Stuffed Poblano Peppers are a colorful comfort food.
Poblano peppers are large, mild peppers native to the state of Puebla in central Mexico. Even though they are a type of chili pepper, poblanos are the golden retrievers of chili peppers: big but easy to get along with! Flavorful with smoky notes, their naturally thick walls make them a perfect candidate for stuffing. When picked off the vine, poblano peppers are usually green and are harvested at various stages so they are either smallish, medium, or large. If left on the vine, they turn red eventually. The red poblano pepper is used to make a popular ground chili powder known as ancho chili powder.
A well-loved, traditional dish similar to our Stuffed Poblano Peppers is Chiles Rellenos, or stuffed poblano peppers deep-fried in a light batter. With Stuffed Poblano Peppers, you get all the yummy pepper flavor and filling without the extra step of deep frying. Both Stuffed Poblano Peppers and their cousin, Chiles Rellenos, are often served at special occasions or family dinners. This is fresh, not heavy, comfort food!
You will love these Stuffed Poblano Peppers because the spice blend is warm, zesty, and quintessentially Mexican. The filling of ground beef, beans, and rice is the perfect texture to combine with the fresh-tasting baked poblano peppers that hold it. Fire-roasted tomatoes, corn, and, of course, melted cheese add the perfect finishing touch. Stuffed Poblano Peppers make for a beautiful presentation and are naturally gluten-free.
Pepper Seed Removal
When slicing open the poblano peppers to remove the seeds, take care. The seeds are where the heat is. Either wear plastic gloves to remove the seeds or wash your hands extremely thoroughly afterward. If you don’t and happen to touch your eyes, you will feel the burn! Always take care and ensure you get all the seeds out and clean up well before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. This applies to jalapeños and other hot peppers as well.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
You can make Stuffed Poblano Peppers ahead. They can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days or double wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 month. If baking from frozen, add an extra 10-15 minutes to the bake time, checking every 5 minutes or so. Generally, leftovers heat up easily in the microwave or in a 350-degree oven (usually for about 15-20 minutes).
Serving Suggestions
Stuffed Poblano Peppers are a hearty, filling main dish containing meat, rice, and veggies: what else could you want? Well, chips and salsa are always delicious. Try our Best Homemade Salsa recipe for your salsa. A simple green salad works as well. My family always likes cornbread with dishes like this, so that’s an option as well. For a cold night, try serving these peppers alongside our Corn and Cheddar Chowder, topped with sour cream and salsa.
Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 large poblano peppers halved and seeds removed
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup cooked long grain white rice
- 1/2 cup black beans drained
- 1/2 cup corn thawed if frozen or drained if canned
- 1 can 15 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 can 4 ounces diced green chiles
- 3/4 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly oil a large baking sheet.
- Place the poblano pepper halves on the baking sheet, cut side up, ensuring they don’t overlap.
- Bake the peppers for 10-15 minutes to soften slightly.
- While peppers are baking, heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and sprinkle with cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder.
- Cook the beef, stirring occasionally, until browned and fully cooked, about 5-8 minutes.
- Mix in the cooked rice, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and green chiles into the skillet with the beef.
- Cook the mixture for an additional 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Spoon the beef and rice mixture evenly into the baked poblano pepper halves.
- Top each stuffed pepper with a generous sprinkle of Mexican-blend cheese.
- Return the stuffed peppers to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let the peppers cool for a few minutes before serving.
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