Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
These simple and crazy flavorful enchilada stuffed peppers are ones the whole family will love! And they’re completely customizable – use black beans or chicken, or even make them vegan or dairy free. A fun twist on classic stuffed peppers, they’re perfect for freezer meals or make ahead dinners.
Gather round my friends and let’s discuss a simple and crazy flavorful dinner idea in the form of these enchilada stuffed peppers.
Customizable, colorful and oh-so-fun, these babies are packed with brown rice, black beans (or chicken), plenty of veggies and of course some dreamy red enchilada sauce.
We stuff all that goodness into super tender bell peppers and then finish it off with either a touch of melt-y cheese or some creamy cashew sour cream to keep them vegan / dairy free.
See, I’m giving you options here today!
The end result? A dinner that’s healthy and filling, yet not at all heavy. And is just straight up delicious.
PS – did I mention that these are freezer-friendly and make for an excellent meal prep dish?
Stuffed peppers for the win.
How To Make Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
So, let’s talk a little more about how these stuffed peppers go down.
Sauté the veggies. First, we’ll start by adding some red onion, zucchini, corn and warm spices to a skillet and cooking until nice and tender.
Mix together the filling. We’ll transfer those veggies to a bowl, along with some cooked brown rice, a protein of choice and a touch of enchilada sauce.
Assemble the peppers. We’ll spoon that dreamy filling into a few bell peppers, top with a bit more sauce and then cover with foil.
Bake until tender. Finally, the peppers get popped in the oven for about 45 minutes, until perfectly soft.
We’ll give those suckers a few minutes to cool down and then dig right on in.
Let’s Talk Substitutions
Now, you have plenty of options when it comes to these bell peppers:
- Not feeling the black beans? These are delicious with meat as well. My personal favorite is shredded rotisserie chicken, but you can also use cooked ground meat of any kind. Ground turkey, chicken, pork or beef would all work well.
- Don’t have brown rice on hand? Quinoa or another type of rice will sub in just fine.
- Trying to keep these dairy free and / or vegan? Simply omit the cheese and serve with cashew sour cream and avocado. OR use your favorite non-dairy shredded cheese of choice.
Tips & Tricks For These Mexican Stuffed Peppers
- To save time when making these stuffed peppers, I suggest having the brown rice and protein of choice (if not using black beans) ready to go in advance.
- Alternatively, you can make the entire filling ahead of time and then just fill up the peppers and bake off the day of.
- Want to take these to the next level? Use homemade enchilada sauce. SO GOOD.
- And finally, please be sure to use a gluten free enchilada sauce if needed for your diet. I recommend double-checking the ingredients, as some brands do use wheat as a thickening agent in their sauce.
How To Store
Let the peppers cool to room temperature and then place in an airtight container.
They’ll keep like this in the fridge for about 4 days OR in the freezer for about 3 months.
If freezing, I like to thaw in the fridge overnight and then rewarm in the oven before enjoying.
Additional Enchilada Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Dairy Free Chicken Enchiladas
- Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchilada Stir-Fry
- Summer Vegetable Skillet Enchiladas
- Grilled Vegetable Enchilada Bowls
- Vegetable and Black Bean Enchilada Pasta
Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.
Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
These simple and crazy flavorful enchilada stuffed peppers are ones the whole family will love! And they’re completely customizable - use black beans or chicken, or even make them vegan or dairy free (see recipe notes for options).
Ingredients
- 6 medium-large bell peppers (any color)
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 ½ cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed*
- 1 ½ cups cooked brown rice
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)**
- 1 ¼ cups your favorite enchilada sauce, divided
- ¾ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese***
- chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds / ribs. Set the peppers cut side up in a baking dish. Set aside.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. When hot, add in the red onion. Cook for about 2 minutes, until it starts to soften. Add in the zucchini, corn, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and cayenne. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the veggies are all tender. Remove from the heat and add to a large bowl.
- To the large bowl, add the black beans, brown rice, feta (if using) and ¾ cup of the enchilada sauce. Mix until well combined. Taste and season with additional salt / cayenne as needed (especially if not using the feta).
- Fill the peppers evenly with the mixture, then pour / spoon an even amount of the remaining enchilada sauce on top of each pepper. Pour the broth into the bottom of the baking dish, then cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, until the peppers are nice and soft. Remove the foil, sprinkle some of the cheese on each pepper and then bake for an additional 5 minutes uncovered, or until the cheese is melted.
- Garnish with the cilantro before serving!
Notes
*If you aren’t feeling the black beans, you can use 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups cooked shredded chicken or cooked ground meat of any kind instead.
**To keep these dairy free / vegan - omit the feta cheese and season the filling with a bit of extra salt (or to taste).
***To keep these dairy free / vegan - use your favorite dairy free / vegan shredded cheese. OR omit the cheese completely and instead serve the peppers with some sliced avocado and cashew sour cream - also delicious!
If your peppers are skinny in shape (or just smaller), you’ll have filling leftover. Save it! It’s delicious on its own or you can serve it along with the peppers on the side.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 317Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 841mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 7gSugar: 11gProtein: 13g
Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.
Enchilada stuffed peppers are my favorite kind, so count me in! I could seriously eat these every day!
Thanks Marcie! 🙂
I was JUST putting together a grocery list with dinner ideas and thinking about stuffed peppers! Love the idea of using enchilada sauce.
It’s a nice way to switch things up! 🙂
I always love stuffed sweet peppers, but have never thought of using enchilada to fill them. Thanks for the great idea, Ashley.
Thanks Angie!