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Mexican-Style Stuffed Peppers

Mexican stuffed peppers with seasoned taco beef, Mexican rice, black beans, and golden melted cheese baked until bubbly. Vibrant bell peppers cradle a Tex-Mex filling for an easy stuffed peppers-style Mexican dinner.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Peppers and filling
  • 4 large bell peppers Any color; tops cut off and seeds removed.
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 0.5 cup water
  • 1 cup cooked Mexican rice
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1.5 cups Mexican cheese blend, shredded
  • 1 sour cream For serving.
  • 1 cilantro For serving.
  • 1 jalapeños For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and cook the taco beef filling
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F while you prepare the filling, keeping the oven hot so the peppers bake evenly later.
  2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, then drain excess fat to prevent a greasy filling.
  3. Add taco seasoning and water to the browned beef and simmer for 3 minutes to thicken and season the meat.
  4. Stir in cooked Mexican rice, black beans, salsa, and corn until combined, then remove from heat.
Stuff and bake the peppers
  1. Cut tops off the large bell peppers and remove seeds, then stand the peppers in a baking dish.
  2. Par-cook peppers in the microwave for 3 minutes if you want softer peppers.
  3. Fill each pepper generously with the beef mixture and top with shredded Mexican cheese blend.
  4. Pour 1/4 inch of water into the bottom of the dish, cover with foil, and bake for 25 minutes.
  5. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes at 375°F until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
  6. Serve the Mexican-style stuffed peppers with sour cream and cilantro, with jalapeños on top if desired.

Notes

For best texture, par-cook only if you prefer softer peppers; skipping it yields firmer, more bell-pepper-forward bites. Refrigerate stuffed peppers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat in a 350°F oven or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended for the best cheese and pepper texture. Dietary swap: use ground turkey in place of ground beef for a lighter filling.