Stuffed Poblano Peppers Recipe

These Stuffed Poblano Peppers are ready in 40 minutes and come together in three simple steps: brown a chorizo, rice, and bean filling, stuff it into softened poblano halves, and bake until the cheese melts. Poblanos are the best pepper for stuffing because their size holds a generous portion of filling, and their mild heat gives the dish flavor without overwhelming spice, though leaving in a few seeds will turn up the heat if you want it. This is an easy weeknight dinner that also holds up well for meal prep, and it’s fully customizable with ground turkey, chicken, beef, or a bean-only vegetarian version.

I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count, swapping proteins depending on what’s in the fridge, and the method holds up every time. It’s a great way to use up poblanos sitting in your crisper, and it pairs easily with rice, a simple salad, or just a squeeze of lime and a dollop of sour cream on top. I have a lot of stuffed pepper recipes that I make time and time again from this One Pot Mexican Stuffed Pepper Casserole, Vegan Stuffed Peppers Recipe, Mediterranean Tuna Couscous Stuffed Peppers, Mediterranean Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers and Stuffed Pepper Soup. 

Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions. 

• Peppers: I’ve used 4 medium or large poblano peppers which I cut in half and de-seed. 
• Chorizo: I add chorizo to the filling mix, you can use regular chorizo or a hot and spicy chorizo.
• Ground Spices: I use a combination of ground spices including cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder to season the filling.
• Rice: I add a cup of cooked white rice, but you could use brown rice if you prefer.
• Tomatoes: I add a can of Ro-Tel to the mixture, you can use any other brand of canned tomatoes, but look for the ones with added green chili.
• Beans: when it comes to beans I add canned black beans.
• Corn: I add canned corn to the filling mixture, but frozen corn would work here too, just defrost it first.
• Cheese: I top the peppers with shredded colby jack or Mexican blend cheese.

Ways to Modify this Recipe

• Meat: Swap the chorizo for ground chicken to make chicken-stuffed poblano peppers. Ground turkey or beef also work well, beef-stuffed peppers are always a crowd-pleaser.
• Beans: Replace the black beans with cannellini beans, pinto beans, or black-eyed peas.
• Spices: Season the filling with your choice of dried spices like smoked paprika, taco seasoning, oregano, or red pepper flakes.
• Vegetables: I often add canned corn, but you can sub in diced zucchini, jalapeño, mushrooms, red onion, or sweet potatoes. Sauté them with the meat for best flavor. Pickled red onions also add a nice tangy touch.
• Cheese: I use shredded Colby Jack, but cheddar, Mexican blend, Swiss, cotija, or sharp cheddar all work well for topping.
• Sauces: You could add this easy homemade salsa, homemade pico de gallo, enchilada sauce, salsa verde or this avocado tomatillo sauce. You also could just use simple tomato sauce to add flavor.

Tips for Making Poblano Peppers

• Vegetarian: make vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers by removing the chorizo from the pepper stuffing mixture and topping the peppers with a vegetarian cheese.
• Keto: make keto stuffed poblano peppers by swapping regular rice for cauliflower rice.
• Stuffing: When you stuff the poblanos make sure to do it gently so you don’t break the peppers. I use a small spoon or cookie scoop to add the mixture. 
• Choosing the Right Peppers: Try to find large, firm peppers without wrinkled spots that have fresh looking stems. This ensures you are using the freshest peppers. 
• Soften: I like to bake the poblanos for 10 minutes before stuffing them to help soften them. This ensures you have a soft peppers before you bake them with the ingredients inside.