Taco Stuffed Peppers
These Taco Stuffed Peppers are a customizable and satisfying meal, packed with savory taco-seasoned meat, cheesy goodness, and your favorite toppings. They are a fun and relatively healthy alternative to traditional tacos, offering a delicious fiesta of flavor in every bite.
Equipment
- baking dish
- Large skillet
- Spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Paring knife (optional)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers any color
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey or chicken
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- ½ cup cooked rice optional
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or your favorite cheese blend
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt optional topping
- Guacamole or avocado slices optional topping
- Chopped cilantro optional topping
- Hot sauce optional topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Lightly grease a baking dish.
- Place the pepper halves in the prepared baking dish.
- In a large skillet, brown the ground meat over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess grease.
- Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and taco seasoning and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the black beans, corn, diced tomatoes and green chiles (Rotel), and cooked rice (if using) to the skillet.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded together.
- Spoon the taco filling evenly into each pepper half. Don't be shy about overfilling them!
- Top each pepper half with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Top with your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, salsa, guacamole, chopped cilantro, and hot sauce.
Notes
For softer peppers, parboil them for 5 minutes or bake them at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes before stuffing. Spice it up by adding cayenne pepper or hot sauce to the taco filling. Mix in other vegetables like diced zucchini, bell peppers, or mushrooms to the filling. Substitute the ground meat with lentils, tofu, or vegetarian meat substitute for a vegetarian option. Use different cheeses like Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack. These stuffed peppers can be assembled ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Add a few extra minutes to the baking time if refrigerated.