Best Mexican Stuffed Peppers Ever

Servings

~45

Active Min

35–40

Bake Min

375°

Oven Temp

Protein

🥩

Beef

Ground Beef

80/20 or leaner — drain fat after browning

.75 lb

🌶️

Chorizo

Chorizo Sausage Links

Remove from casing and crumble in with the beef — this is the flavor upgrade

2 links

Produce

🫑

Peppers

Bell Peppers — for stuffing

Half green, half red — halved lengthwise. Red are sweeter; green adds bitterness that balances the chorizo richness.

6 large

🫑

Filling

Green Bell Pepper — chopped into filling

Diced and cooked in with the meat for extra pepper flavor throughout

1 pepper

🧅

Onion

White or Yellow Onion

Diced — cook with meat until soft and translucent

1 whole

🧄

Garlic

Garlic Cloves

Minced — add after onion softens, cook 1 minute until fragrant

2 cloves

Pantry

🌾

Rice

Long-Grain White Rice

Cook first, set aside. Use only what the filling needs — don't add all of it or the filling gets starchy and dry.

1 cup dry

🍅

Sauce

Tomato Sauce

Small can wasn't quite enough last time — use a full 15 oz can next time for a saucier, moister filling

15 oz can

🌮

Spice

Taco Seasoning

Stir in with browned meat before adding liquid — cook 1 minute to bloom the spices

2 tbsp

Topping

🧀

Cheese

Mozzarella + Cheddar — mixed

The combo is the secret to the stringy, gooey pull. Add cheese only when uncovering for the final bake.

generous

Method

0 of 8 steps complete — click a step to check it off

1First

Cook the Rice

Cook 1 cup dry rice per package directions (~18 min). Fluff and set aside to cool. Don't add all of it to the filling — eyeball how much you need so the mixture stays saucy, not starchy.

✓

2Key Step

Par-Roast the Peppers

Halve peppers lengthwise, remove seeds. Brush lightly with oil, place cut-side down. Roast at 400°F for 10 minutes. This softens the walls so they finish perfectly in the final bake — skipping this causes underdone peppers.

✓

3Filling

Brown the Meat

Remove chorizo from casing. Brown ground beef and chorizo together over medium-high with diced onion. Cook until no pink remains. Drain excess fat. Add minced garlic, cook 1 minute.

✓

4Filling

Season & Add Sauce

Stir in 2 tbsp taco seasoning and the chopped green bell pepper. Cook 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the full 15 oz can of tomato sauce. Stir well and taste — adjust seasoning now.

✓

5Filling

Fold in Rice & Fill Peppers

Add cooked rice to the meat mixture a little at a time — stop when the filling is saucy and cohesive, not dry or starchy. Fill each pepper half generously, mounding the filling. Place in a greased 9×13 baking dish.

✓

6Bake

Cover & Bake — First Round

Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes. Do not skip or shorten this. The foil traps steam that finishes cooking the pepper walls all the way through.

✓

7Bake

Add Cheese & Brown — Final Round

Remove foil. Top each pepper generously with the mozzarella-cheddar mix. Return uncovered to oven for 10–15 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbling. Watch closely at the end.

✓

8Serve

Garnish & Serve

Fresh cilantro, avocado slices or guacamole, sour cream, hot sauce, and a big squeeze of lime. The lime at the very end brightens the whole dish.

✓

Lessons Learned

⚠️

Do Not Skimp on Cook Time

Cutting the bake short by even 15 minutes leaves the pepper walls underdone — the filling is already cooked, so all that remaining time is for the peppers. Both rounds of baking are essential.

⚠️

Don't Add All the Rice

One cup dry makes more cooked rice than the filling needs. Add it gradually and stop when the filling is saucy and cohesive. Too much rice makes it starchy and dry.

💡

Use More Tomato Sauce

A small can wasn't quite enough — a full 15 oz can gives the filling the moisture it needs, especially since the rice absorbs a lot of it during baking.

💡

The Chorizo Is the Secret

Swapping half the ground beef for chorizo adds smoky, spiced depth you can't get from seasoning alone. Remove from the casing and crumble it right in with the beef — no need to cook it separately.

💡

Half Green, Half Red Peppers

Red peppers are sweeter and hold up beautifully in the oven. Green adds a slight bitterness that balances the richness of the chorizo. The color contrast on the table doesn't hurt either.