Easy Stuffed Peppers Without Rice

These upgraded stuffed peppers without rice will be the best weeknight dinner you make this week. Trust me. We've all had a classic stuffed pepper before. Packed with rice, a little bit of ground meat and baked in a pepper. It can be watery, boring and flavorless. That is not this recipe! These easy stuffed peppers skip the flavorless rice, and are filled with juicy shredded beef stuffed into smoky poblano peppers. They are perfect to make with leftover beef, quick to prep, high in protein and naturally gluten free. 

Why You’ll Love These Stuffed Peppers Without Rice 

• These poblano stuffed peppers are hearty and filling since they are stuffed with shredded beef and beans! I used poblano peppers instead of bell peppers since they have WAY more flavor. Here are a few more reasons to love this easy stuffed peppers recipe:
• Around 217 calories per serving which means this recipe is much lighter than traditional versions 
• It has a short and simple ingredient list. Nothing obscure. No ingredients you've never heard of.
• Quick and easy to prepare, especially if you are using pre-cooked or leftover beef from my crockpot shredded beef recipe.
• Naturally gluten free, just like my gluten free pizza stuffed peppers recipe. 
• Flexible for dairy-free with a simple cheese swap 
• Leftovers taste even better the next day.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Poblano peppers: Richer and deeper flavor than bell peppers. They are slightly smoky, usually mild, definitely not spicy. While the heat can vary a little pepper to pepper, it won't catch you off guard. If you cannot find poblano peppers, traditional bell peppers work just fine but will have a milder flavor.
• Shredded beef: Richer and more flavorful than other meats. You can swap in ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken in these stuffed peppers without rice but the taste will be more mild. Leftover or store-bought shredded beef would work perfectly. 
• Black beans: Makes this meal hearty and filling without using rice.
• Cheddar or dairy-free cheese: The gooey, melty cheese topping helps to hold the gluten free stuffed peppers together. If you're not a fan of cheddar you can use any cheese that melts, think pepper jack or monterey jack.
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder: Simple seasoning that lets the filling shine. You can always swap in a taco seasoning, fajita seasoning or a southwest seasoning here for a different flavor variation.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers Without Rice

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F

Step 2: Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the seeds with a spoon. Place the pepper halves on a baking sheet or casserole dish.

Step 3: Bake the peppers for 15 minutes, cut-side facing up.

Step 4: Remove the peppers from the oven and fill each half with the beef and beans. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Step 5: Top each pepper with cheddar cheese.

Step 6: Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Do You Need to Pre-Bake the Peppers First?

Yes! Always pre-bake the peppers when making stuffed peppers. Because the meat filling is already cooked, the bake time is not long enough for the pepper to fully cook and get soft. That crunch of a raw pepper is when it is undercooked, and not what you want! Also, when you pre-bake the pepper it helps the filling heat through evenly during the final bake.

Tips for the Best Stuffed Peppers

• To ensure the peppers do not get too watery, make sure that the shredded beef does not have any excess liquid, broth or sauce. You can drain or blot any liquid before mixing in the beans. 
• I always taste as I cook! Make sure to taste the shredded beef before adding it to your stuffed peppers to ensure it is seasoned! If it tastes too bland, add a little more salt and pepper. 
• My biggest pet peeve with stuffed peppers is when the peppers are hard! This happens when the peppers are not cooked enough, often a result of not pre-baking them before you stuff them. Before stuffing, make sure they are soft to the touch and do not feel like the sturdy, raw pepper you started with. You can always add 5-10 extra baking minutes before you stuff them. 
• If your filling is falling apart, let it test for 1-2 minutes before stuffing the peppers. This will help the meat hold its shape a little better.
• I always suggest selecting peppers the same size when grocery shopping for this stuffed peppers without rice recipe. This ensures everything will cook at the same rate. If one pepper is much bigger it will cook too slowly, or if one pepper is smaller it will cook too fast. You want everything to take the same amount of time to cook!

Easy Variations

• Don't have shredded beef? Swap in ground beef, ground turkey, or a shredded rotisserie chicken!
• Want more flavor in your stuffed peppers without rice? Add taco seasoning, fajita seasoning, southwestern seasoning or chili powder for more of a Tex-Mex flavor profile!
• You can add some marinara sauce or a taco sauce here to help build up your flavor and give the stuffed peppers a saucy finish. 
• Use monterey jack or pepper jack cheese for a little kick 
• To make this recipe dairy-free make sure to swap in any shredded or slice dairy free cheese you like! The key here is to choose a cheese that melts well!
• Bell peppers of course work as a substitute here but keep in mind, even though cook time is the same, the overall flavor of the gluten free stuffed peppers will be much milder.
• I also love making these deconstructed stuffed peppers as another variation of peppers! Another easy weeknight meal.

What to Serve With Stuffed Peppers Without Rice

If you're on board with the traditional stuffed pepper vibe, you can always serve these stuffed peppers without rice over a bed of rice, but honestly I would also recommend serving it with quinoa! Especially to go along with a high protein dinner requirement. 

If you are serving these in the summer, this Mexican street corn pasta salad would be great on the side!

Chips and guacamole is a perfect flavor pairing! You can also serve with a light slaw on top, sliced avocado, a drizzle of sour cream, or my favorite ½ cup avocado and ½ cup greek yogurt mixture!

Storage and Make Ahead Tips 

These stuffed peppers without rice can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. To reheat, bake in a casserole dish or on a sheetpan, uncovered, on 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the meat is warm. To save time you can always microwave leftovers. 

These freeze really well! Store in the freezer in an airtight freezer safe container for up to 2 months. To reheat, let thaw overnight, then bake on 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Recipe FAQs

More Easy Dinner Recipes 

• Crockpot shredded beef
• Pizza Stuffed peppers
• Vegan stuffed pepper casserole
• Stuffed peppers with BBQ sauce

Made this recipe and loved it? Please leave a comment and a 5-star rating below! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for more recipes and inspiration!

Easy Stuffed Peppers Without Rice

Kayla Cappiello

These upgraded stuffed peppers without rice will be the best weeknight dinner you make this week. Trust me. We've all had a classic stuffed pepper before. Packed with rice, a little bit of ground meat and baked in a pepper. It can be watery, boring and flavorless. That is not this recipe! These easy stuffed peppers skip the flavorless rice, and are filled with juicy shredded beef stuffed into smoky poblano peppers. They are perfect to make with leftover beef, quick to prep, high in protein and naturally gluten free.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save to Email

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dinner, lunch

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 2 Servings

Calories 217 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 3 poblano peppers Or bell peppers, any color
• 6 oz beef cooked and shredded
• 1/2 cup black beans rinsed and drained
• 3 slices cheddar cheese or dairy free cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp Garlic powder
• Optional seasoning if your beef isn't already seasoned: 1 tbsp taco seasoning fajita seasoning or southwestern seasoning

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F
• Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the seeds with a spoon.
• Place the pepper halves on a baking sheet or casserole dish.
• Bake the peppers for 15 minutes, cut-side facing up.
• Remove the peppers from the oven and fill each half with the beef and beans.
• Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and optional seasoning.
• Top each pepper with cheddar cheese.
• Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Notes

Always pre-bake the peppers when making stuffed peppers. Because the meat filling is already cooked, the bake time is not long enough for the pepper to fully cook and get soft. That crunch of a raw pepper is when it is undercooked, and not what you want!

To ensure the peppers do not get too watery, make sure that the shredded beef does not have any excess liquid, broth or sauce. You can drain or blot any liquid before mixing in the beans. 

If your filling is falling apart, let it test for 1-2 minutes before stuffing the peppers. This will help the meat hold its shape a little better.

I always suggest selecting peppers the same size when grocery shopping for this stuffed peppers without rice recipe. This ensures everything will cook at the same rate. If one pepper is much bigger it will cook too slowly, or if one pepper is smaller it will cook too fast. You want everything to take the same amount of time to cook!

These stuffed peppers without rice can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. To reheat, bake in a casserole dish or on a sheetpan, uncovered, on 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the meat is warm. To save time you can always microwave leftovers. 

These freeze really well! Store in the freezer in an airtight freezer safe container for up to 2 months. To reheat, let thaw overnight, then bake on 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Keyword gluten free