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These Vegetarian Quinoa and Bean Stuffed Peppers are so easy to make, flavorful, filling, and the perfect freezer meal, and great for meal prep. A Delicious family-friendly weeknight meal the whole family will enjoy.
These easy baked stuffed bell peppers are full of protein-packed beans and quinoa that will leave you full and satisfied. Made with a delicious and flavorful bean and quinoa filling, topped with cheese, and baked until perfectly tender. For a vegan-friendly version of these healthy stuffed peppers, skip on the cheese and sour cream or use vegan cheese. A nice twist to the classic stuffed bell peppers that are usually made with meat and rice but instead we used quinoa and beans. We vouch that these are the best vegetarian stuffed peppers you will ever have!
Why you will love this stuffed pepper recipe
- Simple: this stuffed bell pepper recipe is quite simple. Make the filling, fill the peppers, top with cheese, and bake. Boom!
- Healthy: Made with simple healthy ingredients that are good for you. Full of veggies and nutritious.
- Delicious: You will love how flavorful these vegetarian stuffed peppers are.
Ingredients you will need to make this recipe
- 4 Large Bell Peppers
- Olive Oil
- Salt and pepper
- Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Red Pepper Flakes optional
- Seasonings: Ground Cumin, Smoked Paprika, Cayenne Pepper
- Diced Tomatoes one can
- Black Beans and Red Beans, one can each
- Vegetable Broth
- Fresh/Frozen or Canned Corn
- Quinoa
- Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
- Optional toppings: Avocado, cilantro/parsley, sour cream, and lime wedges
HOW TO MAKE VEGETARIAN STUFFED PEPPERS from scratch
- Preheat oven to 400° F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Thoroughly wash the bell pepper and pat the excess moisture with a paper towel.
- Carefully slice each bell pepper halfway, through the stems.
- Discard the ribs and seeds, and place them on the prepared baking tray. Spray with a bit of cooking oil spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy skillet, over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté until onion is translucent.
- Stir in tomatoes, beans, and corn. Add red pepper flakes, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, cook stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the quinoa and broth, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let it simmer until quinoa is cooked for about 12-15 minutes.
- Once done, remove from the heat and carefully spoon the mixture into the roasted peppers.
- Generously sprinkle shredded cheese on top, then place back into the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes (until cheese is melted and peppers are tender).
- Once done, remove from the oven, garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Recipe notes and tips
- You can make the stuffing/filling ahead or the day before and then bake when ready.
- Use Fresh peppers. If you like the peppers well done and soft, consider baking them for 10 minutes before stuffing them and bake again.
- You may use rice or barley in place of quinoa.
- Add more of your favorite veggies to the filling if you like.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in microwave or oven when ready to eat.
- You may freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
How to eat stuffed peppers
We love just grabbing these vegetarian stuffed peppers and bite down through all the goodness. Some may prefer to use utensils so using a knife and fork to cut it into smaller pieces is always an option! Also, you may unstuff the peppers on the side of your plate, cut the peppers into smaller pieces and enjoy!
How to freeze Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed Peppers are ideal for freezing. Either store them individually in an airtight container or individually wrap them before freezing. Or place all your leftovers in the same container and freezer for up to 3 months. Stuffed peppers will hold their texture and taste once they are thawed and reheated.
How to reheat stuffed peppers
There are different ways to reheat your frozen stuffed peppers. You could either do one of the following:
- Allow the frozen stuffed peppers to thaw in the fridge the night before. Place in a pre-heated oven at about 350 F for about 15 minutes. Or you simply reheat in the microwave for about 2 minutes.
- Another option is to place the frozen stuffed peppers in a 350F preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until they are thawed and heated throughout.
Making these easy vegetarian stuffed peppers soon? Take a snapshot and share your remake with us on social media. We hope you love this recipe as much as we do. Also, don’t forget to share it with friends and family. Leave us your feedback in the comments section below if you loved these delish stuffed peppers as much as we do.
More vegetarian recipes to check out:
- Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili
- Baked Garlic Herb Zucchini Fritters
- Vegetarian Pasta Salad
- Cheesy Cauliflower Bake
- Creamy Wild Mushroom Pasta
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Easy Crustless Quiche
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Easy Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 Large Bell Peppers , sliced in half and seeds removed
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 Medium Onion, diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes , optional
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ Tsp Cayenne Pepper, optional
- 15 oz Diced Tomatoes, one can
- 15 oz Black Beans, drained and rinsed, one can
- 15 oz Red Beans , drained and rinsed, one can
- 3 Cup Vegetable Broth
- 1 Cup Fresh/Frozen or Canned Corn
- 1 Cup Quinoa
- ½ Cup Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
- Optional toppings: Avocado, cilantro/parsley, sour cream, and lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Thoroughly wash the bell pepper and pat the excess moisture with a paper towel.
- Carefully slice each bell pepper halfway, through the stems. Discard the ribs and seeds, and place on the prepared baking tray.
- Spray with a bit of cooking oil spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy skillet, over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté until onion is translucent.
- Stir in tomatoes, beans, and corn. Add red pepper flakes, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, cook stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the quinoa and broth, and reduce the heat to low.
- Cover and let it simmer until quinoa is cooked through about 12-15 minutes. Once done, remove from the heat and carefully spoon the mixture into the roasted peppers.
- Generously sprinkle shredded cheese on top, then place back into the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes (until cheese is melted and peppers are tender).
- Once done, remove from the oven, garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- You can make the stuffing/filling ahead or the day before and then bake when ready.
- Use Fresh peppers. If you like the peppers well done and soft, consider baking them for 10 minutes before stuffing them and bake again.
- You may use rice or barley in place of quinoa.
- Add more of your favorite veggies to the filling if you like.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in microwave or oven when ready to eat.
- You may freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delish all 4 times I’ve made this. I do have 1 quick question please, Rena: should the peppers be baked cut side up or down? Thank you! I cannot seem to find the video.
either way, you prefer.
This was delicious. It had a slight kick with the spices which is important to my husband. I used 2 peppers instead of four and saved the filling and used it with tortillas for additional meals.
Awesome. Thanks for the feedback.
10 minutes prep time?! I was constantly busy in the kitchen for at least 60 minutes. 3 C of broth?! Only if you want to your outcome to be soup and the quinoa needs longer to cook. I had to strain mine through a collander before stuffing. 6-8 minutes in the oven?! Try 15 because the peppers cooled down so much from the 60 minutes of prep work. We lost a lot of flavor from straining. Please recook this exactly as you’ve instructed and adjust appropriately.
I’m having the same issue, way too much liquid. If I make it again I’ll cook the quinoa separately and add to drained ingredients.
That’s the best thing to do.
Just add tomatoes and no other liquid to the main bean mixture and cook quinoa separately and add to bean mixture.
Came out just right.
Are you suppose to drain the canned tomatoes? I used quinoa but had too much liquid.
It would be helpful to drain if using quinoa. Or let it cook off more
How come there are no measurements in this recipe?
Hi. If you scroll down to the recipe card you will find measurements
I just made this and it is delicious as written. I did have to let the quinoa simmer quite a bit longer than recipe recommended. It did thicken up and the filling wasn’t soupy at all. I made the filling a day ahead. Since it was cold and I baked the peppers at 400 degrees for 15 minutes to soften them, I had to bake stuffed peppers longer. If you do this, don’t top with cheese until last 5 minutes or so.
Thanks for the tip
We just finished dinner – they were delicious and my family loved them! Thank you
Perfect! Thank you.
Nice filling and tasty recipe. My toddler thought it was pizza baking in the oven. For anyone in Canada with our different sized cans, I used one 19 oz can of red beans instead of 2, and one 28 oz diced tomatoes and then reduced stock to 300ml. I found that the quinoa took quite a bit longer to cook. I found it helpful to cook with lid off then remove from heat and cover at the end. There was leftover filling, but just added it when plated. Thanks for this easy meal!
Thanks for the feedback
Hi Rena
Is the (approx) calories figure (347 kCals) you mention per serving or for the whole 8 servings?
Thanks
Simeon
Hi there. It’s per serving.
These are delicious. I used peppers and tomatoes from the garden…added cilantro, avocado, and serrano pepper slices before eating…easy to make and so good!
Sounds like some great additions
I love this stuffed peppers recipe. I add one can of Esbro Black Beans Cuban Style instead of two cans of beans and reduce the water or broth. No corn added. It comes out delicious. I’m not on social media, but would like to receive your newsletter. I’m a vegetarian so i love your recipes.
Thank you. You can sign up for my newsletter on my site
Technically it is vegetarian. Vegans eat no animal products, vegetarians won’t eat any part of animal that takes its life (all meat).
Yes. It is a vegetarian meal not vegan.
I made it tonight and it was so good.
Thanks! So glad you loved it.
Great vegetarian recipe! I used brown rice because my husband doesn’t like quinoa. I also used fire-roasted diced tomatoes. It was even better as leftovers!
Love the sound of fire-roasted tomatoes. Thanks for the feedback!
if i want to make these without the quinoa would i still add vegetable broth?
Hi Evie. I got your email and replied. No, you don’t need to add broth unless you are replacing the quinoa with rice.
Very good. I added mushrooms with the sautéed onions, used 1 can black beans and wild rice instead of quinoa.
Those are some great additions! Glad you loved it
Is 3 cups of broth a typo? Because this came out a soupy mess
No. Did you cook the quinoa with it? There is a video on there that could be helpful
Very good. I added mushrooms with the sautéed onions, used 1 can black beans and wild rice instead of quinoa.
So awesome! Thanks for the feedback.
Technically it’s meatless, not vegetarian
I would call this vegetarian but not vegan – that seems to be the accepted terminology these days. My daughter calls herself a vegetarian yet eats cheese. Her father is a vegan and eats no animal products.