Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
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Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers come in handy when you are in a dinner crunch and they ALWAYS hit the spot.
This recipe uses pantry staples like canned beans, quinoa, and taco seasoning… because having ingredients already on hand makes everyone’s life a lot easier, am I right?? 🙂
These Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers are packed with plant-based protein and fiber making them perfect for anyone following a vegetarian diet or just looking to increase their veggie consumption. They can easily made vegan by omitting the cheese and leaving off the sour cream topping.
If you like these stuffed bell peppers you may also like my Southwest Chicken Rice Bowls, Chicken Enchilada Casserole, or Sheet Pan Quesadillas!
Table Talk with Tawnie
These Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers are in regular rotation in our house, and for good reason! They’re quick to pull together on a busy night, loaded with plant-based protein from the quinoa and beans, and packed with bold, zesty taco flavor. I love that I can make them with mostly pantry staples and that the toppings are so easily customizable to each person’s likings. Whether you’re eating more vegetarian meals or just want a feel-good dinner that doesn’t take much effort, this one is always a winner!
Ingredient Notes
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Bell Peppers: You may have a little extra filling depending on the size of bell peppers you use. About 3 large bell peppers works well, or 5 smaller.
- Quinoa: You will cook the quinoa before adding it with the rest of the ingredients. Feel free to sub cooked rice if you prefer!
- Canned goods: black beans, garbanzo beans, corn, diced green chiles, diced tomatoes
- Taco seasoning: I like using a packet of taco seasoning just for quick ease. If you prefer to make a homemade mix, check out the “notes” in the recipe card for my homemade recipe.
- Cheese: We love it with colby jack or a mexican blend shredded cheese on top but you can use pepper jack, mozzarella, or your favorite cheese. (If you’re wanting to make this recipe vegan, either omit the cheese or substitute in a vegan cheese option.)
- Garnish ideas: cilantro, green onions, avocado, sour cream, jalapeno, lime
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and sauté onion for 2-3 minutes. Add in quinoa, black beans, garbanzo beans, corn, diced tomatoes, jalapeño, quinoa, and taco seasoning. Mix everything together well just until mixed then remove from heat.
- Cut the tops of the bell peppers off and remove seeds and membrane. You can either fill the bell pepper halves by cutting them in half, or leaving them whole. It is up to you! I always like cutting them in half because it’s easier to eat.
- Spoon in the quinoa mixture, place bell peppers in an oven safe baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until warm and bell pepper has cooked/softened. Garnish with cheese (optional) and cilantro. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Slice the top off and then cut in half. This cuts down on baking time and is easier to eat! Plus, they look pretty this way 🙂
- Save the bell pepper from the top and mix into the filling, or munch on it while you cook. #ZeroFoodWaste
- If you don’t want to slice them in half and you want to make them upright, use a muffin tin to keep them stacked up.
- I know these are vegetarian (optional vegan) but if you have leftover ground turkey, ground beef, or chicken these are a great way to use up those leftovers!
FAQs
What do I eat with stuffed bell peppers?
You can eat them as is or you can pair with a dinner salad, roasted vegetables such as cauliflower or broccoli, sweet potato fries or your favorite French fry, garlic bread, sautéed mushrooms, asparagus etc.
Which color bell pepper has the most flavor?
I think that this comes down to personal preference. This recipe is flexible and you can use a variety of colored bell peppers red, green, yellow, or orange. If you have a preference of bell pepper go ahead and use your favorite!
Can I freeze stuffed bell peppers?
Yes you can! Allow the bell peppers to cool completely and then place them in the freezer. Freeze for 1-2 hours, then transfer to a plastic freezer bag and store in freezer for up to 3 months. To bake, thaw completely in your refrigerator (this will take about 24 hours). Then, bake for ~30 minutes or until warm.
How do I cook quinoa?
About 3/4 cup dry quinoa will yield enough for the quinoa mixture. Pour dry quinoa into a small sauce pan with 1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
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Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
For the quinoa:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
For the peppers:
- 5-6 bell peppers
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- olive oil
For the filling:
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- ½ white onion (finley diced)
- 1 small jalapeno (finley diced (optional))
- 2-3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
- 1 15-oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup yellow corn
- 1 4-oz can diced green chiles
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- ~1 – 1 ½ cups Mexican cheese blend (shredded)
Garnish ideas:
- cilantro
- green onions
- avocado
- sour cream
- jalapeno
- lime
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa: Combine the quinoa and broth in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Start Timer Remove from the heat, keep the lid on, and allow the quinoa to sit for 5-10 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Start Timer1 cup quinoa, 2 cups chicken broth
- Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush olive oil in the bottom of a 9×13 oven safe casserole pan.
- Prep the bell peppers: Wash and dry each bell pepper. Cut each in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds and membranes. Drizzle each half with olive oil and rub it on all sides to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Place the peppers cut side up in the 9×13 pan and bake for 15-20 minutes to soften. Remove from the oven and set aside. Start Timer5-6 bell peppers, salt and pepper, olive oil
- Make the filling: While the bell peppers soften, you make the quinoa filling. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and jalapeno (if using) and saute until the onions begin to soften, ~2-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Start Timer1 Tbsp. olive oil, ½ white onion, 1 small jalapeno, 2-3 cloves garlic
- Add in all ingredients: Add in the cooked quinoa, diced tomatoes, black beans, garbanzo beans, corn, diced green chiles, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until heated through. Taste filling and adjust any seasonings as desired.1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, 1 15-oz can black beans, 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, 1 cup yellow corn, 1 4-oz can diced green chiles, 1 packet taco seasoning, salt and pepper
- Spoon into bell peppers: Spoon the filling into each prepared bell pepper cavity. Sprinkle with cheese on top.~1 – 1 ½ cups Mexican cheese blend
- Bake: Bake, uncovered, for another 15 minutes, or until the peppers are tender, filling is heated through, and cheese is melted. Start Timer
- Garnish and serve: Add any additional toppings, serve right away! 😍cilantro, green onions, avocado, sour cream, jalapeno, lime
Video
Notes
- This can be prepped ahead of time and baked when you’d like to eat them! Great for meal prep.
- You may have a little extra filling depending on the size of bell peppers you use. About 3 large bell peppers works well, or 5 smaller.
- If you have any leftover ground turkey, ground beef, or chicken these are a great way to use up those leftovers. Stir into the quinoa mixture before filling the bell peppers.
- Use rice instead of quinoa, if desired.
- Use homemade taco seasoning (instead of packet) if desired. Here’s the mixture I recommend:
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper chili flakes
- 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
This recipe was originally published in October 2021. It was updated with new photos and additional tips and tricks in July 2025.
📸 Photography by Creating Kaitlin
So yummy! I had mini peppers on hand and diced those up, tossed into the mixture and served as a quinoa bowl instead of stuffed peppers. We enjoyed the recipe and combination of flavors! The spice was on point, YUM! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
This dish is delicious. I’m trying to add more whole grains to our meals and this was perfect. I used kidney beans instead of garbanzo beans, (not a fan of garbanzo) and I had fire roasted tomatoes on hand that I used as well. Thanks again for another family favorite recipe!
Aww I am so glad!! Now I am craving them again:) thank you!
Thank you so much for your homemade taco seasoning , its the bomb! will never buy a package again!!
My first time ever making a stuffed pepper (mind you Im 60) was delicius so tasty
so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
I tried this receipe but the cook time and temperature as stated here dint get the results. The peppers dint cook at all in 30 mins. I was very disappointed actually. Even 1 hour of cooking wasn’t enough.
Hmmm… strange. Did you pre-cook them in step 3? That is the key to helping the bell peppers not be so crisp or crunchy. Is your oven calibrated? I’ve made this recipe several times and haven’t had any issues. I am sorry yours didn’t turn out! But thank you for visiting my website and trying them out.
Great weeknight dinner recipe! I used half of the jalapeño and it was still quite spicy for me. Ended up with quite a bit of filling after filling three bell peppers halved. So easy to make and it tasted so flavorful!
Thank you so much Cassandra! I sometimes have leftover filling too just depending on the bell pepper size but it’s also yummy to enjoy alone or wrapped up in a tortilla 🙂 Thanks again! xo, Tawnie
My 13 year old saw the mix in the frying pan and predetermined he didn’t like the meal. Then he changed his mind when the peppers came out of the oven. He and my pickiest eater ate every bite and asked for more. Delicious!
Absolutely love stuffed peppers. This recipe tases so good.
Thank you so so much!!
Mmm I love hearty meatless meals like this! Looks so good and satisfying..perfect fall dish 😀
Hi Tammy – thank you so much! Finally a meatless meal my fiance loves too! Thank you!! xo, Tawnie
Well, don’t these look delicious? So yummy!
Thank you so much, it’s one of our favorite go to dinners!! xo, Tawnie
This was insanely delicious!!! I love all the fresh ingredients – will be making again!
Thank you so much Sapana!! So glad you loved it! xo, Tawnie