Mexican Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa & Black Beans
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy
Mexican Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa and Black Beans. This easy dinner reheats like a dream and makes a great freezer meal. Try it with the homemade enchilada sauce! (Gluten-Free & Vegan)
Recipe, photos, and post updated April 2018. Originally posted March 2012.Â
Do you guys do Meatless Monday? It’s a great way to change things up, mix in more plant-based meals, and even save a little money while you’re at it. I’ve been SO EXCITED to share this recipe with you since there are so many new faces around here.
These Mexican Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa & Black Beans have been in my top recipes every year since 2012. Isn’t that nuts?! They were a favorite long before we needed to eat gluten and dairy free, and they’ve continued to be a favorite ever since.
Why? So glad you asked….(or, at least I asked…myself…)
For one thing, Tex-Mex flavors are a forever favorite around these parts. Anything taco-y or enchilada-y, or burrito-y is right up my alley. These have lots of goodies tucked inside, like black beans, cilantro, a little red onion, some bright colorful tomatoes, and a tiny baby kick from some mild green chiles.
For another thing, they’re also a dynamite way to use quinoa. I love quinoa more than ever now that we’re gluten free because it’s such a flexible grain option. Plus, it packs a protein punch and is more nutrient dense than brown rice or white rice.
And while I could go on and on, I also love that they’re meal-prep and freezer friendly. You can easily make these ahead of time (perfect for packing away for a busy night or bringing to a friend in need), or make them to enjoy for lunches throughout the week.
You can mix and match filling options here too–feel free to stir in some corn, or a little grilled chicken or taco-seasoned beef/turkey (obviously not vegan).
And, I mean, I don’t want to tell you how to live your life, but while you’re at it, I *highly*Â recommend making your own enchilada sauce. It’s completely delicious and just the right amount of spicy!
TIPS FOR THE PERFECT MEXICAN STUFFED PEPPERS:
SPEED THINGS ALONG! If you want to speed the baking process along, you can pre-cook your peppers a bit. You can microwave them (seeded and halved) for a minute or two to soften, steam them for 1-2 minutes, or blanch them in boiling water for about a minute. If you pre-cook your peppers a bit, you’ll really only need about 20-25 minutes in the oven.
MIX THINGS UP! I love using flavored olive oils to give these an added boost–Mexican Lime, or even a bit of Jalapeño olive oil are really nice here, too! Or, you can switch up the filling, by mixing in some grilled corn, sliced black olives, or even some grilled chicken or taco-spiced turkey/ground beef (obviously the meat options are no longer vegan). You could also top these with shredded cheese if you’re not dairy free/vegan.
FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS. To freeze these, you’ll want to put your assembled peppers in a freezer-safe baking dish (ceramic, glass, metal, or heavy-duty foil) and cover the baking dish with a layer of plastic wrap, then foil for extra insulation. You can bake them straight from frozen (add your enchilada sauce before freezing or right before baking–your choice!). Just follow the regular baking instructions and they should be ready to go! Just don’t forget to remove the plastic wrap before re-heating!!!
MEAL PREPPING? TRY THESE! I love these 2-compartment glass containers. They don’t hold onto odors, and they’re microwave and oven safe, which makes for easy re-heating.
TRY THESE TASTY TOPPINGS! You can enjoy these as is with some enchilada sauce drizzled on top, or you can kick things up a notch with some guacamole, citrus avocado dip, or sliced avocado. Non-vegans folks can also easily do a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkle of cheese.
CRAVING MORE? YOU MIGHT ALSO LOVE…
- How to Cook Quinoa
- Homemade Enchilada Sauce (This is THE BEST!)
- Confetti Quinoa Salad with Lime Vinaigrette
- Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
- Spring Roll Quinoa Salad
- Mexican Zucchini Boats – Another great way to fit in more veggies with a Tex-Mex twist!
Mexican Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa and Black Beans
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
This easy dinner reheats like a dream and makes a great freezer meal. Try it with the homemade enchilada sauce! (Gluten Free & Vegan)
PS – Don’t need this many servings? You can easily halve the recipe! Just use 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa and halve the rest of the ingredients!
Ingredients
- 4 bell peppers (any color), sliced in half stem-to-tip, seeds removed
- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1/4tsp salt
- 1/4tsp pepper
- 1–2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup diced Roma or grape tomatoes
- 1 (4oz) can mild green chiles (don’t drain)
- 1/4c cilantro, minced
- 1 recipe red enchilada sauce (or 1 (28oz) can)*
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook quinoa according to package directions. Stir in salt, pepper, lime juice, and olive oil.
Stir in black beans, red onion, tomato, green chiles, and cilantro. Stir until well combined.
Pour enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish. Place pepper halves cut side up in the pan on top of the enchilada sauce. Scoop quinoa filling into the bell pepper halves.
Cover the pan with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until peppers are tender. (See notes for how you can speed up the bake time!)
Serve peppers drizzled with enchilada sauce.
Notes
SPEED THINGS ALONG – If you want to speed the baking process along, you can pre-cook your peppers a bit. You can microwave them (seeded and halved) for a minute or two to soften, steam them for 1-2 minutes, or blanch them in boiling water for about a minute. If you pre-cook your peppers a bit, you’ll really only need about 20-25 minutes in the oven.
MIX THINGS UP – I love using flavored olive oils to give these an added boost–Mexican Lime, or even a bit of Jalapeño olive oil are really nice here, too! Or, you can switch up the filling, by mixing in some grilled corn, sliced black olives, or even some grilled chicken or taco-spiced turkey/ground beef (obviously the meat options are no longer vegan). You could also top these with shredded cheese if you’re not dairy free/vegan.
FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS – To freeze these, you’ll want to put your assembled peppers in a freezer-safe baking dish (ceramic, glass, metal, or heavy-duty foil) and cover the baking dish with a layer of plastic wrap, then foil for extra insulation. You can bake them straight from frozen (add your enchilada sauce before freezing or right before baking–your choice!). Just follow the regular baking instructions and they should be ready to go! Just don’t forget to remove the plastic wrap before re-heating!!!
TOPPINGS – You can enjoy these as is with some enchilada sauce drizzled on top, or you can kick things up a notch with some guacamole, citrus avocado dip, or sliced avocado. Non-vegans folks can also easily do a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkle of cheese.
Nutrition
- Calories: 149kcal
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 207mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0
Just popped these in the oven! I snuck a taste of the filling and it was so yummy!
Absolutely delicious. I will probably add garlic to the onions when the quinoa is boiling but other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you for sharing.
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!
I could not find recipe for the sauce.
Any idea about the nutrional values – I’m in weight watchers and would love to have an idea. Thanks
I made this recipe last night, delicious!! I also made the enchilada sauce which was equally delicious. Thank you for sharing.
This was so good! I used ground turkey instead of the quinoa, and added corn to the mix. Loved it! Thanks for the idea! I’ve enjoyed looking at your blog, just stumbled onto it today. =).
i made this tonight and served it with corn on the cob. it was great! i made enchilada sauce with this easy recipe – http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/red-enchilada-sauce/ (i used veggie broth instead of chicken). my husband also thought they were great! i’ll definitely be making this again.
Have these baking in the oven right now. I have been working down the recipes from your two week healthy eating and have loved them all! My family doesn’t even notice a lot of them are meatless. Thanks for sharing all these yummy healthy recipes 🙂
Made this tonight and added corn and taco seasoning… Plus substituted rotfl for green chilis. I used 1/2 green 1/2 red enchilada sauce. We poured some quest over the top and ate it with sour cream and tortilla chips. My kids don’t love bell peppers, but it was fantastic anyway!
Getting ready to make these for the second time in two weeks! So easy and yummy. I never would have thought to use quinoa. Thanks for the idea! 🙂
Just wanted to say I tried this tonight and it was delicious! I used some leftover ground turkey instead of the black beans. Yum! I’m so glad I’ve had good luck trying new recipes this week. These were juicy, flavorful, and I didn’t feel guilty eating one whole pepper by myself! I’ll have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. It’s too bad my husband is out of town because even though he is a voracious meat-eater he likes quinoa.
I just made these two recipes the other day too and they were awesome:
Eggplant casserole: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/eggs/eggplant-casserole/
Bok Choy with oyster sauce: http://rasamalaysia.com/restaurant-style-chinese-greens-with/2/
You have a beautiful family!
Thanks!
Amber
Amber – So glad you enjoyed them. The other two recipes look delicious! I’ll have to give them a try!
This is a HUGE hit with my family (3 boys age 9 and under)! Thanks so much for sharing it!
Beth – I’m so glad you enjoyed it! That’s great! Thank you for taking the time to tell me.
I make these ALL the time. At least 2-3 x a month. They are so great!!! delicious, healthy and love the protein from the quinoa. It’s hard for me to get protein being a vegetarian. I should mix in tofu into the quinoa mix as well!
Nisha – So glad you like them!
Delicious. and simple. I used poblano and cubano peppers because I don’t care for red sweet peppers.
Danita – yum! That sounds great! I’ll have to try it sometime!