These vegan Mexican stuffed peppers are packed with Latin flavors. Simple to make and perfect for feeding a crowd.
If you need a crowd-pleasing vegan main – whether for a festive gathering or just family dinner – look no further than these Mexican stuffed peppers. They’re delicious, filling, super nutritious, and packed with Latin flavors like cumin, cilantro, and lime. These vegan stuffed peppers are easy to make and perfect for cooking in advance (including for meal prep). Let’s dive in!
What’s In These Vegan Mexican Stuffed Peppers
The filling for these peppers consists primarily of brown rice and black beans, along with lots of aromatics, like onion, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, lime juice, and cilantro. The filling is bound together by diced tomatoes and a dollop of guacamole makes the perfect finishing touch.
Nutrition Highlights
These vegan Mexican stuffed peppers are super nutritious. The bell peppers themselves are rich in Vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and the antioxidant beta-carotene (which contributes to skin and eye health, among other things). Being a whole grain, brown rice is high in fiber and protein. And the protein-rich beans provide calcium, iron, and phosphorus, which are essential for bone health.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook the Rice: Start by cooking the brown rice in boiling water. If you happen to have pre-made rice (or leftover takeout rice), you’ll need 1 1/2 cups cooked rice.
Start the Filling: Saute diced onions in a large skillet until soft, about 5 minutes. Then add fresh garlic and spices, and cook for 30 seconds more, just until fragrant. Then add the tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes.
Finish the Filling: Add beans, lime juice, cilantro, and the cooked rice to the skillet. Be sure to season the mixture to taste at this point.
Prep the Peppers: Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, and pull out the ribs and seeds. Grease the outsides of the peppers with a bit of oil and massage to distribute. Season with salt on both sides. Arrange in a casserole dish cut-side up.
Fill and Bake: Distribute the filling among the peppers, packing it in as tightly as possible. Lastly, pour some water into the bottom of the dish (this will create steam and soften the peppers as they roast) and cover it tightly with foil. Roast until the peppers are tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Then uncover and continue roasting until the peppers are lightly browned, about 15 minutes more.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Rice: I always prefer brown rice to white because it’s packed with nutrients. For a lower-carb version without rice, sub with quinoa.
- Beans: Use black or pinto beans, or even chickpeas.
- Cilantro: If you’re not a fan, sub with parsley.
- Guacamole: For this Mexican-inspired recipe, guac is a no-brainer. Alternatively, you can make this cilantro lime tahini sauce.
- Additional ingredients… Feel free to add frozen corn and/or peas to the filling!
Making Stuffed Peppers In Advance
You can cook these peppers from start to finish up to 4 days in advance and just keep them in the fridge.
More vegan dinners this way…
- Tempeh Shepherd’s Pie with Mushrooms
- Creamy Miso Polenta with Red Wine Ragù
- Mexican Vegan Rice Casserole
- Vegan Refried Beans
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with #TheNewBaguette and @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
PrintVegan Mexican Stuffed Peppers
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 4–8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Roasting
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These vegan Mexican stuffed peppers are packed with Latin flavors. Simple to make and perfect for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
For the Peppers
- 3/4 cup brown rice* (see note below)
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium yellow or red onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the peppers
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- One 14-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- A generous handful of cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
- 4 bell peppers
For the Guacamole
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
- 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon finely minced cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375ºF.
- In a small pot, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add 3/4 cup rice and a pinch of salt, cover tightly with a lid, and simmer on low heat until all the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes (do not stir during cooking). Then turn the heat off and let stand covered (without stirring) for another 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook until translucent, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
- Then add 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 3 minutes. Turn the heat off.
- Add the rice, beans, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and chopped cilantro to the tomato mixture. Stir to combine, taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Halve the peppers lengthwise, and pull out the ribs and seeds. Grease the outsides of the peppers with a bit of oil and season all over with salt. Arrange cut-side up in a 9×13” baking dish.
- Distribute the filling among the peppers, packing it in as tightly as possible. Pour 1/2 cup water into the baking dish and cover it tightly with foil.
- Bake until the peppers are tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Uncover and increase the heat to 400ºF. Continue baking until the peppers are lightly browned around the edges, about 15 minutes.
- Lastly, make the guacamole. In a medium shallow bowl, mash 2 avocados with a fork until smooth. Then add 2 tablespoons each diced red onion and lime juice, 1 tablespoon minced cilantro, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
- Serve peppers alongside guacamole.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pepper half
- Calories: 270
- Fat: 14.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 8.2 g
- Protein: 6.2 g
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