Taco Stuffed Peppers
Tender bell peppers stuffed with taco-flavored ground beef, fire-roasted corn and tomatoes, and creamy black beans before being topped with melty Colby Jack cheese. These Taco Stuffed Peppers will be a weeknight staple!
This taco stuffed pepper recipe is the perfect weeknight meal. It’s easy to make and comes together in just over half an hour.
They’re also super customizable. Don’t like much heat? Reduce the chili powder. Prefer a different kind of bean? No problem! Use what you like! This is also a great meal prep recipe for easy lunches throughout the week.
Looking for side dish ideas to go with your stuffed peppers? Try this Easy Yellow Rice for a great pairing. Not quite what you’re looking for? Check out this collection of side dishes to find just the right one.
Ingredients
Key Ingredient Notes
Ground Beef – I used an 80/20 ground beef but 85/15 would also work.
Spice Blend – chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper give the meat the perfect taco flavor.
Fire-Roasted Corn – canned fire-roasted corn adds smokiness and sweetness.
Fire-Roasted Tomatoes – adds more smokiness and tomato flavor.
Black Beans – canned beans are an easy way to add bulk, flavor, and nutrition to the filling.
Bell Peppers – choose large round peppers in any color you prefer.
Colby Jack Cheese – freshly shredded Colby Jack adds melty cheesiness to the top of the peppers.
Step By Step Instructions
Note: The recipe card below contains a full list of ingredients, their amounts, and instructions.
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2:
Place the halved and deseeded bell peppers in a 9×13 baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
Drain any water released during baking.
Step 3:
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the ground beef and diced onion and sauté until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Step 4:
Add minced garlic, all of the spices, drained fire-roasted corn, drained and rinsed black beans, cilantro, and fire-roasted tomatoes and their juices.
Mix to combine and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 5:
Spoon the filling evenly into the cavities of the par-baked peppers. Top each pepper with shredded cheese.
Step 6:
Bake the stuffed peppers for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned around the edges.
Serve warm as is or with any toppings that you like. Sour cream, diced avocado, hot sauce, and tortilla chips all go great!
Tips & Tricks
- Use a small cookie/ice cream scooper to fill the peppers. It’s easier and quicker than using a spoon.
- Drain any water released by the peppers after par-baking to avoid watering down the filling.
- Use a wooden spoon to break up any large pieces of tomato as they simmer to create a more uniform mixture.
Substitutions & Variations
- I like to make my own spice blend but you could swap out the spices for a pack of taco seasoning to make it even easier.
- Switch up the meat. Ground chicken, turkey, or pork are all great options. Shredded rotisserie chicken would also work!
- Switch up the cheese. Pepper Jack, Monterey, cheddar, or a Mexican cheese blend would all be great options!
- Replace the black beans with kidney or pinto beans.
Storage & Reheating
Storage
Keep the stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheating
Reheat in the microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed through. Or, in a 325-degree oven for 10 minutes or until warmed through.
Freezing
You can freeze the stuffed peppers before or after baking. Place cooled peppers in a freezer-safe container covered tightly with foil and freeze for up to 6 months. Allow them to thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use whichever color bell pepper you like the best! Visually, I like to use one of each color but any combo or even all one color will work too.
Baking the peppers before filling them gives them a head start so that they are fully baked without overcooking the filling and cheese.
You don’t have to but bagged cheeses have ingredients added to help prevent clumping which also reduces how well they melt. Shredding your own cheese will result in better cheese melt and who doesn’t want that?!
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Taco Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers halved, seeds and ribs removed
- 1 tablespoon oil olive or canola
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.75-ounce) can fire-roasted corn drained
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes (NOT drained)
- 1 1/2 cups Colby Jack cheese freshly shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place the bell peppers cut side up in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Drain any released water.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sauté the ground beef and onion, breaking up the beef as it cooks, until the beef is cooked through. This should take 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the cheese, to the pan with the beef and onions. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Scoop the filling into the cavities of the bell peppers.
- Top each pepper with the shredded cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the edges have been lightly browned.
- Serve warm as is or with your favorite toppings.
