These vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers are stuffed with quinoa, black beans, and corn. It’s a healthy southwest dinner option that’s ready in under an hour!
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I’m excited to share this easy, gluten-free stuffed poblano pepper recipe with you because it makes a great meatless meal that can easily be made vegan by leaving off the cheese and sour cream or using a vegan substitute.
Because it only takes one hour to make, this is also a great option for busy weeknights, and most of it can be prepared ahead of time!
We’re using a simple and easy mix of vegetables and spices to fill the peppers, then topping them with a tiny bit of cheese, cilantro, sour cream. If you prefer, you can add a layer of shredded cheese on top before baking to create an ooey gooey cheesy meal!
Ingredients
- Poblano peppers
- Olive oil
- Quinoa
- Vegetable broth
- Onion
- Garlic
- Corn
- Black beans
- Diced green chiles
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Salt + Pepper
- Cotija cheese
- Cilantro
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
How to make vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers
- Broil the peppers
- Remove the skin and seeds from the peppers
- Cook the quinoa
- Cook the onions and garlic
- Combine the quinoa, onions, garlic, corn, beans, green chiles, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper in a bowl
- Fill peppers with the quinoa mixture
- Sprinkle with cheese
- Bake
- Top with cilantro and sour cream if desired
Top tips
How to cook perfect quinoa
I have a post all about how to cook quinoa, which you can refer to if you’re having trouble. For this recipe, it’s important to let the quinoa cook until all the water is absorbed, then remove from the heat and let it rest, covered, for at least 5 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
How to broil poblano peppers
For this recipe, we’re tossing whole peppers into an oven safe skillet (affiliate link to the cast iron skillet I like using) and broiling until dark and blistered, turning as needed.
Once you take the peppers out of the oven, place them in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes. This will make it easier to remove the skins.
How to remove the skin from poblano peppers
After letting the peppers steam in the bowl, you should be able to easily peel off the skin with your fingers. Simply rub the dark, blistered parts of the pepper until the skin comes away from the flesh of the pepper, remove, and discard.
Do I need to remove the skin from poblano peppers?
The skin of a poblano pepper is fine to eat, but the texture of the finished dish will be better if you remove it.
What if my peppers fall apart?
Don’t worry! You may have just cooked your peppers for too long. Everything will still taste great. You can just lay the peppers open and pile the filling on top.
Are poblano peppers spicy?
Poblano peppers are mildly spicy. They are more spicy than a bell pepper but not as spicy as a jalapeño, so keep this in mind if you’re cooking for someone sensitive to spice.
Tips for customizing
- Drizzle with avocado cream or top with guacamole
- Create a casserole by chopping the peppers and adding them to the filling, then putting in a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes at 350ºF
- Increase the chili powder and/or add fresh diced jalapeño for more spice
- Swap cooked burger, barley, or brown rice for the quinoa
- Swap the poblano peppers out for green, red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
- Top with a layer of shredded Mexican cheese before baking
What to serve with quinoa stuffed poblano peppers
- Oven Roasted Corn and Black Bean Pico de Gall
- Pico de Gallo with Avocado
- Healthy Guacamole
- Green Avocado Sauce
- Mango Avocado Salsa
More quinoa recipes
- Crispy Quinoa Bake
- Italian Quinoa Casserole
- Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
- Warm Kale and Quinoa Salad
- Vegan Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Tofu
If you make this recipe be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
This post was updated in June 2020 with more information and new photos.
Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 poblano peppers
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided, plus more for the peppers
- ¾ cup red quinoa
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- ½ cup cooked corn, thawed if frozen
- 1 cup low sodium canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 4 ounce can mild diced green chiles
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons cotija cheese
- Chopped fresh cilantro, optional
- Plain 0% fat Greek yogurt or sour cream, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler to high and place an oven rack in the second from the top position.
- Rub poblanos with olive oil and place in a well seasoned cast iron skillet or oiled oven safe baking dish. Broil until the skin of the pepper is blistered and beginning to brown, 5-10 minutes per side. Remove the peppers from the oven and place them in a bowl. Cover the top tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Move the oven rack down to the middle position and heat the oven to 375ºF.
- While the peppers are broiling, place quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 2 minutes. In a medium sized pot, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the quinoa and toast, stirring, for 1 minute. Add vegetable broth and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Allow the quinoa to cook undisturbed until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the quinoa to sit, covered, another 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to brown, 5-7 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine quinoa, onions, garlic, corn, beans, green chiles, chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the peppers from the bowl and remove skins. They should peel off easily, but don't worry about getting every last bit off. Carefully cut each pepper open vertically and remove the seeds. Arrange peppers cut side up in the same dish you broiled them in. Fill them evenly with the quinoa mixture and sprinkle with the cotija cheese.
- Bake the stuffed peppers in the oven until heated through, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and drizzle with sour cream or yogurt if desired.
Notes
Tips for customizing
- Drizzle with avocado creama or top with guacamole
- Create a casserole by chopping the peppers and adding them to the filling, then putting in a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes at 350ºF
- Increase the chili powder and/or add fresh diced jalapeño for more spice
- Swap cooked bulgur, barley, or brown rice for the quinoa
- Swap the poblano peppers out for green, red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
- Top with a layer of shredded Mexican cheese before baking
Lenora Davis says
My husband enjoyed recipe and will make again. Very easy to follow instructions ans variations.
I used pepper jack cheese instead of green chilies and it turned out great.
Lindsay Moe says
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Pepper jack sounds like a great addition.
Celeste says
Oh my word! This is delicious! Making it ahead to take camping this weekend (wrap in foil, warm over campfire). Had to eat one first, of course. Used shredded “taco cheese” instead of cotija. Couldn’t find green chilies during these crazy times, so left them out.
Lindsay Moe says
You sound like a great person to go camping with! Thanks for sharing your adaptation.