Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers

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These hearty, spicy, vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers with quinoa and corn are a Southwestern classic and take less than an hour to make! Earthy and sweet, rich and filling, this is a delicious, simple recipe that’s a real crowd-pleaser.

If you’ve never had vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers before, now is the time to try them! They are mild, just slightly sweet, and hold up really well when roasted which makes them perfect for stuffing. They’re one of my favorite ingredients to use in quick and tasty dinners!

I’m a huge fan of Southwestern and Mexican flavors and have over 65 vegetarian Mexican recipes. This recipe looks super complex to make, but it’s actually really easy and fun.

With Southwestern spices, oven-roasted poblano peppers, and gooey, melted cheese, this vegetarian Mexican recipe is a hit with the whole family and a fantastic recipe to make for dinner tonight!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers

• Easily Made Vegan: Baked stuffed poblano peppers are vegetarian and can be made vegan with a couple of easy substitutions or ingredient omissions. Just skip or swap the Greek yogurt and cheese for vegan varieties for vegan stuffed poblanos.
• Ready In Under 45 Minutes: This is the best poblano pepper recipe for weeknights or when you want a filling vegetarian meal. Taco seasoning adds lots of flavor in one simple ingredient and the poblanos roast while the quinoa cooks, making for a quick and easy meal that looks and tastes like it took much longer to prepare!
• Family-Friendly: Poblanos have mild heat, making this stuffed poblano recipe great for the whole family. Kids love the melty cheese and comforting flavors of quinoa and corn. For younger children, cut the peppers into small pieces and serve in a bowl.
• Budget-Friendly: These easy stuffed poblano peppers with cheese use budget-friendly, simple ingredients that are hearty and easy to find at any grocery store. This delicious recipe is also a great way to use quinoa and vegetables you may have already prepared for a previous meal, saving both time and money!

🥘 Ingredients

This vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers recipe uses pantry staples that blend perfectly together for comforting Southwestern flavors and are topped with a citrusy homemade lime crema sauce.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

Stuffed Poblano Pepper Ingredients

• Poblano Peppers: Poblanos have a slight heat compared to bell peppers. Roasted poblanos are rich in vitamins and the perfect size for stuffing with delicious Southwest-inspired quinoa with corn.
• Oil: Avocado oil or olive oil works best for roasting the poblanos.
• Tomatoes: Diced Roma tomatoes add color and flavor to this Southwestern dish.
• Scallions: Also known as green onions, scallions add flavor, color, and a little crunch to this quinoa stuffed poblano pepper recipe. Sliced scallion whites are used in the filling and the baked peppers are finished with scallion greens for a tasty garnish. 
• Vegetable Stock: For adding flavor to the quinoa while cooking, low-sodium varieties work best.
• Quinoa: A crowd-pleasing and nutritious whole grain that is perfect filling for this roasted poblano recipe.
• Corn: Adds nutrients, color, and texture to this vegetarian dish, fresh or frozen.
• Taco Seasoning Or Southwestern Spice Blend: Premade seasoning gives lots of flavor in one ingredient. Personalize the taste of these healthy stuffed poblano peppers by using a seasoning or spice blend with your desired amount of heat.
• Pepper Jack Cheese: Shredded pepper jack cheese will slightly brown under the broiler for a melty, creamy topping.
• Salt and Pepper: Added to taste.

Lime Crema Ingredients

• Lime: Fresh lime zest and lime juice is a great addition to the crema – giving it a refreshing citrus flavor that balances the mild heat of the peppers.
• Greek Yogurt: Yogurt offers this crema a smooth, creamy, and slightly tart taste. 
• Water: A small amount of water helps the crema to perfectly drizzle over the stuffed Mexican peppers.

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

• Sour Cream: Instead of Greek yogurt, you can use sour cream or vegan sour cream.
• Whole Grains: Use your preferred whole grain in place of the quinoa. Try these Mexican stuffed poblano peppers with white rice, brown rice, barley, whole wheat couscous, bulgur wheat, or even cauliflower rice.
• Garnish: Instead of scallions, you can also use fresh cilantro.
• Bell Peppers: Any colored regular bell peppers also work for this vegetarian poblano pepper recipe; red peppers, green bell peppers, or even yellow or orange peppers. Roast the bell pepper halves cut side down as you would the poblano peppers before stuffing. Or mix bell peppers and poblanos for an extra colorful dish.
• Cheese: Swap the Pepper Jack cheese for Monterey Jack cheese, Cheddar cheese, a Mexican cheese blend, mozzarella cheese, or even goat cheese.

🔪 How To Make Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Here’s how to make roasted stuffed poblano peppers:

Preheat Oven, Prep The Poblanos: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Halve poblanos through the stem, then remove seeds and ribs.

Cook Quinoa: Bring vegetable stock and a large pinch of salt to a boil in a small, lidded pot. Add the quinoa and cook according to the package directions.

Roast Peppers: While quinoa cooks, rub poblano halves with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet with the cut sides down and roast on the middle rack until tender, about 20 minutes.

Cook Filling: Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, oven-safe large skillet over high heat. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly charred, 4-5 minutes. If corn begins to pop, cover the pan. Reduce heat to medium and add tomato, scallion whites, and Southwest spice blend or taco seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato breaks down, about 2 minutes. 

Stir In Quinoa: Stir cooked quinoa into the pan with veggies and season with salt and pepper.

Stuff Peppers: Once poblanos are done roasting, stuff each with as much of the grain mixture as will fit.

Prepare Poblanos To Bake: Place in a single layer in a pan with remaining grain mixture, nestling each poblano half in the grains. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Heat broiler to high.

Broil: Transfer pan with stuffed peppers to middle rack of oven. Broil until the cheese melts and is lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.

Make Crema: While the poblanos broil, make the crema. In a small bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt or sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, and water. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve Baked Poblano Peppers: Remove from the oven, then add the lime crema and scallion greens on top of the peppers. Divide among plates. Serve with any remaining lime wedges on the side.

💭 Expert Tips

• Rinse the Quinoa Before Cooking: This will remove the unpleasant soapy flavor that the grain sometimes have. For the easiest rinsing, use a fine mesh strainer.
• Make Quinoa Ahead: To save time, you can make the quinoa ahead of time and store it in your refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Roast Peppers Cut Side Down: Roasting the poblano peppers will add flavor and soften the peppers perfectly before they are filled. For best results, roasting them cut side down will prevent them from drying out and provide a nicely browned edge to help hold in the quinoa.
• Broil Using an Oven-Safe Pan: If the pan you used to cook the pepper filling isn’t ovenproof, transfer the mixture to a small baking dish before broiling the veggie stuffed poblanos.
• Use Similarly Sized Poblanos: This poblano chile recipe works best when you use similarly sized poblanos. The peppers will roast at the same rate and everyone will get the same portion of delicious quinoa and corn filling.

📖 Variations

• Vegetarian Cheese Stuffed Poblano Peppers: Add ½ cup of pepper jack cheese or cheddar cheese to the quinoa mixture before filling the peppers for extra cheesy stuffed peppers.
• Spicy Stuffed Peppers: Elevate the heat level of this dish and get your spicy food fix! Add two diced jalapeno peppers to the pan when you add the tomatoes for some extra heat. Garnish peppers with additional diced jalapenos.
• More Protein: To add more plant protein to this vegetarian stuffed poblanos recipe, spread a layer of refried beans in the peppers before adding the rest of the stuffing ingredients!
• Mini Pepper Appetizer: Make filling according to the recipe and scoop into halved mini bell peppers for a delicious and colorful appetizer. Delicious when served alongside Vegan Empanadas with Black Beans and Chipotle Corn Salsa for a Mexican appetizer spread.
• Farmers Market Vegetable Stuffed Poblanos: Change up the filling of this healthy poblano pepper recipe with seasonal farmers market flavors. Use any variety of tomato, zucchini or yellow squash, organic spinach or arugula, fresh locally-made cheese, or other in-season vegetables available.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

These vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers are delicious when served alone and are a hearty meal with vegetables and whole grain quinoa. They are perfect for an easy weeknight family meal or make ahead for lunches to quickly reheat during your workday.

Southwestern flavors are some of my favorites and this recipe is delicious when served with a side of stewed pinto beans or black beans, pineapple pico de gallo or this edamame guacamole alternative and air fryer tortilla chips. 

🙌 Dietary Adaptions

This recipe is naturally gluten-free. To make vegan stuffed poblano peppers, omit the cheese and the Greek yogurt or sour cream, or use a vegan substitute for those ingredients.

🫙 Storage Directions

• Storing: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For optimum freshness, wrap each pepper individually in foil or plastic wrap before placing inside the container.
• Reheating: Reheat the dish in the microwave, oven, or air fryer. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through. Or microwave for 60 second intervals until it is heated through.
• Freezing: Cool peppers completely and wrap individually in foil or plastic wrap before placing inside a freezer safe bag or container. Mexican stuffed poblanos keep for 2-3 months in the freezer.

❓ Recipe FAQs

🌮 More Healthy Southwestern Recipes!

• Healthy Mexican Stuffed Peppers
• Potato Tacos
• Mexican Rice Casserole
• Black Bean and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
• Mexican Pinto Bean Casserole
• Healthy Black Bean Quesadillas

📋 Recipe Card