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These vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers are so easy to make! The zesty filling features rice, corn, black beans, and of course: gooey cheese.
Why we love this recipe
Stuffed vegetables are a wonderful meatless main dish, and these peppers were no disappointment! Alex and I have been on a bit of a Mexican-inspired kick lately, so this vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers idea fit the bill for a meal with friends. Since it’s pretty simple to make, it’s perfect for weeknight meals as well. Keep reading for the recipe.
How to roast poblano peppers in the broiler
There are many methods for roasting poblano peppers: on a gas flame, on a grill, in the oven, or using your broiler. In this recipe, we’ve chosen to use your broiler because it’s extremely quick and simple! Here are the general steps for how to roast poblano peppers in the broiler:
- Slice the poblano peppers in half and remove the seeds.
- Place the peppers in a baking dish with the skin side up. Broil on high for about 7 minutes.
- Flip the peppers and broil 7 more minutes until tender.
Can you eat the skin of poblano peppers?
Yes, it is flavorless! Some people find that it has an unappealing texture, but with the broiling method we found you don’t really notice the skin. Some methods remove the skin after roasting, usually by placing the peppers in a plastic bag and waiting 10 minutes for the skin to loosen. We’ve chosen to keep the skins on in this recipe for ease of preparation. If you prefer, remove the skin using the plastic bag trick.
Making these stuffed poblano peppers
This vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers recipe is a result of a fair amount of research. The main idea is simple, and offers a lot of flexibility. While you cook up some rice, you’ll broil the poblano peppers to get them slightly blackened and tender (per the method above). Then mix the rice with some black beans, corn, green onions, and salsa for the filling. Top with cheese and broil again for just 2 minutes!
Instead of rice, you can choose any grain, veggies, and spices for these stuffed poblano peppers. Any whole grain will work here, be it quinoa, farro, millet, freekah or bulgur. You also can boil the grain ahead of time to speed things up. You could also mix it up on the cheese: try goat cheese or gouda.
The result tasted incredible and was fun to serve for guests. We especially liked the earthy taste of the poblano peppers as an alternative a bell pepper, which we often use in our stuffed pepper recipes. We hope you enjoy it: let us know in the comments below!
Are poblano peppers hot?
Before you make this Mexican pepper dish, you might be wondering: are poblano peppers spicy? While they do have a subtle heat, overall poblano peppers are mild. Keep in mind that heat is a continuum. You can have a range of spice within a pepper variety itself.
If you look at various peppers on a spice-level continuum, here’s a snapshot at a glance! (Note how far towards the mild end that you see Anaheim peppers.)
- Green pepper: No spice
- Anaheim pepper: Very mild
- Poblano peppers: Mild
- Jalapeno peppers: Medium hot
- Serrano peppers: Hot
- Cayenne: Very hot
- Habanero: Extremely hot
- Ghost pepper: Outrageously hot
More stuffed peppers recipes
If you like these stuffed poblano peppers, here are a few stuffed peppers recipes you might enjoy:
- Classic Stuffed Peppers
- Stuffed Green Peppers
- Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe
- Samosa Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers Recipe
Dietary notes
This stuffed poblano peppers recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Stuffed Poblano Peppers
These stuffed poblano peppers are so easy to make! The zesty filling features rice, corn, black beans, and of course: gooey cheese.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Broiled
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked brown rice (or 4 cups of any cooked grain)
- 4 poblano peppers
- 1 ½ cups salsa
- 1 15 ounce can black beans
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn
- 3 green onions
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Cayenne, to taste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Shredded cheese (we used a Mexican blend)
- Chopped cilantro for serving (optional)
Instructions
- If necessary, cook the rice according to the package instructions or use our Instant Pot method.
- While the rice cooks, prepare the peppers: slice the poblano peppers in half and remove the seeds and ribs. Place the peppers in a baking dish skin side up. Broil on high for about 7 minutes, then flip the peppers and broil 7 minutes more.
- Chop the green onions. Drain and rinse the black beans.
- In a large saucepan, combine: beans, onions, salsa, corn, a handful of the shredded cheese, cumin, chili powder, and a pinch of cayenne (if you like it spicy!). Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. When the rice is finished, stir it into the filling.
- Heat the filling a few minutes over medium heat until warm (the timing depends on the heat of the rice).
- Place the pepper halves skin side down in a baking dish, and spoon the filling into each half. Top the filling with shredded cheese and broil until the cheese is melted, for about 2 minutes.
- Serve warm. If desired, garnish with chopped cilantro and sour cream.
Notes
Alternative oven method: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Follow Steps 2, 4 and 5 above to prepare the peppers and filling. Then bake until the peppers are tender and browned, around 25 to 30 minutes.
Can you freeze?
This should work frozen, but we have not tested it! Reheat in the oven before serving (you can go right from frozen.)
Made this recipe tonight. Absolutely delicious and easy to throw together! Used quinoa instead of rice. Thanks for a great dinner!