These vegetarian quinoa stuffed peppers feature roasted bell pepper halves stuffed with a spiced mix of quinoa, black beans, and fire roasted tomatoes. They are topped with cheese, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice!
They're bursting with Southwest flavor, full of simple ingredients, and pack an impressive meal into an easy meal prep.
I love these vegetarian quinoa stuffed peppers for dinner parties and as a special weeknight dinner. The bright colors are perfect for welcoming the Spring flowers or celebrating the Fall leaves, and I find I make them most frequently during those seasons.
For a dinner party, they make a great vegetarian main or side dish. I sometimes pair them with Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice or crusty bread like my Gluten-Free French Baguette or Gluten-Free Artisan Bread.
For more Southwest flavors, check out my Baked Chicken Fajitas, Cast Iron Southwest Breakfast Skillet, and Blackened Shrimp Tacos.
For more bell pepper recipes, check out my Sautéed Peppers and Onions, Rice Paper Rolls, Thai Chicken Soup, Thai Red Curry Soup, and Thai Tofu Soup. If you're looking for more ways to use quinoa, check out my Zesty Arugula Quinoa Salad and Salmon Quinoa Bowl.
Now let's get cooking!
How to make it (with photos)
Ingredient Notes + Substitutions
This vegetarian quinoa stuffed peppers recipe needs 10 simple ingredients.
Bell Peppers
Look for large bell peppers of similar size so they cook evenly. My family preferred orange, yellow, and green bell peppers. Red peppers are the sweetest and green peppers are the least sweet -- we liked the less sweet varieties best in this recipe.
Quinoa
Any color of quinoa will work. I highly recommend pre-cooking the quinoa since this recipe already includes two types of cooking (stove + oven). I usually make quinoa in the Instant Pot. Cook the quinoa in broth with a bay leaf for best flavor.
Black Beans
I used Bush's canned black beans. You can also pre-cook dried beans.
More Ingredient Notes
- Taco Seasoning - Taco seasoning is typically a mix of chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and other spices. I used Siete brand taco seasoning for my stuffed peppers. It is gluten-free and vegan friendly.
- Canned Tomatoes - If you can find it, I recommend fire roasted tomatoes for extra heat and flavor. If you can't find them, regular diced tomatoes will work too.
- Shredded Cheese - Use shredded Mexican cheese or vegan shredded cheese. I used Violife brand vegan cheese substitute and it was delicious!
- Garnishes - Top with chopped cilantro and lime juice or serve lime wedges on the side.
You also need a neutral oil like avocado oil or vegetable oil, garlic cloves, a yellow or white onion, and salt and pepper to taste.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Learn how to make vegetarian stuffed peppers in five easy steps.
- Pre-bake bell pepper halves: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush the outsides of the peppers with oil and lay skin side up on a lined baking sheet. Roast on a middle oven rack for 12-15 minutes or until softened.
- Onion + garlic: Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining oil and onion. Cook, stirring on occasion, until the onion softens and turns translucent (about 3-5 minutes). Then add the garlic and taco seasoning and and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes until the garlic begins to turn golden.
- Finish the filling: Add the drained fire roasted tomatoes and black beans. Simmer for 5 minutes to evaporate excess liquid and meld the flavors. Meanwhile, use a fork to smash about half of the beans and tomatoes to make it saucy.
- Fill the peppers: Add the cooked quinoa to the skillet and mix everything together. Turn off the heat. Distribute the filling amongst the bell pepper halves and press lightly to compact. Top with cheese and bake for 6-8 minutes or until the cheese is starting to melt. Then broil on high for up to 2 minutes to fully melt the cheese (watch carefully to prevent burning).
- Serve: Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges. Drizzle with lime juice as desired. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Hint: I highly recommend pre-cooking the quinoa to streamline this recipe.
Expert Tips
Make amazing vegetarian quinoa stuffed peppers on the first try with these expert tips!
Choose the Right Peppers
Look for uniformly sized peppers so they cook evenly.
My family preferred orange, yellow, and green bell peppers. Red peppers are the sweetest and green peppers are the least sweet -- we liked the less sweet varieties best.
While I usually halve the pepper lengthwise, make sure to pick ones with flat bottoms if you want to cook them upright.
Precook the Bell Peppers
Do not skip this step to try and streamline the recipe. Because the second bake really just melts the cheese and chars the peppers, pre-baking is how you get that perfect tender texture.
Pack, Don't Smash
Gently spoon in the filling-pressing too hard can split the pepper walls.
Pairings
Wondering what to pair with stuffed peppers? You're not alone -- it's a popular question! Check out some of my family and friend favorites:
- Garlic bread (I make my own with Gluten-Free French Baguettes) or gluten-free toast
- Simple green salad with vinaigrette
- Parsley Roasted Potatoes
- Polenta (creamy or baked)
- Sauteed spinach or garlic green beans
- Tortilla chips and guac
- Street corn or street corn salad (esquites)
- Cilantro-lime rice
- Hashed browns (it may sound weird but it's a hit in my house!)
If you're not vegetarian, these stuffed peppers make an excellent side dish for burgers, steak, and grilled chicken. I love them as a Summer barbecue side dish.
Recipe FAQs
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this vegetarian quinoa stuffed peppers recipe. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Store leftover quinoa stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the peppers for up to 3 months.
You can add ground beef or ground turkey to this recipe as a variation if you like! I recommend fully cooking the meat with the onions and adding additional seasoning to taste.
Stuffed peppers can become soggy if you overbake the peppers (adjust times based on the size of your peppers), if you salt them before cooking (only add salt to the filling and at serving time), or if you forgot to drain the tomatoes or added salsa instead. As written, the peppers will not become soggy in this recipe.
While it can depend on the filling ingredients, it's generally best to precook the peppers for stuffed peppers. For the perfect tender bite, lightly brush the outsides of the peppers with oil and lay skin side up on a lined baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes.
Related Tex-Mex recipes to consider...
Looking for other Tex-Mex recipes like this vegetarian stuffed peppers recipe? Check these out:
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📖 Recipe
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers (vegetarian)
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers halved with stems and seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or vegetable oil, divided
- ½ medium yellow onion or white onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 14-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes or diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 14-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup shredded mexican cheese or vegan shredded cheese
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro to garnish
- 1 medium lime cut into wedges for serving
Instructions
- Pre-bake bell pepper halves: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush the outsides of the peppers with oil and lay skin side up on a lined baking sheet. Roast on a middle oven rack for 12-15 minutes or until softened.4 large bell peppers
- Onion + garlic: Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining oil and onion. Cook, stirring on occasion, until the onion softens and turns translucent (about 3-5 minutes). Then add the garlic and taco seasoning and and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes until the garlic begins to turn golden.½ medium yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- Finish the filling: Add the drained fire roasted tomatoes and black beans. Simmer for 5 minutes to evaporate excess liquid and meld the flavors. Meanwhile, use a fork to gently smash about half of the beans and tomatoes to make it saucy.1 14-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes, 1 14-ounce can black beans
- Fill the peppers: Add the cooked quinoa to the skillet and mix everything together. Turn off the heat. Distribute the filling amongst the bell pepper halves with a spoon and press lightly to compact. Top with cheese and bake for 6-8 minutes until the cheese is starting to melt. Then broil on high for up to 2 minutes to fully melt the cheese (watch carefully to prevent burning).2 cups cooked quinoa, 1 cup shredded mexican cheese
- Serve: Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges. Drizzle with lime juice as desired. Add salt and pepper as needed.¼ cup chopped cilantro, 1 medium lime
Camille says
This is one of the easiest stuffed pepper recipes I’ve found. It’s really delicious and full of flavor!