If you want to incorporate more vegetables into your meals, we have the perfect recipe to try! Taco stuffed peppers combine bell peppers, diced tomatoes, onions, and zucchini all on one plate.
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This Whole30-friendly recipe puts a big dent in your daily veggie goals. Just leave out the cheese to make them Whole30-compatible! What are the health benefits of stuffed peppers? These stuffed peppers are rich in antioxidants, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. And did we mention they’re packed with flavor?
You can read more about the health benefits of bell peppers in this article
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Taco stuffed peppers make for a great weeknight dinner option, and they reheat well for tasty next-day leftovers. And they taste just as delicious as they did the day they were made. We love these glass meal prep containers for packed lunches.
(Fun fact: This is the first recipe we ever shared on our website! It’s been updated over the years, but it’s still a go-to recipe for all of us.)
Why southwest style?
Instead of the traditional tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and Italian seasonings, we’ve switched to using taco seasoning. But you can also use a combination of southwest spices, like chili powder, cumin, and dried oregano.
It’s a versatile spice blend — plus, you can triple or quadruple the spice recipe to use the next time you grill meats. We think this twist on classic stuffed peppers is well worth the effort.
Our recipe can easily be made Whole30- and Paleo-friendly by leaving out the cheese, but you can easily adjust it to your own dietary preferences. Love cheddar? Throw in some shredded cheese. Not a huge fan of ground beef? Use ground turkey or ground chicken instead. Don’t have avocado oil on hand? Olive oil works, too.
How to Make Stuffed Bell Peppers
This dish comes together in a snap, whether it’s your first time or you’re a seasoned stuffed pepper chef. You can feed your whole family in just 40 minutes!
Here’s how to make these stuffed peppers:
- Preheat: Set oven to 400°F to get started.
- Prepare Peppers: Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and membrane, and place in a large baking dish. They’ll need a brief 15-minute bake with the cut side up to get tender.
- Prep: Cook the onions and zucchini in a large skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Next, add the ground meat (we used beef), garlic, and taco seasoning to the skillet and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes or until the beef is no longer pink, stirring frequently.
- Add: Stir the salsa and frozen cauliflower rice into the meat mixture.
- Simmer: Once everything is in the skillet, reduce the heat and cover for 7-8 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from heat and stir in some of the cheese (omit cheese for Whole30 and dairy-free).
- Fill: Take the pepper halves and fill them with the beef mixture. If you want, top the peppers with the remaining cheddar or jack cheese , then bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Top it off: Add any optional toppings to your taste and serve.
For the complete directions, ingredient amounts, and nutrition analysis that lists calories, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, sodium per serving, scroll down to the recipe card below.
What kind of meat can you put in your peppers?
You can make stuffed peppers with any ground meat you have on hand, including ground chicken, turkey, bison, beef, or pork. For an Italian version, use Italian ground sausage, then season your peppers with oregano, parmesan, and garlic powder.
What’s the best stuffing for stuffed peppers? The best-stuffed peppers use the meat you prefer and a spice blend that works for you — the possibilities are truly endless. We like beef-stuffed peppers with green bell peppers best, but you may prefer lean ground beef stuffed red peppers.
Diet-Friendly Variations
Meatless Option
To stick to this recipe but make it meatless, swap the ground meat with meatless crumbles or a plant-based ground meat substitute. If you’re not a fan of the meat alternatives, you can also trade out the ground meat with black beans, a bit more zucchini, and a pinch of Mexican taco seasoning.
Make it Whole30
This recipe can easily be made Whole30-friendly and dairy-free except for the optional cheese we recommend. If you’re on Whole30, just skip the cheese.
For the complete directions, ingredient amounts, and nutrition analysis that lists calories, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, sodium per serving, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Optional Toppings
Toppings add even more flavor to these stuffed peppers. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Avocado or our homemade guacamole
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Sour cream
- Plant-based plain yogurt (Whole30/dairy-free) for a little extra calcium
- Fresh cilantro
- Jalapeños
- Fresh lime juice
Green onions or diced yellow onions (just like a fresh taco)
Side Dishes for Taco Stuffed Peppers
These stuffed peppers are a well-rounded, nutritious meal by themselves, but you can always add more to your plate. Salads or a simple side pair especially well with these southwest stuffed peppers.
Our recipe doesn’t include white rice or brown rice, so if you’d like to add some complex carbohydrates to your plate, try a baked sweet potato, quick-cooking quinoa or Instant Pot jasmine rice or brown rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the health benefits of stuffed peppers?
These stuffed peppers are rich in antioxidants, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber.
Should peppers be boiled before stuffing?
There is no need to boil the bell peppers for this recipe because we include a step for pre-baking them before they’re stuffed with the meat filling.
What goes best with stuffed peppers?
We suggest serving these taco stuffed peppers with a simple salad or roasted broccoli. To add a dose of complex carbohydrates to the meal, try our Instant Pot brown rice or jasmine rice. And don’t forget the homemade guacamole!
Do you have to blanch peppers before stuffing?
You do not need to blanch the peppers before stuffing. We’ve included a step to pre-bake the peppers while you make the filling. This helps them soften without blanching or boiling.
What pepper variety is best for stuffing?
Medium to large bell peppers are best for stuffing. We enjoy a mix of red, yellow, and orange peppers but you can also use green peppers if that’s what you prefer or have on hand.
Other Dinner Recipes To Try
All Dinner Recipes
Make It a Party
These taco stuffed peppers can easily go from weeknight to weekend with the addition of a tasty low-sugar co*cktail. These are some of our favorites for pairing with Mexican-inspired dishes like this one:
- Low Sugar Paloma
- Real Food Margarita
- Frozen Pineapple Margaritas
- Frozen Strawberry Margaritas
Recipe
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Stuffed Peppers (Southwest Style)
Our stuffed peppers recipe uses taco seasoning in place of the more traditional Italian herbs and spicesfor a southwest twist on the traditional stuffed pepper.
Prep: 20 minsCook: 20 minsTotal: 40 mins
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Servings: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 4 large bell peppers, any color
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or avocado oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 lb. lean ground beef (we used 93/7)
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning (may substitute 2 tablespoons chili powder + 1 teaspoon cumin + 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
- 1 cup salsa of choice (mild or medium)
- 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen cauliflower rice
- 1 ¼ cups finely shredded cheddar cheese, divided (omit for Whole30 and/or dairy-free)
- Optional for serving: fresh cilantro, avocado slices, sour cream, cherry tomatoes, jalapeño slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Wash and prepare the peppers by cutting them in half and scooping out the seeds.
- Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray.
- Place the pepper halves cut side up and place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes while you make the filling. The peppers should be almost tender, but not soft.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the skillet.
- Add the onion and zucchini to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onions just start to soften.
- Increase the heat to medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ground beef, and taco seasoning. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, using a spatula or spoon to break up the ground beef.
- Stir in the salsa and frozen cauliflower.
- Cover and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes or until the zucchini and cauliflower rice are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in ¾ cup cheese.
- Remove the partially baked peppers from the oven. If moisture has collected in the bottoms of them, use a tong to tip the water into the pan.
- Fill each pepper with the beef mixture. Sprinkle the peppers with the remaining ½ cup cheese and bake until the filling is heated through, the peppers are tender, and the cheese is melted, about 8-10 minutes.
- Serve with optional garnishes, if desired.
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Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 2 stuffed pepper halves
- Calories: 384
- Fat: 16 g
- (Sat Fat: 8 g)
- Sodium: 612 mg
- Carbohydrate: 21 g
- (Fiber: 7 g
- Sugar: 11 g)
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 99 mg
Dietary
Egg-FreeGluten-freeGrain-FreeNut-freeWhole30
© The Real Food Dietitians
Recipe By: Stacie Hassing
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The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.
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