Mexican Stuffed Peppers Recipe

There are three things to love about this Mexican stuffed peppers recipe care of chef and recipe developer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating. First, these peppers look great on a platter, dressing up any meal. Second, they are refreshingly easy to make even though they look fancy. And third, they are delicious.

"I wanted to create a fun Mexican dish that would be great to serve to guests or as part of a big spread with other Mexican dishes," Brookes says when asked about the inspiration for the peppers. As for any challenges to watch out for with the recipe, she reiterates the ease, saying: "[I] don't think there's much that can go wrong with this one!" 

But she did offer one bit of wisdom that applies to Mexican stuffed peppers as well as to countless other recipes: "One tip is to not rush when it comes to cooking the onions. Cooking them for at least five minutes on a medium heat helps them to release much more flavor than just whacking up the heat and frying for a couple of minutes."

To make this recipe, you'll need a few large bell peppers sliced into halves with their stems and white parts removed. And if at all possible, use peppers of varied color — the array of colors just looks prettier. You'll also need olive oil, diced onion, crushed garlic, paprika, chili powder mix, ground coriander, cumin, oregano, ground beef, tomato paste, cooked rice, black beans (rinsed and drained), and shredded Mexican-style cheese.

First off, preheat the oven to 390 F. If you haven't already prepped your peppers, go ahead and slice and stem them, then place the halves on a baking sheet. Bake them in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

While the peppers bake, prepare the filling. First, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium setting, then fry the onion until it's softened — remember, give it at least 5 minutes! Then, add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Finally, add the spices and cook for another 2 minutes, continuing to stir constantly.

Add the ground beef to the pan with the onion, garlic, and spices, and fry it until it's cooked through, using a wooden spoon to break the beef down into smaller bits. Then, stir in the tomato paste, add the rice and beans, and let everything heat up for a few minutes.

And by the way, if you want to make these vegetarian, Brookes says: "A meat substitute would be good. [Or] you could add extra beans, although there are already black beans in the recipe."

Now, spoon the mixture into the baked pepper halves and top them with the Mexican-style cheese blend. Bake the loaded peppers for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.

Finally, top the stuffed peppers with optional (but highly recommended) sour cream, guacamole, and freshly chopped cilantro, and serve them up. 

Got a few left over or you want to prep ahead? All good on both fronts. Brookes says: "You can keep them in the fridge until the next day and just reheat the [stuffed peppers] in the oven."