Stuffed Poblano Peppers – Cooking Classy

Stuffed Poblano Peppers – loaded with lean ground turkey, hearty rice and black beans, nutritious tomatoes and corn, and finished with melty cheese. It’s a Tex-Mex recipe that’s brimming with flavor!

Many of you have had classic stuffed peppers and these are similar but with a Southwestern flavor and poblano peppers (aka pasilla peppers) are used instead of bell peppers. Plus these are a bit of a healthier option too.

They come together easily and no boiling is required beforehand. You’ll just bake the peppers until they start to soften and while they bake you make the filling in a skillet on the stovetop. Then stuff the peppers and finish them off in the oven.

You really don’t need much else to serve with them, though if you wanted something else you can’t go wrong with tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole.

The key here is just to find the larger poblano peppers at the grocery store (those little ones wont fit much filling), and I like to find some that will sit flat on each side if possible.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers Recipe Ingredients

• 6 large poblano peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 small)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 10 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, well drained in a sieve
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup cooked white rice
• 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

How to Make Stuffed Poblano Peppers

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Par-bake pepper halves: Place pepper halves on a 13 by 9-inch baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until tender crisp, about 10 – 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile make the filling: Heat olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds.
4. Scoot mixture to one far side. Add ground turkey and break into chunks, season with salt and pepper. Let cook while tossing and crumbling, until nearly cooked through. Add corn then finish cooking turkey through.
5. Remove from heat. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, rice, black beans, chili powder, cumin and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stir in 1/2 cup of the Mexican cheese blend and the cilantro.
7. Spoon filling into peppers filling them heaping full (you can press down slightly to fit more in). Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese blend over tops.
8. Return to oven and bake until cheese is nicely melted and peppers are softened to liking, about 8 to 10 minutes longer.

Possible Variations

• Lean ground beef or ground chicken can be used in place of ground turkey.
• Brown rice or quinoa will work in place of white rice.
• You can use another cheese here in place of the Mexican cheese blend such as Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or cheddar cheese.
• These stuffed peppers can also be made spicy, just add cayenne pepper to the filling.

Storage

• Filled and baked peppers should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
• Reheat individual servings in the microwave on 50% power until heated through.

More Southwestern Recipes to Try

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Loaded with lean ground turkey, hearty rice and black beans, nutritious tomatoes and corn, and they’re finished with melty cheese. It’s a Tex-Mex dish that’s brimming with flavor!

Servings: 6 (2 halves per person)

Prep20 minutes

Cook25 minutes

Ready in: 45 minutes

• 6 large (about 1 3/4 lbs) poblano peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 small)
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
• 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, well drained in a sieve
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup (slightly packed) cooked white rice
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Salt and black pepper

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pepper halves on a 13 by 9-inch baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until tender crisp, about 10 – 15 minutes.

• Meanwhile make the filling. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds.

• Scoot mixture to one far side. Add ground turkey and break into chunks, season with salt and pepper. Let cook while tossing and crumbling, until nearly cooked through. Add corn then finish cooking turkey through.

• Remove from heat. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, rice, black beans, chili powder, cumin and season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Stir in 1/2 cup of the Mexican cheese blend and the cilantro.

• Spoon filling into peppers filling them heaping full (you can press down slightly to fit more in). Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese blend over tops.

• Return to oven and bake until cheese is nicely melted and peppers are softened to liking, about 8 to 10 minutes longer.

Nutrition Facts

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Amount Per Serving

Calories 384
Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 69mg23%

Sodium 620mg27%

Potassium 1020mg29%

Carbohydrates 37g12%

Fiber 9g38%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 33g66%

Vitamin A 1883IU38%

Vitamin C 106mg128%

Calcium 271mg27%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.