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Mexican-Style Stuffed Peppers

Mexican stuffed peppers with taco-seasoned ground beef, Mexican rice, and black beans, baked until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Vibrant bell peppers are filled generously and finished uncovered for a browned, melty top.
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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: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bell peppers
  • 4 large bell peppers (any color) tops cut off and seeds removed
Taco beef filling
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 0.5 cup water
  • 1 cup salsa
Rice and beans
  • 1 cup cooked Mexican rice
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
  • 1 cup corn kernels
Cheese topping
  • 1.5 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded
Serving
  • 1 sour cream for serving
  • 1 cilantro for serving
  • 1 jalapeños for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and make the taco beef
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Brown ground beef in a skillet, drain fat, then add taco seasoning and water and simmer for 3 minutes.
  3. Stir in cooked Mexican rice, black beans, salsa, and corn until combined.
Prepare peppers and fill
  1. Cut tops off bell peppers and remove seeds, then stand them in a baking dish.
  2. Microwave peppers for 3 minutes to par-cook if you want softer peppers.
  3. Fill each pepper generously with the beef mixture, then top with shredded Mexican cheese blend.
Bake until golden
  1. Pour 1/4 inch of water in the bottom of the dish, cover with foil, and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.
  2. Uncover and bake at 375°F for 10 more minutes until the cheese is golden — serve with sour cream and cilantro.

Notes

For best texture, keep the beef mixture thick so the peppers don’t bake up watery—drain beef well after browning and drain the black beans. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days; reheat in the oven at 350°F until hot. Freezing is not recommended because bell peppers can soften too much after thawing. For a lighter option, swap the ground beef for lean ground turkey or use a reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend.