home. My husband devoured them, and they lasted for three meals for him. Stuffed peppers exist in practically every country's cuisine, everywhere from India to Finland, since they're so affordable and customizable. Because I love ingredients common in Mexican food, I chose to use that as my twist! They're loaded with rice, seasoned ground beef, salsa, and plenty of cheese.

I did some research on how to make stuffed bell peppers the easiest possible way, with fewer steps and less active time. My technique most closely mirrors what The Kitchn (my go-to cooking resource) suggests, and I think you'll be thrilled with the results here. This recipe will make 6 fairly large bell peppers or 8 small-to-medium ones, so they'll make several easy meals or feed a crowd.

What you'll need

Cooked rice - I generally use jasmine, but any long grain white rice will work. Brown rice would be fine as well.

Bell peppers - pick ones that are wrinkle free and have no blemishes and can accommodate the filling. Whatever color you prefer is great. Red, yellow, and orange are the sweeter varieties.

Olive oil - for sautéing

Onion - our kitchen likes sweet (Vidalia) onions best

Ground beef - use extra lean ground beef, at least 90%

Seasoning - my tasty homemade seasoning blend has smoked paprika, garlic powder, ground cumin, and chili powder. I use it in a variety of my recipes.

Salsa - I love Newman's Own and Mrs. Renfro's brands

Cheese - we're using a shredded Mexican cheese blend

How to make Mexican stuffed peppers

This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

If you don't have cooked rice already, make some. Preheat the oven and prep your ingredients, including hollowing out the bell peppers. Place them in a 9x13 baking dish along with a bit of water.

In a skillet, sauté the onion, chopped pepper tops, and brown the beef along with the seasoning blend and salt & pepper. Take off the heat, and stir in the salsa and half the cheese.

Stuff the peppers, and bake them covered for 40 minutes. Top with the rest of the cheese, and finish cooking the peppers uncovered for 5-10 minutes.

Substitutions and variations

Feel free to add some extra ingredients like black beans, corn, or whatever you have in your fridge that you think will work in these stuffed peppers. I think they were basically invented as a way to use up ingredients!

You can easily turn these into low carb stuffed peppers by replacing the rice with cauliflower rice.

If you're craving some heat, add in some crushed red pepper flakes or your favorite hot sauce.

What to serve with stuffed peppers

They're a great all-in-one meal, but you're welcome to serve them with a side salad. Try mixed greens with my zesty Chipotle Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing.

I like adding fresh toppings to these stuffed peppers like avocado slices, fresh cilantro, chopped scallions, and/or a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt along with jalapeño slices.

If you've got some avocados floating around that need using up and some tortilla chips, try making my Easy Restaurant Style Guacamole for everyone to share.

Leftovers and storage

These stuffed peppers make wonderful leftovers and will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container or up to 3 months in the freezer (thaw in the fridge overnight).

Microwave leftover stuffed peppers for 3-5 minutes. Microwaves can vary, so check them as needed.

Or you can reheat stuffed peppers in the oven. Place them in a baking dish, cover it with foil, and warm at 350F until the internal temperature of the peppers reaches 165F. It'll vary based on the size of the peppers and whether they're straight out of the fridge or not, but I'd check them after 20 minutes or so.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers