When summer peppers are at their peak, I can’t resist bringing home a bunch of fresh poblano peppers to bake with. Their mellow heat and rich flavor make them perfect for stuffing. The way the flavor of the peppers blends with seasoned meat and melty cheese in the oven is so good. This stuffed poblano recipe comes together in under 45 minutes and works with whatever ground meat (or meatless option) you have on hand.
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Summer is privately known to me as fresh pepper season. It is their peak growing season, and they have the best flavor! Poblano peppers are one of my favorite types of peppers to cook with. You definitely can’t go wrong with this Mexican stuffed pepper recipe.
This easy ground beef-stuffed pepper recipe (also known as a stuffed poblano recipe) is perfect for a quick dinner. If you love peppery flavor, try this hearty Unstuffed Pepper Soup recipe too! You may also want to see my gluten-free Mexican recipes for more recipe inspiration.
A Note From My Kitchen
Stuffed peppers are a classic dish, and I made sure to test this recipe a few different ways so that you have options. I love the flavor of poblano peppers, but I also tested this recipe with bell peppers, in case you prefer a less spicy pepper. I tested ground beef, turkey, and Impossible meat, and you can’t go wrong with any of these choices.
Stuffed poblanos are delicious for bringing to a potluck. Here is another family favorite to take to a potluck: Super Cheesy Zucchini Ribbon Lasagna Alfredo. I also have a lot of gluten-free beef recipes to explore if you need more recipe inspiration.
Recipe Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Ground Meat – I used ground beef, but you can also use ground turkey, chicken, or even vegan meat.
- Onions or Leeks – Either will taste great in this recipe.
- Poblano Peppers – If you can’t find these, use green bell peppers.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes – You can also use Rotel if you prefer a spicier flavor.
How To Make Stuffed Pasilla Peppers:
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Step 1: Brown lean ground beef with spring onions. Add seasonings. This meat mixture will cook for 10 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break up the ground beef into small pieces while cooking.
👀 Sandi Says: Drain the fat out of the pan into a paper cup. (Don’t dump grease down the sink; it can adhere to pipes, causing blockages later on!) Once the fat has cooled, discard it into the trash.
Step 2: Add the can of diced tomatoes and continue to cook on medium heat.
Step 3: Cut the peppers in half lengthwise. They make the perfect vessel to stuff with meat and cheese! Remove the tops and seeds from the peppers. In many peppers, a significant portion of the spiciness is located in the seeds, so be sure to remove all of them. Add the peppers to a casserole dish.
Step 4: When the mixture cooks, stuff each pepper with the meat mixture. Top the stuffed pasilla peppers with corn and shredded cheese.
Step 5: Bake the peppers for 30 minutes at 375ºF. The peppers are finished when you see bubbling and melty cheese. If your cheese isn’t browning enough at the end, pop the dish under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Just keep a close eye on it to avoid burning!
Serve it with these Gluten-Free Cornmeal Biscuits. I also love these Fire-Roasted Shishito Peppers with garlic.
More Ways To Stuff Poblanos:
- Roasted chicken and cheddar cheese.
- Make it vegetarian, and stuff your pasilla peppers with Mexican rice and black beans.
- Go vegan and stuff your peppers with quinoa, kidney beans, tomato, and vegan cheese.
- Stuff and bake your pasilla peppers with chili and top with cheddar cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions:
These peppers can range from mild to moderate heat. To reduce the spice level, remove the seeds when you cut them in half.
This stuffed pasilla peppers recipe is very easy to make vegan by using vegan meat and cheese. I like using Impossible meat and VioLife cheddar cheese when making this recipe vegan.
In the refrigerator, these stuffed pasilla peppers will keep fresh for up to 4 days. Be sure to store them in an airtight container.
I freeze them in an airtight container or in single-serve portions in Souper Cubes.
More Pepper Recipes To Try:
- How to Cook Padron Peppers
- Gluten-Free Turkey Stuffed Peppers (with bell peppers)
- Blistered Shishito Peppers with Garlic
- Gluten Free Hatch Green Chile Apple Pie (you will love the sweet, spicy combination of flavors!)
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Baked Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef * see notes
- 3-4 in poblano peppers tops and seeds removed, cut in half lengthwise
- ⅓ cup diced onions
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 14 ounce can corn drained
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes or Rotel
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
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Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to cut each poblano in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and set the peppers aside. (Seeds can pack some heat, so be sure to remove them all.)
- Preheat the oven to 375º F.
- Spray non-stick oil in a 9×13 casserole dish.
- In a large pan, cook ground beef, garlic, and onions over medium heat. Cook until the meat is cooked thoroughly.
- When the meat is cooked, drain the fat into a cup. (Don't dump hot grease down the drain or it can lead to clogs.)
- Season the meat mixture with salt, chili powder, cumin, and pepper. Mix the seasonings in.
- Add the diced tomatoes and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Place the peppers in a casserole dish. Fill each pepper with the meat mixture.
- Top with corn and Mexican cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
- Garnish with sour cream and fresh cilantro
Notes
- You can use any ground meat, including beef, turkey, chicken, pork, or even vegan meat! I tested this recipe with beef, chicken, and Impossible meat to make sure each kept the dish flavorful and moist.
- Use Cheddar, a Mexican cheese blend, or even Pepper Jack. If you are dairy-free, I like VioLife Cheddar Cheese.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. This recipe also freezes well. Place in an airtight container and freeze.
- To thaw, you can heat it covered in the oven or microwave oven.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This post was updated from an older June 2017 with more recipe details and a correction due to this pepper being mislabeled in the grocery store.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
Pasilla peppers are not poblanos OR anchos (dried ripe poblanos).
Pasilla peppers (or, “little raisin”) are dried ripe chilaca peppers.
Yeah, the store messed up the sign for sure. I didn’t realize at the time and so I really do need to update this soon to correct it. Thank you so much.
Do be precise: chile pasilla is the dried form of fresh chile chilaca chile poblano (which you used here) is the fresh form of dried chile ancho.
The peppers you used in this recipe are not pasilla, they are poblanos. I know, I know – I saw the previous posts about the confusion! Often the grocery stores in the US misname the chilies. It has lots of information about chiles, both dried (like pasilla chiles) and fresh chiles (like poblano chiles).
Your recipe was fabulous! I loved the ease of it and how the flavors melded together. I’m giving the recipe to my sister, who loves Mexican food. Thank you for sharing!
Yeah, I did mess up on the peppers. I plan to rework this old article soon and fix that. Thank you so much for the link and help.
I used fresh pasilla peppers and it tuned out great. Both peppers would work.
Really nice low carb and sugar entree.
I am glad you liked it Glenn. Thank you for coming back to let me know :-).
Recipe sounds very good however the photo you show of the peppers are poblano not pasilla. Pasilla peppers are long and skinnier than a poblano. That’s why the peppers you used stuff so nicely because they are a wider pepper – a poblano.
Hi, at our local farm stand they had beautiful pasilla peppers and although we had never eaten them before, I bought a couple for us to try. They look similar to Anaheims and Poblanos, so why not? I found your recipe and tied it out, although I made it without meat. I used pinto beans instead. This was delicious. A new favorite recipe for us. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Allyn, I am so glad this recipe worked well for you. I need to try it your way with pinto beans next 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to write.
I love Tiburon peppers but I haven’t seen them in the market yet. Thanks for letting me know these are around 🙂