Southwest Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Add some spice to your life with these Stuffed Poblano Peppers!  These stuffed poblanos are filled with a flavorful southwest ground turkey and rice filling and plenty of melted cheese. They make a great gluten-free dinner or appetizer and they can be made entirely in advance!

I’ve mentioned that my summer garden was a bust this year.  I planted five tomato plants and maybe harvested 1 cup of cherry tomatoes and three tomatoes all summer.  

My cucumber plant got huge, bloomed a lot, then the cucumbers would begin to grow and just stop when they resembled little baby dill pickles. 

The bright spots in my garden this summer are basil, shishito peppers and poblano peppers.  Thank goodness for them, and they’re still going strong. 🙂

I’m especially proud of my poblanos.  They’re so gorgeous that I knew I had to showcase them in these stuffed poblano peppers!

They’re stuffed with a hearty southwest ground turkey filling with rice, black beans and melted cheese.

They would also be amazing showcased in traditional chile rellenos. You can’t beat the classics!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• These stuffed poblano peppers include a hearty ground turkey and rice filling and bold southwest flavors.
• They make a hearty gluten-free dinner or appetizer.
• They can be prepped ahead, making them perfect for meal prep dinner or for entertaining.
• Stuffed poblanos are easily customized to suit any special diet.

Recipe ingredients

• Poblano peppers. The flavor of poblano peppers is totally mild in spiciness, making them a family friendly choice. They can be substituted with your favorite chilies.
• Ground turkey. Sub the ground turkey with your favorite ground meat or omit to make this recipe vegetarian.
• Rice. The rice may be made in advance or use leftover take out rice!
• Onions and garlic. These are aromatics that are the building blocks for great flavor.
• Diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Diced tomatoes add flavor and the tomato paste helps thicken the mixture and add depth of flavor. Sub with a can of tomato sauce if desired.
• Seasoning. Use my homemade taco seasoning or your favorite store bought brand.
• Corn. Use fresh or frozen corn, or sub with your favorite veggies.
• Black beans. Use my Instant Pot black beans or canned, or sub with your favorite beans.
• Lime juice. Be sure to use fresh lime juice to make the flavors pop.
• Cilantro. Adds freshness and flavor. Sub with chopped parsley if desired.
• Cheese. Omit the cheese to make this recipe dairy-free.

How to make stuffed poblanos

These easy stuffed poblanos are filled with a flavorful southwest ground turkey and rice filling, complete with black beans, diced tomatoes and veggies. 

They’re topped with cheese and make a healthy, gluten-free meal for Taco Tuesday or game day!

Pro tip: Prep the poblano peppers and filling in advance, then bake and stuff when you’re ready to eat!

Cook the rice

• Cook white or brown rice according to package instructions.  Quick cooking or leftover rice is great for this recipe.

Prep the poblano peppers

1. Halve the poblano peppers lengthwise, and remove the white membrane and seeds and discard.
2. Toss the poblanos in olive oil and season with salt and peppe, then bake on a large rimmed sheet pan at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until tender while you prepare the filling.  

Prepare the stuffed poblanos

1. Cook the onion for 5 minutes until softened.  Add the garlic and taco seasoning, and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the ground turkey and break up into small chunks with a wooden spoon, and cook 5-6 minute or until cooked through. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste and stir well to combine, then stir in the cooked rice, black beans and corn, and simmer 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice and cilantro, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
2. Divide the filling between the (8) poblano pepper halves and top with grated cheese.  Bake for 5 minutes until the cheese has melted, and serve warm with lime wedges.

FAQs

Serving suggestions

This stuffed poblano peppers recipe can be served up so many delicious ways as described below!

• They make a great dinner served with Mexican caesar salad or butter lettuce salad. They’re also great with a side of honey cornbread muffins or Mexican sweet corn cake!
• Serve Taco Tuesday style with an array of toppings such as sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole.
• Change things up by swapping the diced tomatoes with red enchilada sauce or green enchilada sauce!
• Make these stuffed poblanos low carb by omitting the rice and corn.

Recipe notes

• Pro tip: Prep the poblano peppers and filling in advance, then bake and stuff when you’re ready to eat!
• The ground turkey may be substituted with ground beef or chicken. 
• If you’d like your filling to be on the saucy side, substitute the diced tomatoes with the desired amount of enchilada sauce or tomato sauce.

See all of my Dinner Recipes for inspiration.

More stuffed veggie recipes:

• Air fryer jalapeño poppers
• Cheese stuffed poblano peppers by Chili Pepper Madness
• Chicken parmesan stuffed zucchini boats
• Italian stuffed peppers
• Stuffed jalapeños
• Stuffed zucchini boats

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Southwest Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Servings: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

Stuffed Poblano Peppers are a healthy stuffed poblano pepper recipe filled with a southwest turkey and rice filling!

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Ingredients

• 4 large poblano peppers*
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons [homemade taco seasoning]
• 15 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 lime juiced
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
• 1 cup grated cheese

Instructions 

Prep the poblano peppers:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Halve the poblano peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and white membrane.
• Place the peppers on a large rimmed baking sheet and coat with one tablespoon of the olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste.
• Bake the peppers for 10-12 minutes until tender, then remove from heat.

Prepare the filling:

• While the poblanos are baking, prepare the filling. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and taco seasoning, and cook 30 seconds.
• Add the ground turkey and break up into small chunks with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until cooked through.
• Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste and stir well. Add the rice, black beans and corn, stir until combined, and simmer about 5 minutes more.
• Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff and bake the poblanos:

• Divide the filling between the poblano pepper halves and top with grated cheese.
• Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted, and serve warm with lime wedges. Enjoy!

Notes

• *If the poblano peppers are on the smaller size, you may need 6-8 of them, or you’ll have filling leftover.
• The ground turkey may be substituted with ground beef or chicken.

• If you’d like your filling to be on the saucy side, substitute the diced tomatoes with the desired amount of enchilada sauce or tomato sauce.
• You may prep the poblano peppers and filling in advance, then bake and stuff when you’re ready to eat!

Nutrition

Serving: 2stuffed peppers, Calories: 635kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 46g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 148mg, Sodium: 454mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 7g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Mexican

Author: Marcie

All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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