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QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS (VEGAN + EASY)

Tasty Mexican inspired Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with black beans are filling and ultra nutritious for an easy dinner any night of the week – great for meal prep too!

top down view of quinoa stuffed colored bell peppers on a serving dish topped with vegan cashew cheese sauce.

If you follow this blog, you’ll know that quinoa is one of my favorite grains. Quinoa is rich in fiber and protein, and is a great substitute for the traditional rice used in stuffed peppers.

Combine the protein from the quinoa and black beans and you have yourself a fairly well-balanced meal. Pair with fresh cilantro, sliced avocado and vegan cream sauce, and get ready to fall in love!

This recipe comes along easily and is ready to serve in about 45 minutes from start to finish. If you prefer an Italian style, take a look at these Vegan Stuffed Peppers!

side by side photo of the process of making the tex-mex quinoa in a pot.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Tex-Mex inspired stuffed bell peppers are filled with a mixture of quinoa, black beans, corn, pico de gallo and warm spices, then baked in the oven to perfection!

Here is everything you’ll need:

  • Bell Peppers: I love a mix of colored bell peppers, it’s colorful and fun. But if you have a favorite, use any color/s you like.
  • Quinoa: It’s usually recommended to rinse your quinoa before using, but I always skip this step and have never had a cooked quinoa that was bitter tasting from not rinsing. But just in case, you may like to rinse your quinoa under cool running water using a fine mesh sieve before cooking to remove any kind of dust residue.
  • Black Beans: Black beans add heartiness and protein. Feel free to sub with pinto beans or chickpeas if you prefer.
  • Spices: We’ll be using warm spices such as chili powder and cumin, along with a little garlic powder. This will be added to the quinoa when cooking for a super flavorful base.
  • Corn: I used canned corn for ease and convenience, I happen to find a fire roasted corn that was delicious! Freshly shucked corn is great too, using about 1 to 1 1/2 cups.
  • Pico De Gallo: For the pico de gallo, you can use a prepared one from the grocery store which is what I did. Or make your homemade pico, it’s super easy and only requires a few extra ingredients. Also, you could try subbing with a chunky salsa.

top down view of colored bell peppers cut in half and seeds removed on a baking sheet.

How To Make Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

  • Cook the quinoa along with the spices. Cooking the quinoa will take about 25 minutes, and your home is going to start smelling good. If you have an instant pot, this Instant Pot Quinoa is foolproof!
  • While quinoa is cooking, cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds.
  • Once quinoa is ready, add in the beans, corn and pico de gallo. The mixture is delicious and you’ll be tempted to eat more than just a tasting bite.
  • Stuff each half with the quinoa mixture, and place on a lined rimmed baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until peppers are nearly soft. I like my peppers al dente, cook 5 – 10 minutes little longer for softer peppers.
  • Once pulled from the oven, let your freshly baked stuffed peppers cool a few minutes.

And now your stuffed peppers are ready to enjoy!

top down view of quinoa stuffed colored bell peppers on a rimmed baking sheet.

How To Store Leftovers

  • Refrigerator: Store leftover stuffed peppers in an airtight container for up to 4 – 5 days in the refrigerator. These peppers are great to make ahead for meal prep!
  • Freezer: Stuffed peppers can be stored in the freezer, in a freezer safe container or wrapped, for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, bake them straight from frozen at 350 degrees until they are thawed and warmed through, about 20 – 30 minutes.
  • Reheat: Warm in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes, until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat thawed stuffed peppers in the microwave using 30 – 60 second intervals, until warmed through.

Serving Suggestions

Make your serving of stuffed peppers even better with a few of these delicious serving options:

side angle view of quinoa stuffed colored bell peppers on a serving dish topped with vegan cashew cheese sauce.

These easy vegan stuffed peppers are:

You need to add these easy quinoa stuffed peppers with black beans to your menu rotation! It’s seriously one of those recipes that I can make over and over again, and it never gets old!

More Tex-Mex Vegan Dinners

top down view of 2 halves of roasted bell pepper stuffed with tex-mex quinoa and avocado on the side on a white plate with black rim and fork and knife.

If you try this quinoa stuffed peppers recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

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QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 6 reviews

Colorful and easy to make, these Tex-Mex Quinoa Stuffed Peppers are delicious, and great for lunch, dinner and meal prep!

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 35
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6, 1 stuffed pepper per serving 1x
  • Category: Entree
  • Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup dried quinoa
  • 1 3/4 cup water or vegetable broth
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • good pinch pink salt
  • 1 can (14 oz) corn, drained
  • 1 can (14 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup pico de gallo, plus more as needed
  • 6 medium bell peppers, use your favorite color/s
  • cilantro, to serve
  • avocado, to serve

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Quinoa: In a medium size pan, add water/broth, quinoa, chili powder, cumin and salt, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool about 5 – 7 minutes. Add in corn, black beans and pico de gallo, mix to combine. Add extra pico de gallo as you like, I used about 1 1/2 cups. Taste for seasoning adding salt or other spices to your liking. If you have an instant pot, this Instant Pot Quinoa is foolproof!

Prep: Slice bell peppers in half and remove seeds.

Assemble: Place peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Fill each half with quinoa. Place sheet in oven on middle rack and bake for 20 minutes, or until peppers are just al dente and nearly soft.

Serve with sliced avocado and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro. Would be great with a drizzle of this Sriracha Cashew Cheese Sauce or Cilantro-Lime ‘Sour Cream’ over top too!

Serves 6 – 1 bell pepper per person

Notes

Instead of using pico de gallo, sub in salsa or 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained.

Updated: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers recipe was posted in June 2016. It was updated with new photos and helpful tips in June 2019.

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11 Comments

  1. My husband, 11yr daughter, and I loved these. I appreciate how easy it is to make.






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