Stuffed Bell Peppers with Quinoa

These stuffed bell peppers with quinoa are filled with flavor and simple to make. A delicious, healthy, and quick meal my whole family enjoyed. 

I absolutely love when I find easy and healthy dinner ideas that my whole family will eat. Stuffed bell peppers are a favorite, especially this quinoa version or my chicken stuffed peppers. We love them!

One of my favorite vegetables is red bell peppers! Which is weird because I didn’t start liking them until I got married. I always remember my Dad eating them growing up and NOT wanting to try them. Once I got married, my husband bought bell peppers to go on top of our salads and to my surprise I loved them!

I have seen several recipes for stuffed bell peppers with cooked quinoa online and never found one I’ve liked. I finally came up with my own version and love how they turned out. The kids even ate these easy stuffed bell peppers…everyone loved them!

How do you cut peppers for stuffing?

Instead of slicing off the tops, I like to cut my bell peppers in half. Then I’ll stuff each half with the filling mixture. It’s more of an “open-faced” approach and in my opinion, is easier to eat this way. Just make sure to remove the stem, seeds and ribs before stuffing.

How long does it take to cook raw stuffed peppers?

These easy bell peppers take about 40 minutes to cook through. You want the peppers to soften, but not be too mushy. Depending on your oven, the timing could be a little more or a little less. I’d plan on keeping an eye on them after about 30 minutes.

How to make quinoa stuffed peppers

COOK FILLING. Saute onion until translucent, then add meat and cook until browned. Drain any excess grease. Add in beans, tomatoes, green chiles, water, quinoa, cumin, taco seasoning and S&P. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until quinoa is done, about 10-15 minutes.

STUFF. Line the sliced pepper halves in the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish. Then evenly spoon the filling into the peppers and top with mozzarella cheese.

BAKE. Cover pan with foil, then bake at 375°F for about 40 minutes, or until peppers are soft (but not mushy).

How long will they keep in the fridge?

These peppers will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Make sure to store in an airtight container (preferably shallow). To reheat, I like to warm mine back up in the oven for about 5-10 minutes.

 Favorite toppings

• Sour cream
• Salsa
• Sliced avocado
• Sliced olives
• Cilantro
• Red or green onions
• Lime juice
• Hot sauce
• Cilantro lime dressing

Cooking tips

• Make it a vegetarian dish by omitting the meat. You still get plenty of protein and fiber from the quinoa and beans!
• Feel free to swap the ground turkey with ground beef or even chicken.
• Don’t drain the canned tomatoes or chiles. The liquid helps to cook the quinoa.
• You could swap the quinoa for rice if preferred.
• Don’t forget to cover the pan with foil! This helps steam the peppers so they’re nice and tender.

More healthy dinner ideas:

• Stuffed Pepper Soup
• One Pot Sweet Potato Bowls
• Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Chicken Fajita Bowls
• Sheet Pan Fajitas

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: quinoa stuffed bell peppers

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Calories: 413

Author: Jamielyn Nye

These stuffed bell peppers with quinoa are filled with flavor and simple to make. A delicious, healthy, and quick meal my whole family enjoyed. 

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Ingredients

• 4 bell peppers (halfed length wise, ribs removed)
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/2 pound ground turkey (or ground beef)
• 1 small onion
• 14 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes (plain is fine too)
• 7 ounce can diced green chiles
• 14 ounce can black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1/2 Tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup mozzarella shredded cheese
• 3/4 cup water

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and cook until translucent (about 3 minutes). Add in meat and cook until browned. Drain any excess grease.
• Add in black beans, tomatoes, green chiles, water, quinoa, cumin, taco seasoning, salt and pepper if desired. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until quinoa is done.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Place peppers in a 9x13" baking dish. Spoon in filling and top with grated cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven and serve with sour cream or salsa if desired. Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 336mg | Potassium: 1047mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4350IU | Vitamin C: 160.7mg | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 5.6mg

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Such an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will enjoy!